Tag: Ireland

M – Mount Juliet

ggg127web7th February 2021Comments OffUncategorized

GB&I Golf Course Review – Z to A

I am going to showcase one golf club a day in GB & I over 26 days – in reverse alphabet order. It is my ode to some great and in some cases, unknown golf. Full write up’s can be found on golfgurugroup blogspot or on golfgurugroup website under the Travelling Lady Golfer tab.

Look out for the daily influx of unique, quirky, amazing golf courses across the GB & I.

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Mount Juliet

Mount Juliet Estate, Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland

Wahoo another great parkland course, who’s relative newness doesn’t detract from it being a fantastic play and location just an hour and half from Dublin.

This beautiful Irish country Estate extends to approx 500 acres with the River Nore shaping its very existence as it dissects the 180 acre golf course.

Completed just 30 years ago

In 1991 Jack Nicklaus was called in to give it his signature treatment. This basically means he got involved and visited the sight personally before coming up with this little gem of a course. It has to be said, at first glance, I would not have said it was a Golden Bear design. I can usually tell if a course is one of his, but this one was tricky for me to pin point its designer.

Mount Juliet is fun to play, it’s takes in the established estate and works with the mass of water to bring that in play too. Hole 4, par 4 292/404 yards is a tight driving hole which seemed to narrow in the middle before opening up to the shot to the green. Or so you think, in fact the entrance to the green is also narrow. Water sits to the right of the green too, making it on in 2 is quite a challenge!

It was one of my first experiences of a Nicklaus course, and I recall at the time being impressed by the splodge bunkers, I now know are a trait of his. Typically in play for the drive, the bunkers became less attractive as the round went on!

Water and bunkers

Do play a big part of the design of Mount Juliet. There are around 80 bunkers. Five lakes were also constructed to come into play over 6 holes but this does enhance Mount Juliet’s natural and unique beauty. It is little wonder it was voted best Parkland Golf Course in 2008 and 2010 and more recently the same from Golfers Guide to Ireland.

The 16th, a par 4 335/452 yards is a strange one. A slight dog leg from the back tees but playing straight from the forward tees. Out of bounds on the left. The inevitable bunkering more likely to catch the back tee players. Then this little splodge bunker in front of the green. Nothing weird about that, right? Behind the green is where you feel as though you’ve playing a desert course. A very large expanse of sand which almost envelopes the green itself. In fact if that desert bunker wasn’t there, with it being out of bounds behind it, I guess it does save the golfer a little?

Measure 7,000 yards

It has been built to stage championship golf. The Irish Open was meant to me played here last year but wasn’t due to Covid. With many a top golfers already given the opportunity to play Mount Juliet, I’m sure it won’t be long until it hosts another punchy event soon.

It is a number of years since I played Mount Juliet. I often wonder about changes that might have happen to improve the course and whether those changes actually have improved it. It seemed pretty special to me when I played there!

But what of its name?

Several changes in name for the estate have included Waltons Grove and Kendals Grove, depending on who owed the Estate at that time. But as we all enjoy a good love story, it was the Earl of Carrick who named it Mount Juliet after his wife, Lady Julianna Butler, aka Juliet.

Hotel accommodation is also available on site.

N for Newport

R – Rosapenna

ggg127web2nd February 2021Comments OffUncategorized

GB&I Golf Course Review – Z to A

Over the next 26 days, I am going to showcase one golf club a day in GB & I. It is my ode to some great golf in the UK and Ireland. Full write up’s and more images can be found on golfgurugroup.blogspot or www.golfgurugroup.com Travelling Lady Golfer tab. So there is no missing out on that extra little bit of information, if needed.

Feel free to share them to help others.

Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort

Rosapenna, Sheephaven Bay, Downings, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal, F92 PN73, Ireland

What does your mind conjure up when you think family run golf resort?

Are you struck with fear that there a once beautiful haven has little investment made into the property or golf course? The rooms are a bit too homely with animal hairs being a major feature. Not to mention that musty or cheap cleaning fluid smell as you enter your standard box blue print room which could be anywhere in the world? Well if that the case, forget it as Rosapenna is nothing like that!

When I reflect on Rosapenna

I remember the home comforts; from the friendly check in to the freshly baked cookies in a jar in your room. The warmth and comfort of the bed in the generous sized authentically decorated rooms. It’s a fine balance between a family run hotel and a home. I think the Casey family at Rosapenna have hit the nail on the head with their perfectly located hotel overlooking Sheephaven Bay.

I arrived at Dublin airport and picked up a hire car. Whilst a good three and half hour drive to Rosapenna. Passing into and back out of Northern Ireland before reaching my final destination on the northerly tip of Eire was a great experience. Whilst I did enjoy my drive, you can also fly into Belfast at just over two hours away or Derry just over an hour away

Irelands home of golf since 1893

With the original links designed by Old Tom Morris and revisions from Harry Vardon and Harry Colt. The later addition of another golf course, Sandy Hills, in 2003 was designed by Pat Ruddy. With some softening of the design being done by Beau Welling of Quinta do Lago (North) fame.

Marked differences in the two designs of the two complimentary courses are Old Tom routed his course around the dunes. Whereas Pat Ruddy went straight through them, presumably where the name Sandy Hills comes from?

