I recently read a review posted on TripAdvisor. It complained that Ben Nevis was ‘too high’ and ‘too steep’ and that the individual in question was hacked off that he had to walk back down afterwards. The fact that it was a mountain made the reviewer appear idiotic.
It got me thinking about the ‘quality’ of golf course reviews on sites like this. I did some digging.
Complaints about golf clubs focus on friendliness of staff (Pro Shop, Starter), cleanliness of changing rooms, quality of food, sand in bunkers and hollow-tining of greens. Elsewhere the complaints about slow play and lack of rangers doing their job are to be expected and demonstrate the continuing problems in the game.
People are all too eager to make their complaints known on sites like this but you often get the blatant liar: I read one which was clearly from someone who had never played the golf course in question. But once the comment has been posted you have to live with it - it takes blood sweat and tears to get the offending review removed.
I have omitted the club names because some reviews are old, I want to avoid complaints from golf clubs and because some comments don’t make much sense.
(2013)
We played 5 championship links golf courses last week including XXXXXX, Royal Portrush, Castlerock, The Island and The European. I would highly recommend them all except for XXXXXX. The condition of the links is appalling. Hollow-tined throughout the course with no growth, some newly turfed greens in different grass. I understand the weather has been poor, and spring has only barely arrived. However the course appears distressed. We were not warned in advance. You have no idea what green will greet your approach shot.
(2014)
Recently played this course, the sun was shining and I was looking forward to playing this course as I had played it a few times over the years and always enjoyed it. The greens and fairways were in good condition as expected, but not being a Pro I'm going to be in bunkers and the rough. Never have I seen a course go so downhill in 12 months. The bunkers are scandalous more to the point the lack of sand in them and this was the same in every one on the course, the grass around the bunkers is unkept. The rough has been left go so bad that finding a ball in the first cut is difficult, a lot of the cut grass is just left there not being taken away. Walkways, paths, bridges etc all look so shabby. I played as part of a large society and all agreed how much of a let down it was.
A real let down time to pull your socks up.
(2014)
Played this course yesterday. The whole ambience of the place and the scenery are excellent. From tee to green it was very fair and challenging. Our problem is with the greens. I don't think we had a flat putt in the whole round. Too undulating with ridiculous runoffs if you miss the cup. Some greens had USPGA type pin placings behind bunkers. I would not be rushing back.
(2018)
This course is set in a beautiful place and the views are stunning. However the course is set up badly for amateur players and the trek around it is off-putting. If you are off-line at all you are losing a golf ball. All players, even pros, stray off line when they play but for your ball to be un-findable is just daft. There's either gorse where you can't find or get at your ball, which has no place being used to divide holes, or there's rough so severe and sometimes impossible to get to that you can't even look for your ball. Also, there is a strange design of having bunkers surrounded by knee deep rough so that if you are off-line, you are calling for you ball to go in the bunker, at least you can find it there. I understand in the professional game and majors that players are expected to deal with these challenges but a green-fee fourball out for a social game is ruined by this. It's a very hilly course and you can either like that or not. I think it's too much, but the chance to enjoy the course is ruined by the severe set up.
(2018)
This must be one the most over rated, over hyped golf courses in the entire world.
Whoever created the website, deserves an oscar. The course bears no relation to
the site. We drove over an hour and a half to get there, expecting a champioship
course, what we got was, a goat track. In winter, it would make great slalom course.
The course was in very poor condition, greens were awful, the bunkers have putty
in them, not sand, you cannot get club under the ball, it knife's out every time.
It is very rough all over, and it is the most penal walk you will ever take. Get a buggy,
your head is touching your toes, on a lot of the holes, and the walk from the 18th green to the clubhouse is almost vertical. Call the paramedics, when you leave the 18th. just in case.
(2019)
On a recent trip in our motor home my husband and I wished to play this course which we have done many times when in the area and it’s not far to travel for a couple of days as we live in Bangor. We were shocked to find that it now costs £50 to play this course. I find this is ridiculous fees to play this course, we are not Americans these courses are becoming far too expensive for local GUI MEMBERS to play. What a pity these courses are increasingly becoming less and less accessible to locals we will not be playing there again
(2019)
After playing at Old Head, Ballybunion, Lahinch, Tralee and Waterville, my group ended our week at VVVVVV. What a letdown. Ballybunion gives you a free leather scorecard hold with a scorecard in heavy stock paper and a free course guide, VVVVVV gives you a little scorecard and will sell you the course guide. No caddies, few electric carts that aren’t available unless you pre-book. Every course offers free range balls, except VVVVVV. Waited on every shot and then after seeing the backup at the 10th tee box, we walked off the course. We will return to Ireland to play golf again, but will definitely take VVVVVV off the rotation.
(2019)
We found the resort’s outside and front desk staff to be less than hospitable and not the traditional Irish ambassadors one expects to find on the west coast of Ireland. In a word, we found them to be snobby. Regarding the food, while it was acceptable, given the price, the wait staff was polite but less than friendly. Perhaps all of which could be explained by the caliber of the guests that this resort seems to cater to. During our stay we witnessed multiple guests on the golf course yelling at their caddies to find their ball, bring them their club and bring them more drinks. Then in the clubhouse, we witnessed multiple guests in intoxicated states acting out and demeaning the staff. Rest assured that we will never be back, and we will make sure to share the misery of our experience with AAA, our friends here in the US and our family there in Ireland.
(2019)
A jumped up rabbit run, €35 to play a really really poor golf course, bar the staff in the clubhouse, everybody else was unwelcoming to the point of hostile, visitors are NOT wanted here, this club is for a certain membership only and it's made pretty obvious from the moment you arrive that you don't belong, the course itself is extremely poor except for a couple of holes, the opening hole is truly awful, if you gave me free membership I wouldn’t take it. There are plenty of far better courses nearby.
