Ayrshire tour Pt.2 Irvine bogside

[Liverbirdie]

Irvine bogside

Not the best of names, but don’t let that put you off though.

Due to bigstraightdriver (sorry bigslice has a misnomer) getting in touch and offering to sign us in, we were gladly treated to the delight of his home course. Right lets get the one downside out of the way, a lack of par 3’s (only 2) and par 5’s (none, unless of the blues) at all would make you think this course is a bit samey. It isn’t.

The first opens up with a straight, wideish 400 yard par 4, just the trick. The second has a slightly blind look to the green, but it’s 2 good cracks to get it there. 3 and 4 make good use of the natural terrain with elevation changes to the fore. Use the wall as a backstop on the 4th (that’s what it’s there for, bounce over it though and you may hit the choo-choo).

The fifth (like the 4th may be less than 300 yards, but hard to hit in one, with railway sleepers/bunkers, heather waiting to trap underhit or errant balls. Lay up or go for it, makes it a good risk reward hole. The SI 1 6th is a good shaped hold for faders, a good hit taking the hill down to the lower fairway. The 7th is back up the hill with a tricky approach, if your on the cambered part of the fairway.

The 9th plays as a very long straight 4, par on here is hard won. The 11th is another great risk reward hole, with 3 bunkers cutting across the fairway and in play for most average hits, if you lay up, it will play as a 5, if carried gives you a par chance, if you can still hit 200 plus. A hard dog leg 12th, cut the corner, why not! The 13th (my nemesis, with an 8) is a tough hole, which has a blind drive, and lots of trouble for the unknowing line.

17 is a fantastic golf hole, position off the tee is important, to be able to see a lovely bowl like green, a 3 wood, 5 rescue wood to 5 feet left a birdie chance (not taken advantage of). 18 is also semi blind, but a safe 200 yard drive, leaves a lofted iron in for birdie chances, which is what big slice and Colin got to win the match on the 18th.

This is a course that was in great nick, and is fair to you if you can plot your way with patience around it, it will repay you back. 14 pars for me left me very happy, 3 bogeys and an eight, shows it has teeth also. Not much wind, I would have been looking at less pars, if windy.

£57 normally, offers on with open fairways “passport”, but due to Davey’s generosity, a free round for us (I hope the meal went someway to repaying you big man, welcome at our house, anytime you like, to repay the rest - ooer). Didn’t go in the clubhouse, as we took Davey the pub, but looks a nice old fashioned place.

 

[thecraw]

It is a very good track but it really does not to try and break up the par 4 monotony. I really enjoy Bogside, its tough, great condition, super greens but I'd love to see them extend a couple of par 4's into some good par 5's and add another par 3.

Change 3 holes, not just change for the sake of change but change them for the better, do it properly and Bogside will not just be a very good track, it could be a brilliant track and start to rival Glasgow Gailes and Dundonald.

 

[Liverbirdie]

It is a very good track but it really does not to try and break up the par 4 monotony. I really enjoy Bogside, its tough, great condition, super greens but I'd love to see them extend a couple of par 4's into some good par 5's and add another par 3.

Change 3 holes, not just change for the sake of change but change them for the better, do it properly and Bogside will not just be a very good track, it could be a brilliant track and start to rival Glasgow Gailes and Dundonald.

Your right, I think it does not dminish it much, as there are lots of very good holes (I can still remember them all now, in order, over a month later), but a few par 5's would greatly add to it.

Dundonald review to follow in a few days, loved it. Haven't played the Gailles, at that price (£130 I think) would have opted for Troon instead, even if not as good a course. I am on 6 out of 14 of the open venues, so would have done Troon to add another.

As a course is W Gailles better than Troon?

 

[thecraw]

It is a very good track but it really does not to try and break up the par 4 monotony. I really enjoy Bogside, its tough, great condition, super greens but I'd love to see them extend a couple of par 4's into some good par 5's and add another par 3.

Change 3 holes, not just change for the sake of change but change them for the better, do it properly and Bogside will not just be a very good track, it could be a brilliant track and start to rival Glasgow Gailes and Dundonald.

That should say need to try!

 

[bigslice]

bogside is its nickname or area that it is in. their used to be a racetrack there called bogside which held the scottish grand natioanal before it move to ayr. here is its proper name http://www.theirvinegolfclub.co.uk/. the second is a par 5 off the whites. but would agree that some more par 3 and extend the 11 to par 5 would help the course but in my opinion would only help to make the medal round quicker as it can sometimes take 2 1/2 hours on the front nine!!!
im just chuffed that i will hopefully be playing here for the rest of my life. quality course quality grass quality greens and a challenging course if you dont keep it on the fairways.

 

[Liverbirdie]

bogside is its nickname or area that it is in. their used to be a racetrack there called bogside which held the scottish grand natioanal before it move to ayr. here is its proper name http://www.theirvinegolfclub.co.uk/. the second is a par 5 off the whites. but would agree that some more par 3 and extend the 11 to par 5 would help the course but in my opinion would only help to make the medal round quicker as it can sometimes take 2 1/2 hours on the front nine!!!
im just chuffed that i will hopefully be playing here for the rest of my life. quality course quality grass quality greens and a challenging course if you dont keep it on the fairways.

Amen to that.