Ken_A
Tour Rookie
I was going to simply review this course as AWESOME!!!! but then I decided that I should give you a fair review.
Based in Castleblaney Monaghan the course is relatively new and was built at the back end of the Celtic Tiger - thus there have been some financial problems, however the people running the club seem to have a good business strategy.
On my first visit there was simply a small portakabin type shelter for the club house. However a few years later and many visits later they have invested a substantial amount of money and created a wonderful club house from which the Club Pro Conor McKenna works from. The club holds a Tuesday open every week and for €30 you can enter with a valid handicap. These times used to be very easy to get - however over the last 2 years the tee times are getting booked faster than before, while I have never had a problem getting a slot I am glad to see that the club is getting more and more visitors.
The course is a hard thing to describe - the land was initially a forest surrounded by lake Muckno but there are relatively few trees on the course and subsequently they form part of the aesthetics but not the challenge. The course is surrounded by lake Muckno and this is used to great effect with several tee shots over the lake and several fairways are at the water’s edge giving the course what I feel as a links feel. The fairways are very generous and the course is relatively easy from the tee - that is assuming you can hit them pretty far. The wide fairways allow you to bash the driver plenty, however the rough is thick and hard to get out off when wet. The heavy rough is almost impossible to find a ball - though the fairways are so generous you will not be in the hay too much - the heavy rough makes the course feel a bit linksey or perhaps like a heathland course. In fairness the course feels unique with a parkland/links/heathland feel or perhaps I should better sum it up as unique and fantastic.
The course is pretty long and in the wind it is a monster, the club has several buggies and I would definitely recommend them. The course is long, however there is generally a good walk between greens to tees and this really adds to the course length as do the hills. The distance from green to tee makes you feel that you have the course to yourselves and the 10 minute tee times help to ensure you enjoy the vistas and golf. As a word of warning my last round seen me hitting 5wood from 150 meters - yes it's meters as most Irish courses are in meters this has a tendency to throw the uninitiated golfer and to make you feel even more intimidated by the course its in meters to the front of the green. Some of these greens are 30-40 meters long requiring a lot more club than you realise. However the greens are always in fantastic order running true and fast every time I have visited. Some puts will intimidate even the best of golfers and flag positions can really challenge any golfer.
To summarise this is a unique, long, and fantastically maintained course. The club has invested a substantial amount of money in the course and the timesheets on the Tuesday opens reflecting that the 'word is out' for this Irish gem.
Pros - great course in great setting
Negs - A bit out of the way (perhaps that is a pro)
Fav hole - 10th it's about 170m to a 'cliff' which sees a drop from the top of the course perhaps 25m down to a green semi protected by bunkers and a few trees. Or perhaps the double dogleg 4th - no I love the first - and the 3rd - aaaaragh I can't choose they all feel different and great.
Thus if you are wanting to play a FANTASTIC course and are within 2 hours of Monaghan play this course - and phone me I want to play it again.
Ken
A view of the 3rd
3rd from 1st tee box
Part of the double dogleg 4th
The 8th
One of the tee shots over water
The 13th
www.concrawood.ie
Based in Castleblaney Monaghan the course is relatively new and was built at the back end of the Celtic Tiger - thus there have been some financial problems, however the people running the club seem to have a good business strategy.
On my first visit there was simply a small portakabin type shelter for the club house. However a few years later and many visits later they have invested a substantial amount of money and created a wonderful club house from which the Club Pro Conor McKenna works from. The club holds a Tuesday open every week and for €30 you can enter with a valid handicap. These times used to be very easy to get - however over the last 2 years the tee times are getting booked faster than before, while I have never had a problem getting a slot I am glad to see that the club is getting more and more visitors.
The course is a hard thing to describe - the land was initially a forest surrounded by lake Muckno but there are relatively few trees on the course and subsequently they form part of the aesthetics but not the challenge. The course is surrounded by lake Muckno and this is used to great effect with several tee shots over the lake and several fairways are at the water’s edge giving the course what I feel as a links feel. The fairways are very generous and the course is relatively easy from the tee - that is assuming you can hit them pretty far. The wide fairways allow you to bash the driver plenty, however the rough is thick and hard to get out off when wet. The heavy rough is almost impossible to find a ball - though the fairways are so generous you will not be in the hay too much - the heavy rough makes the course feel a bit linksey or perhaps like a heathland course. In fairness the course feels unique with a parkland/links/heathland feel or perhaps I should better sum it up as unique and fantastic.
The course is pretty long and in the wind it is a monster, the club has several buggies and I would definitely recommend them. The course is long, however there is generally a good walk between greens to tees and this really adds to the course length as do the hills. The distance from green to tee makes you feel that you have the course to yourselves and the 10 minute tee times help to ensure you enjoy the vistas and golf. As a word of warning my last round seen me hitting 5wood from 150 meters - yes it's meters as most Irish courses are in meters this has a tendency to throw the uninitiated golfer and to make you feel even more intimidated by the course its in meters to the front of the green. Some of these greens are 30-40 meters long requiring a lot more club than you realise. However the greens are always in fantastic order running true and fast every time I have visited. Some puts will intimidate even the best of golfers and flag positions can really challenge any golfer.
To summarise this is a unique, long, and fantastically maintained course. The club has invested a substantial amount of money in the course and the timesheets on the Tuesday opens reflecting that the 'word is out' for this Irish gem.
Pros - great course in great setting
Negs - A bit out of the way (perhaps that is a pro)
Fav hole - 10th it's about 170m to a 'cliff' which sees a drop from the top of the course perhaps 25m down to a green semi protected by bunkers and a few trees. Or perhaps the double dogleg 4th - no I love the first - and the 3rd - aaaaragh I can't choose they all feel different and great.
Thus if you are wanting to play a FANTASTIC course and are within 2 hours of Monaghan play this course - and phone me I want to play it again.
Ken
A view of the 3rd
3rd from 1st tee box
Part of the double dogleg 4th
The 8th
One of the tee shots over water
The 13th
www.concrawood.ie
