Atlantic Coast Challenge - Day 2 - Carne Golf Links

Approach to Carne's Kilmore 8th 

Day 2 of the Atlantic Coast Challenge was spent on the monstrous dunes of Carne. The day was… in a word… blistering. Almost wrong for a links, but there was enough wind to add that necessary something. 9 irons became 7 irons, or over-enthusiastically thrashed 8 irons.

Carne Golf Links Photos

Some photographs from Carne last night... to inspire those preparing for the Atlantic Coast Challenge.

The new par five 5th on the Kilmore 9. A dogleg right

Approach to the Hackett 11th. Tee is right of this picture,
creating a 90 degree dogleg

The Hackett 15th. A straight par four with an enormous
dip in the middle of the fairway (hard to see in pic)

The steep drop to the par three 16th

Approach to Hackett's 17th. A straight and long pat four

A double rainbow touches down in Blacksod Bay, beyond
the clubhouse and the 18th green

Irish Golf Membership Fees - Eleven Diamonds in the Rough

Connemara Links 16th Hole

At the start of every year many golfers have to sit back and count the cost of Christmas... before considering - or should that be dreading - the cost of the annual sub for the golf club. Around Dublin and the bigger cities, golf clubs have the advantage and can charge subs that hover around the €2,000 mark. Some, of course, are far more expensive... but that's the price of exclusivity and reputation.

And then there are the country courses.

The Curse of the Celtic Tiger on Irish Golf

Dunmurry Springs, par three 15th, green to tee

I had a good-natured Twitter spat with someone the other day, regarding the cost of green fees at Ireland's golf courses. He was English and he said that it was time for Ireland's golf courses to 'get their prices right and not rip off (golf tourists) like the past'.

An unfair comment on three fronts:

1. Green fee prices have fallen dramatically in the past four years (frequently by 40-50%)
2. There has ALWAYS been value in Irish golf... if you knew where to look
3. GB green fees are not exactly 'bargains'

'Sadly, damage was done when Eire courses priced us brits out of the market' was one of his comments, implying that golfers from Great Britain turned away from Ireland as a golfing destination when the Celtic Tiger ran rampant. The figures bear it out too, with GB golfing tourist numbers declining after 2008. Even today, when almost every other market is delivering growth, GB numbers remain in the doldrums. It is worth remembering, too, that golfers from GB once made up 66% of all visiting golfers.

So, what next?

Irish Golf Courses: Inside The Ropes Standings (7)

Seven Irish Golf Courses have been visited to date, as part of the Inside The Ropes project. This is how they stand...

Golf Course	Rating  (out of 30)	Value for Money (out of 30)	TOTAL  (out of 60)
Carne	25	27	52
Macreddin	25.5	26	51.5
Druid’s Glen	26	24	50
Mount Juliet	27	21	48
The Island	27.5	20	47.5
Dun Laoghaire	24	21	45
Greystones	22.5	22.5	45

Thanks to all the golfers who have participated so far. There are plenty more to come (340+ courses to go!), including some big names around the country.

If you want to find out what I think of these courses, pick up a copy of Hooked (links on the sidebar) and see if you agree with my assessment.

Inside The Ropes - Carne

The Atlantic Coast Challenge enjoyed its second year in 2012, and a very successful one it was too. Leading up to it, I asked the organisers to donate a free threeball as a prize – which they did. The winner was Denis, and I asked him and his companions to fill in an ‘Inside the Ropes’ questionnaire when they played Carne Golf Links on July 3rd.

Carne opened in 1995. It is one of the remotest golf courses on the island (along with Ceann Sibeal and Narin and Portnoo), in the far north west corner of Co. Mayo, in Belmullet. It’s a beautiful spot and, if golf is your drug, then you’ll be wanting to play it at least twice. I played on consecutive days with my father in 2006: on day one, the par three 14th was a wedge; on day two it was a four iron that came up short. We were playing two different courses and that is one of the beauties and terrors of links golf.

The guys are useful golfers and were placed fifth overall after two days of golf (Rosses Point and Carne), but faded on the final day at Enniscrone – which was the toughest challenge of the event by a fair margin.