I didn’t play the Old Tom Morris Links, only Sandy Hills, so this is the focus for this article.

A modern links designed in by Pat Ruddy and Frank Casey (Snr) in 2003.

Built to lend a test to any golfer

Clever tricks of the eye are often in play as the course looks narrow from the tee yet, the landing points carved out of the dunes are surprisingly achievable. With Marram grass lining the fairways keeping the ball in play, is essential for a round of golf the you can hang your head high at the 19th. Some of the greens have been cut into the dunes or on elevated plateaus for added interest and testing of ones golf nerve.

Tightly mowed fairways

Slick greens and some elevated tees. This course has been built to expand to its maximum length of 7255 yards. But of course, you don’t have to play the back tees! Just elect to play from the tees that work best for you to enjoy this new style links course. Most of the holes run North to South, along the dune ridges and in parallel to the front nine of Old Tom Morris links. Creating a sense of seclusion with the Muckiest Mountain as the backdrop.

I recall playing down the fairway, just going about my business hitting the ball. I looked up and saw the view of the beach and bay spread out in front of me. It was a breathtaking moment to stop, reflect and enjoy, before being rudely dragged back to tackling that little white ball again!

Take a few days to enjoy Rosapenna, play its golf and just relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery surrounding you. If you need a little more encouragement, this 800 acre estate on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean on the Donegal Coast also offers health and wellbeing centre and a billiard/card room. Of course the usual putting green and driving range are available to use too, to get you into the golf mindset before having it blown by playing one or both of the championship courses.

In summary, there was a certain ‘newness’ about playing Sandy Hills but this enhanced the overall experience when playing such a beautiful course.

I hope to return one day and play the Old Tom Morris course and have another go at Sandy Hills now it has matured a little more. And of course to get another batch of those wonderful cookies in my room whilst I sit and enjoy the view over Sheephaven Bay.

S – Southerndown

T – The Island

ggg127web31st January 2021Comments OffUncategorized

GB&I Golf Course Review – Z to A

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The Island Golf Club

The Island Golf Club, Corballis, Donabate, Co Dublin, Ireland

Founded in 1890, The Island GC is one of the first twelve golf clubs in Ireland. It’s the third oldest in Dublin, predating Portmarnock by four years. Despite its name The island is not on an island but on a spur of land with the sea on three sides. For the first 100 years of the clubs life, even up until 1973, access to the golf course was via boat, across the estuary from Malahide. In the early days golfers would be dropped off for their round of golf. A large red and white disc hanging on the side of the clubhouse, was the signal to the boatsmen to collect the golfers for their return. If the weather became inclement the only way back was around the inlet. Whilst today this poses no problem, back then it was a long and arduous journey. In fact The Island is now only 15 minuets from Dublin Airport by road today.

Described as the definition of Links golf, The Island is one of the finest links courses with Fred Hawtree, Eddie Hackett and more recently Martin Hawtree having stakes in its evolving design.

It is true to say that when I played The Island, I played the old design, so I will endeavour to give you a brief synopsis of the redesigned front nine. The back nine was always the stronger of the two, so largely remains unchanged.

Mackenzie & Ebert

Were appointed to look at elevating the plan of the front nine to match the back. As luck would have it Martin Hawtree had built an extra hole, the 19th. So incorporating this into the new design, the weaker 8th and 9th have been shuffled along to give us the course today. The creating of new sand dunes was not taken lightly. The objective was to recreate natural dunes in the places the new design needed. Analysis was done on the existing dunes and with careful planning the building was undertaken to achieve such a task. It has been said that the new par 3 fourth hole will become one of the best short links holes anywhere. These works were completed last year (2020).

As the course is naturally nestled between some of the highest sand dunes in golf which is a test in itself for golfers. With the introduction of the new front nine, leaves me wanting to go back and play The Island again …. and again.

Standing on the tee

On a reasonably sunny but cold day, I was blown away by the sheer natural beauty of this golf course laid out in front of me. As if large historic worms had burrowed around the fairways, leaving mounds now over grown with long grasses. The scene were something akin to a lunar landscape. The fairways also carried the tame version of those earth worm mounds. Which added to the drama of the course, especially when the sun was shining and shadows created. I do recall playing with the water on the right hand side, hitting a cracking shot which went slightly right towards the water and towards the OOB. But I was feeling quite smug thinking, thats good, I’m safe. But I didn’t find that ball, I was mortified as I saw ‘exactly where it went’, but obviously I didn’t! I became an Island victim, by not taking this course seriously enough!

I loved playing on the greens at The Island, thinking how smooth (and fast) they were, they are a pleasure to play on.

Who would have thought that in 1887 four men and a boat could have had the foresight to build a golf course on this beautiful peninsular. Created by a syndicate of ten wealthy men negotiating a lease on the land and offering up to five clubhouses in the early days. Mens membership tickets were admitted in 1896 with women’s membership tickets being admitted the following year. The syndicate model was passed down until 1952 when the syndicate of that time handed over the entire interest in the club to its existing members.

A true traditional members golf club with nice friendly people to greet you.

U for Ullapool Golf Club