Controversial golf resort gets green light

[muttleee]

The Northern Ireland Planning Service has just given its approval to a controversial £100 million golf resort on the Causeway Coast. Don't they know what happened to the Lough Erne Golf Resort just a few months ago?! (It went into administration despite being designed by Nick Faldo and promoted by Rory McIlroy.)

Is there any chance that this could actually turn out to be a worthwhile investment?! From my layman's perspective the whole scheme seems totally crazy. It's as if the developer actually wants to lose money. Unbelievable.

 

[thecraw]

Links in my opinion will always pay. Inland American water and bunker courses wont really attract my money.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Maybe the gubbermint are just anxious to get as much money into the local economy as possible? Once the place is open it's up to the owners to make it profitable.

 

[Yerman]

Sounds daft, reminds me of Mark Twain's comment on the Giants Causeway

- "Worth seeing, but not worth going to see."

 

[USER1999]

The picture of the land on bbc did not look like it would be links, more parkland on the side of a hill.

 

[muttleee]

The picture of the land on bbc did not look like it would be links, more parkland on the side of a hill.

Yes, although part of the site runs along the coast and is more linksy. With a name like 'Bushmills Dunes', it had better be a links course or Trading Standards might have something to say about it.

 

[kevinmarkham]

Don't they know what happened to the Lough Erne Golf Resort just a few months ago?! (It went into administration despite being designed by Nick Faldo and promoted by Rory McIlroy.)

Is there any chance that this could actually turn out to be a worthwhile investment?! From my layman's perspective the whole scheme seems totally crazy. It's as if the developer actually wants to lose money. Unbelievable.

I agree that its controversial in nature, but comparing it with Lough Erne ignores the location factor: Lough Erne is a fair distance from any other decent course or airport. If you look at the 'lines of transport', it's not on the way to anywhere. Ireland's north west courses are accessed via Shannon or Knock, and if you were heading to Ballyliffin or Rosapenna from Dublin, you wouldn't go via Lough Erne. It's almost in the middle of nowhere (no offense to Enniskillen)

This new resort is next to Portrush/Portstewart/Castlerock so it's automatically going to tap into a huge audience of golfers. I don't agree with the project going ahead (Runkerry House should never have been sold as it was donated to the Northern Ireland government for pubic use in 1951), but if it's any good then it'll have no problems being a success.

 

[Philm]

And if they open a Local Club at it, which they undoubtedly will then it will have no problem gaining members.

seriously if you dont know Northern Ireland and this area in particular you wouldnt believe the local golfing interest. its immense.

Phil

 

[muttleee]

And if they open a Local Club at it, which they undoubtedly will then it will have no problem gaining members.

seriously if you dont know Northern Ireland and this area in particular you wouldnt believe the local golfing interest. its immense.

I'm sure there is plenty of interest up there with so many world class courses to choose from...but this one is being marketed as a 5-star resort which is presumably aimed at visitors from the USA more than local players. It'll be interesting to see what the green fees are like. I don't know what the numbers of visiting golfers are at the minute but I suspect they're relatively low compared to say 5 years ago (i.e. before the credit crunch).

 

[brendy]

I'm sure there is plenty of interest up there with so many world class courses to choose from...but this one is being marketed as a 5-star resort which is presumably aimed at visitors from the USA more than local players. It'll be interesting to see what the green fees are like. I don't know what the numbers of visiting golfers are at the minute but I suspect they're relatively low compared to say 5 years ago (i.e. before the credit crunch).

For what its worth, Castle Stuart is built on similar type of land and it is fantastic.