Denis (10 handicap), James (7), John (12)

[Photo: approach to Carne's par four 8th]

Q. What are your overall impressions of the course?

Denis: Great golf course. Back 9 as good as any in the country.

James: Very enjoyable. Challenging.

John: Eddie Hackett made a most beautiful links. The back 9 are a great test of overall skill.

Carne was Eddie Hackett’s last design, and it is his greatest legacy – in my opinion, anyway. The man was a master of leaving the beauty of the landscape untouched, with the fairways at Carne moving simply and mischievously between and around the dunes to create some of the most remarkable holes you will ever play. With a new nine ready to open, it will keep Carne in the spotlight. I imagine that they will have a hard time deciding which will be the main 18, once all 27 are open for play.

Q. What are Carne’s best features? What really stood out for you?

Denis: Very true greens. Huge dunes! Playability.

We were really well received and welcomed by Mary Walsh in the Pro shop. She was genuinely keen for us to enjoy the day.

James: Mary in the Pro shop was most pleasant.

The setting and the scenery were outstanding.

Undulations on the fairways and shape of the greens.

John: The shape of the greens. Mary gave us a lovely welcome.

[Photo: the par three 16th (from the 17th tee box). The 16th tee box is top left of shot]

Q. Are there any negatives – either on or off the course? If so, what are they and how would you suggest they’re fixed?

Denis: 9th green is too penal.

Coffee at €2.50 and pint of cider at €5.30 are excessive.

James: Nothing serious come to mind. There are a few blind tee shots – I would suggest white stones on the fairway showing you where to hit the ball. I was really impressed with everything about the course – but maybe the greens could have been a bit quicker.

John: Coffee at €2.50 and pint of cider at €5.30

If the negatives are restricted mostly to the price of drinks, then Carne doesn’t have too much to worry about. The 9th green is a beast for sure, with big movements and one of the most daunting approach shots you’ll play at the club.

Q. What did you find particularly tough about the course (excluding the weather)?

Denis: Aprons of greens shaved, so it was difficult to chip. Greens could have been a fraction quicker.

James: Finding the speed of putts and putting from off the green.

John: The greens. They were a little slow.

I expected some comments on the blind shots and some very tricky approaches – the shape of some of the green complexes is mind-boggling at times.

[Photo: Carne's opening hole, and just a taste of the undulations and bunkers to expect]

Q.What is your favourite hole and why?

Denis: Hard to choose between 16, 17 and 18… after parring the three of them!

James: 17th. It is a spectacular hole that demands a lot and really lives up to its Index 1.

John: The 17th is a cracking par four. You need to drive the ball long and accurately, and what an approach shot to the green.

[Photo: the par four 17th, taken from the 18th tee box. Believe me, this gives no indication of just how tough this hole is]

Q. What other links courses have you played?

Denis: Waterville, Ballybunion (Old & Cashen), Tralee, Doonbeg, Dooks, Lahinch, Enniscrone, Rosses Point, Portmarnock Links.

James: Ballybunion (Cashen), Dooks, Tralee, Enniscrone, Rosses Point.

John: Waterville, Ballybunion, Tralee, The European, Lahinch, Enniscrone, Rosses Point, Connemara, Ballyliffin (x 2), Portstewart, Portsalon, Rosapenna, Dooks and Doonbeg…. And Royal St. David’s, Tenby and Ashburton, as well as Minerton in South Africa.

Evidently, a well-travelled, links-playing bunch.

Q. How does Carne compare?

Denis: Back 9 as good as any – overall, on a par.

James: Very well.

John: It can live with the best of them.

[Photo: The short par four 11th is a beauty of a dogleg right - the green sits behind the highest part of the dune. See next shot for more...]

Q. You’re selling this course to a friend – sum it up in one sentence.

Denis: Very playable and enjoyable if you keep it on the short stuff.

James: Fantastic golf course that every kind of golfer would enjoy.

John: It’s a beautiful layout amongst the dunes.

Q. Your rating out of 10

Denis: 9

James: 8

John: 8

Total: 25

[Photo: the other side of the dune on the 11th]

Q. Value for Money (currently €50 per person) out of 10

Denis: 9

James: 9

John: 9

Total: 27

The rack rate (April – Oct) is listed as €65 (€90 for the day) on the website, but if you go through to the booking process you'll find that golf only costs €50 (€40 before 9am), and Carne offers a variety of options, including buggy hire and grub). €50 to play one of the most outstanding links on the island is well worth the journey, don't you think.

