The best and often cheapest ways to play golf in Ireland

[kevinmarkham]

There's always talk about how you can play the great courses without losing your shirt. Playing in January is a good way to start... if you don't mind sleet in your face and your fingers dropping off.

Ireland has been banging out 'Classics' for a long time now. These are 3 and 4 day singles and team tournaments and you get to play the best courses - meaning the likes of Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Doonbeg, Ballybunion, Lahinch, Enniscrone, Carne, Ballyliffin... the list goes on - for a very small outlay.

The Donegal Links Classic, for example, plays Ballyliffin, Rosapenna and Portsalon at a cost of €100. And it's not hosted in January either - it's at the start of June.

The full list is on my blog (http://golfcoursesireland.blogspot.com) - about a dozen such Classics are included, but there are probably more.

 

[LCVreg]

There's always talk about how you can play the great courses without losing your shirt. Playing in January is a good way to start... if you don't mind sleet in your face and your fingers dropping off.

Ireland has been banging out 'Classics' for a long time now. These are 3 and 4 day singles and team tournaments and you get to play the best courses - meaning the likes of Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, Doonbeg, Ballybunion, Lahinch, Enniscrone, Carne, Ballyliffin... the list goes on - for a very small outlay.

The Donegal Links Classic, for example, plays Ballyliffin, Rosapenna and Portsalon at a cost of €100. And it's not hosted in January either - it's at the start of June.

The full list is on my blog (http://golfcoursesireland.blogspot.com) - about a dozen such Classics are included, but there are probably more.

Kevin, first of all, Bril book, Ive had the original since it was first published, - but has it been updated?. To all and any who have never been playing in Ireland, it truly is mainly magical !, even though in the boom, (which has now turned to bust basically over there), you had to get a mortgage and an American accent to play on the more well known courses in the South west!. Over the years, I have organised a few tours over in Ireland, mainly in the South East (Waterford Area) and up the east coast towards Dublin but a few years ago I took about a dozen over to play the Heart of Down tournament - It was bril, absolutely bril and being able to play on and be welcomed so nicely at Royal County Down on the last day is an everlasting memory - our group started late and playing the 18th in the gathering gloom, I personally managed a par to which someone said that there were 40 odd bunkers or some wierd number anyway, to which my reply was that it was so dark, I couldn't see any of them!!The biggest problem that we, certainly in the South West of England, is getting access and whilst indeed there are better flights to the north & West of Eire, this is indeed a major consideration and so far has meant that to do the West Coast Classic, has so far eluded me. The country is I'm afraid now very expensive against the pound, especially as this very week VAT has been put up to 23%, but if you can get the deals, make an effort to go there, it matters not whether the North, or the South, the welcome

 

[LCVreg]

Looks like I got cut off in my prime, but I wanted to finish by saying that whether the North, or the South, the welcome will always be superb and warm, and if you ever do get there, you do not need to break the bank by playing the big courses, eek out the lesser known ones and read Kevin's book, they are all there, warts and all!

 

[Dodger]

Feck,bolloxs and twats......The Great North Links Challenge.


You wait until I have booked our trip to Oktoberfest the week prior to this before you tell me about this event!!

2013 it's a must then!:fore:

 

[chris661]

Feck,bolloxs and twats......The Great North Links Challenge.


You wait until I have booked our trip to Oktoberfest the week prior to this before you tell me about this event!!

2013 it's a must then!:fore:

Ask and ye shall receive!! Need another :lol:

 

[Dodger]

Ask and ye shall receive!! Need another :lol:

Would go out my way for this.Not sure what is happening re this year as it's all up in air at moment but looking doubtful.
That GNLC looks top notch and a great time of year for links golf IMO.

 

[Tommo21]

Feck,bolloxs and twats......The Great North Links Challenge.


You wait until I have booked our trip to Oktoberfest the week prior to this before you tell me about this event!!

2013 it's a must then!:fore:

Remember 2013 is Muirfield year. Q at Dunbar then off to Muirfield.

 

[Dodger]

Remember 2013 is Muirfield year. Q at Dunbar then off to Muirfield.

It'll be my reward for qualifying Tommo,a trip to Portrush in October....if I make enough at Muirfield I'll even treat my bagman if you're interested.:whoo:

 

[stevek1969]

Playing in the Causeway Coast again this year £200 great value for money, 4 comp rounds and 4 practise rounds ,normally go and play Ballyliffin on the Friday the Portstewart again on the Saturday, 10 rounds in a week ,ironman training that is.

 

[kevinmarkham]

Thanks for the positive comments LCVreg - and good to hear you got such a +ve response at Royal County Down... not always the case.

The book was updated earlier this year - some new courses in, some out, and a revamp of green fees which have dropped hugely since the first edition. As for the VAT, it came down on certain items earlier in the year (restaurants, cinema etc, which were taxed at a considerably lower rate anyway), and is going up 23% on non-essential items... although I have still to determine what that means, since I see golf as essential!

Playing in the Causeway Coast again this year £200 great value for money, 4 comp rounds and 4 practise rounds ,normally go and play Ballyliffin on the Friday the Portstewart again on the Saturday, 10 rounds in a week ,ironman training that is.

Thanks for the reminder SteveK - I'd forgotten about that major free practice round bonus - I've updated the blog accordingly. Ta

 

[LCVreg]

Thanks for the positive comments LCVreg - and good to hear you got such a +ve response at Royal County Down... not always the case.

The book was updated earlier this year - some new courses in, some out, and a revamp of green fees which have dropped hugely since the first edition. As for the VAT, it came down on certain items earlier in the year (restaurants, cinema etc, which were taxed at a considerably lower rate anyway), and is going up 23% on non-essential items... although I have still to determine what that means, since I see golf as essential!



pdate ordered Kevin !Thanks for the reminder SteveK - I'd forgotten about that major free practice round bonus - I've updated the blog accordingly. Ta

Update ordered Kevin !
Dave