Carne Twitter Feed
Carne Facebook Page

Atlantic Coast Challenge - Day 2

After a free night at a friend’s cottage, Finbarr and I headed for Belmullet and the Broadhaven Bay Hotel.

“Have you stayed with us before?” asked Siobhan, the young receptionist.

I said I had and gave her my surname, telling her that it had been five years since my last stay.

Tap, tap, tap on the computer.

“Is it Kevin or John?” she asked.

I was non-plussed and impressed. When I was last here for my dad’s birthday, my dad and I stayed in one room and my uncle John was in the other. Clearly not many Markhams visit Belmullet.

The hotel is very convenient to the town (a little over half a mile) and perfectly comfortable to our needs, but my wife instructed me to inform Finbarr that I snore and that earplugs might be necessary. I thanked her profusely and ignored her advice. As it turned out, no earplugs were necessary as several pints of the black stuff provided a more than adequate solution.

But first we had some golf to play and we headed out to Carne Golf Club, one of the truly unsung heroes of Irish links golf. Designed by Eddie Hackett in 1995, it is his greatest legacy.

“Oh, this is a real road,” Finbarr decided, as we found the turn-off for the course and headed along the narrow track. “There’s a graveyard.”

I wasn’t aware that a road is only a road if there’s a graveyard alongside… but as morbid as it sounds, Ireland has some beautiful graveyards. Carne has one, and we had to drive around it to reach the clubhouse.

[Photo: Tee shot on the par four dogleg 12th. The green is almost directly over Fin's head on the other side of the dune.]

I love this place, and the misty rain and occasional downpours that accompanied my previous visits had done nothing to quell my passion. We checked in and headed for the tee, high up beside the clubhouse. Judging by the clouds and the smell in the air we were going to get more of the same.

“That was a great first hole,” Fin said as we walked off the first green. And the enthusiastic comments continued as we progressed between the dunes that roll and buck and make balls head in any number of directions.

“You know,” he said as we walked down the par five 10th, “this is more fun than Rosses Point.”

[Photo: Tee shot on the par four 11th - no brute force required! The green is almost directly behind the tallest part of the right hand dune]

[Photo: Up on the dunes of the par four 11th]

I suspect he was less convinced when we reached the stunning 11th hole (pics above) and he played his second over the dune, only to spend the next five minutes looking for it on the side of the tallest dune Carne has to offer, right next to the green. He found the ball, and then suffered more frustration on the short dogleg 12th (300 metres), when his approach (like mine) reached the fringe of the green high above, only for the ball to roll back down 30 yards. It left us with a completely blind shot. That’s what Carne can do to you, but as painful as it can be – especially to your scorecard – it’s a lot of fun discovering what the course holds. The par three 14th is the closest you’ll get to the ocean and this is probably the remotest spot of any golf course in Ireland. Look around and you’ll see no evidence of another living soul. Well, save for the rubbish bin stuffed with a wind-brutalised umbrella.

[Photo: Carne - and just about any links for that matter - is no place for an umbrella]

“I’ll buy a pint for anyone who can hit the green,” I stated foolishly on the par three 16th, the green 142 metres below looking tiny from the mile-high tee. That’ll teach me. It’s a long descent to the green, and Fin pondered what pint he would be having the whole way down, especially as I hadn’t stipulated it had to be beer.

[Photo: How to lose a pint of beer in one simple step: the par three 16th]

I was in the bar after the round, talking to the three ladies who were on the timesheet ahead of us. They were members of Belmullet, and they all agreed that Carne had been easier than Rosses Point. This surprised me, especially as Finbarr had said the same thing. I could understand the ladies saying it since they played here week after week, but Fin had never been here before and there are blind shots you won’t believe, fairways that have more curves than Marilyn Monroe and slopes that punish poor shots so severely. Add in the weather, and this, for me, was a tougher test than Rosses Point. But I was outnumbered.

“Do you know that Rory fella?” one of the ladies asked. “The writer for Golf Digest?”

I said that I didn’t.

“He was up here recently and he loved the course… but he didn’t like the 7th. He didn’t like the way you can’t see the putting surface when it’s a par three.”  

Hmm, interesting. Does that mean he doesn’t like the famous Dell (the 5th) at Lahinch, I wondered. I think Carne’s 7th is a good hole. Not a great one… but that has nothing to do with the putting surface not being visible. It is a touch too unfair, with the green well above you and a steep bank rising up to it. Anything short will be sent back 20-30 yards (as for the 12th described above), leaving another semi-blind shot, yet there is no bail-out area. It’s an all or nothing shot.

[Photo: Close to home - the par five 18th with clubhouse beyond]

I headed back to my pint when my phone rang. I saw it was Charlie (he of the ‘global catastrophe’) and I picked it up without thinking. It turns out that Carne is a ‘mobile-friendly’ clubhouse, which is a nice touch.  Fin arrived and we ate and drank, watching fellow competitors roll down and up the remarkable 18th hole, before a sea mist blew in bringing with it an ethereal drama.

Back at the hotel, Dave, our third golfer, had arrived. We spent the evening in the bar of a different hotel in the town – The Talbot. As comfortable as the Broadhaven Bay is, the bar at the Talbot has more atmosphere, and we settled in for the night. I even remembered, after several gentle reminders, to buy Fin his winner’s pint. We propped up the bar discussing golf and important issues like Sean Fitzpatrick, Sean Dunne and other such muppets…

… only we were destined to meet an even bigger muppet at Enniscrone.

[Photo: Finbarr's winning pint. Fifty Shades of Grey my arse… there’s only one shade of black!]

Atlantic Coast Challenge Giveaway (free green fees worth €405)

A few months back I wrote a blog on the different Irish Golf Challenges that take place around this great island. Some go back 30 – 40 years, while others are much younger. I played in the inaugural Atlantic Coast Challenge in July 2011, and it was three days of pure bliss. Carne, Co. Sligo and Enniscrone are among the best links in the country… if you happen to have my book, look up the scores… and easily make my top ten.

Yes, there are other Challenges, but here you’re talking about three supremely exciting golf courses, each as good as the other two and in beautiful locations.

[Photo: the mighty 11th at Carne. The green, if you're interested, is tucked behind that enormous dune on the right]

That’s why I played last year; that’s why I’m playing this year on July 2, 3 and 4 (Mon-Wed). Golf doesn’t get better than this, and for €135 to enter the event, the value couldn’t be better either. That equates to €45 per course and it's during peak season.

But on this blog you might not even have to pay that, because the Atlantic Coast Challenge organisers have given me a FREE line, worth €405, to give away to one lucky winner… you can even choose what time to play (subject to availability).

[Photo: Enniscrone's clubhouse]

For official details take a look at the Challenge flyer here. And if you’re not the winner, you can book a line for yourself before the April 30 closing date (follow the same link). Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

How To Enter

All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog, with your name.

[Photo: views from the 9th at Co. Sligo, with the stretch of back 9 holes, 13-16, heading home]

It’s not a phishing exercise, or trawling for emails, and no information will be sold/given to any third parties etc. etc… it’s just an opportunity to win a real golf treat for you and two friends (the event is played as a 3-ball single and team competition).

So click the ‘comments’ link at the bottom of this blog and choose the ‘Name’ option, so you can leave your name! That's all.

[Photo: The view back to Enniscrone's complex of dunes from the 8th tee box]

The giveaway will be open until midnight on April 24th. I’ll then use a random number generator (who knew there was such a thing) to pick a winner, which I’ll announce here on the 25th. Please be sure to check back as this is the only way I can contact the winner.

If the prize isn’t claimed within two weeks, another winner will be selected. Please note that there is no cash alternative.

Links to Websites

Carne website and photos and Twitter @CARNELINKS

County Sligo website and photos and Twitter @CountySligoGC

Enniscrone website and photos

[Photo: views from the 17th tee box over the par three 16th (tee box top left) and holes 15 and 13 beyond]

Airports

If you’re flying in from Europe, Knock Airport is very close by (County Sligo) and flies to 11 destinations in Great Britain and a further 20 in Europe. Check out the map here

From the US, it has to be Shannon or Dublin.

Cars can be hired from all three.

Accommodation Recommendations

These are general recommendations and pulled from a Failte Ireland search. I have stayed in only a couple of them, so dig around and you’ll find everything from self-catering to 4 star hotels.

Ballina (Between Carne and Enniscrone)
Ice House Hotel is close to the centre and very fancy indeed

Something v. special: Mount Falcon

And drop in to Murphy's pub on the River Moy for a superlative pint and atmosphere (it’s also on the way to Enniscrone Golf Club).

Belmullet (i.e. Carne Golf Club’s home town)
I stayed at the Broadhaven Bay hotel which is just before you get to Belmullet itself and 5 minutes from the golf course.

Enniscrone
Ocean Sands hotel
Diamond Coast hotel, is practically on the golf course itself.

Several years ago I stayed in a self-catering cottage in Enniscrone and it’s a good solution if there are several of you.

Sligo

The big town and therefore has the most choice – here are just a few:

Sligo Park Hotel is a few minutes out of town and was a very comfortable venue when I stayed here a couple of years back.

And there’s the Radisson Blu

The Glass House is in the town centre

Where to eat?

All three clubhouses serve good food and last year we found that a big breakfast and a late afternoon, post-round meal was more than sufficient… and left room for a couple of pints later on.

So what are you waiting for? Enter away, and be sure to tell your friends (on the condition they invite you, of course).

Hooked: 2nd Edition

The new front cover: Druid’s Glen’s par three 8th.The book is due out in early March.

The fact that Carne Golf Club couldn’t get their hands on a copy of Hooked last year prompted my publisher (collinspress.ie) to begin the process of producing a second edition…

… only ‘second edition’ doesn’t carry as much impact as saying ‘revised and updated’ apparently.

[Photo: Views over Ballybunion's amazing dunes from the Old's 2nd green]

It’s been on the go since before Christmas, and it has been an illuminating process. As soon as word came that there was a reprint, I started contacting all the clubs to update green fees, which had peaked as the book went to print in 2008. And there was one very clear difference between Northern Ireland and their counterparts down south:

Down south, all but a couple of clubs have reduced or maintained their 2008 green fees; but up north, almost all have increased their green fees. True, it is only marginally (£1 to £5), and the green fees were always excellent value, but it does mean that across the island the rates are now more in tune.

[Photo: The magnificent par four 4th at Old Head]

Perhaps what is most striking are the reduced green fees across southern Ireland. Drops of 40% are commonplace and 50% is not that unusual. Now, the top tier courses are still going for big prices, hoping for ‘big game’ tourists, but even there you can get deals. Ballybunion Old remains at €180, but you also get a round on the Cashen course thrown in for that price – and the Cashen is one of the most under-appreciated links on the island. At Old Head, despite the rack rates of €200, you can get out for a fraction of the old price, assuming you book at the right time and with the right number of people. Even so, I would like to see the big clubs come down more because Irish golfers deserve the opportunity to play at many of the world’s best courses – and today’s prices still aren’t letting them do that. Perhaps that’s why I am so enthused by the links courses of the north west (and The Atlantic Coast Challenge) and their exceptional value. Carne, undoubtedly one of the most exciting courses in the world, can be played for under €50.

[Photo: Athenry's par four 1st]

The second edition has plenty of other updates - new clubhouses, revamped layouts, new holes and revised scores, not to mention the three new courses that have opened fully since 2008. Yes, it came as a blow when Turvey and Limerick County closed last month – after the book had gone to publication – but that has been in the offing for some time. More will close, of that I am sure.

[Photo: Greystones' par three 14th, with views up to the clubhouse]

Here is a small selection of clubs that have dropped their green fees…

Athenry: from €40 to €25

Bray: from €50-€70 to €25-€40

Castleknock: from €90 to €30-€60

Castlemartyr: from €95 to €35-€50

Doonbeg: from €200-€210 to €75-€170

Druid’Glen: €180 to €55-€90

Greystones: from €55-€60 to €25-€30

Kenmare: from €50 to €25-€35

Lee Valley: from €50-€65 to €35-€40

Palmerstown: from €160 to €50-€80

Roganstown: from €65-€75 to €40-€55

Waterford Castle: from €55-€65 to €30-€50