Don't Hit Saint Marnock On The Head (Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links)

Member Name: kenjohn

Product:	Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links
Date:	16/04/02 (146 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: See text of opinion

Disadvantages: See text of opinion

~ ~ Some of you will have already read my opinion about Portmarnock Golf Club, one of the oldest and most respected links golf courses here in Dublin, with a history stretching back to 1894.
The Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links is a relatively new course that is on the same stretch of sandy dune land as its more illustrious neighbour, and which opened for play in 1995, just over a 100years after the original ‘old course’.
It’s built on land that was a monastery back in the 12th century, built by the Irish Saint Marnock. He’s buried in the graveyard that is just to the right of the first fairway, beside the ruins of the old church.
Slice your drive even slightly of the first tee, and you are in the ancient graveyard, and ‘dead’ in more ways than one, as it is ‘out of bounds’, and will cost you a stroke and distance penalty. (I did just this the first time I played this course!)
In fact, this course can actually claim to be even older than the old course at Portmarnock, as the land used to belong to the Jamieson family, (of Irish Whiskey fame) who built a few golf holes here for their own private use long before the now world famous old course was even thought of.
The old Jamieson family home itself has now been redeveloped into a five star luxury hotel, which is a fitting compliment to the fantastic new golf course.


~ ~ The course developers brought in Bernhard Langer, the famous German/European golfer, to design the new links, and he has done so magnificently, combining all that is best about a true seaside links with the best that modern golf course technology has to offer.
Every tee box has a plaque that tells you a little history of the place, and of the old Cistercian monks to who it was home.
In normal play, the course is fairly manageable, even for higher handicap golfers, at only 6,563 yards in length. But when you play off the Championship tees it becomes much longer,
(6,877 yards) and a far more formidable test of golf.
The course doesn’t truly come alive until about the 8th hole. That’s not to say that the first seven holes are bad, (they’re not) simply that they aren’t really that memorable, and wouldn’t particularly inspire you to rave about the design or layout.
But from the 8th hole on, the course suddenly grows teeth, (some would say fangs!) and the back nine hugs the beach, (as a true links should) making full use of the natural contours of the craggy sand dunes. It’s these final eleven holes that have gained Portmarnock Links its growing, and well-deserved, reputation in golfing circles.

~ ~ The 8th hole is a delightful little par-4, measuring a paltry (by today’s standards) 376 yards of the Championship tee. (355 yards in normal play) It’s an acute dogleg to the left, with a ninety-degree turn in the fairway, and herein lies its charm.
A big hitter can reach the green with no more than a long iron, if they have the ‘bottle’ to attempt the carry across the dogleg, and the rough grass and terrain.
Miss the shot, and you are looking at a very high figure on your scorecard. Make it, and you can set yourself up for an ‘eagle’ (two under par) or ‘birdie’. (one under par)
The safe shot (which I normally play ‘cos I’m a coward!) is a medium iron to the corner of the dogleg, which will leave you only a short pitch into the well protected green, with the possibility of still making birdie. You pay your money and take your choice!

~ ~ The 12th hole is yet another excellent par-4, that relies on guile rather than length.
At only 361 yards (Championship tees) and 347 yards (normal play) it is extremely short, and a good drive will only leave you a wedge or sand iron for your second shot.
But just try hitting or staying on this partially hidden green, tucked away in the sand dunes. It is prote
cted on all sided by well-placed and tricky little bunkers, and the green itself is all humps and hollows, that tend to throw your golf ball outwards towards the trouble surrounding it. You can get very frustrated here!

~ ~ The 15th hole is more of the same. A 400 yards par-4, (Championship tees; 387 yards in normal play) it is a dogleg to the right. A good drive will take you to the corner, where you are once again faced with the very devil of a second shot, into yet another green that simply doesn’t want you to land your golf ball on its tricky surface, and which is yet again built in a natural amphitheatre of huge sand dunes.
There is no respite at the next, (16th hole) which is another par-4 measuring 408 yards. (Championship tees; 389 yards in normal play) Here the difficulty is the drive itself. You hit from a teeing ground that is well raised above the fairway, and hard by the beach, to a narrow fairway cut through the dunes. But you have to hit it, as there is about a 180-yard carry over knee high rough grass and a huge hollow before you even reach the relative safety of the fairway.

~ ~ The 17th hole is one of the finest par-3’s I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing.
It measures 203 yards, (Championship tees; 188 yards in normal play) so normal mortals will need at least a longish iron to have a hope of reaching the putting surface with their tee shot.
But this is only half the story! It is straight up a steep hill, to a green that is fronted by an enormous cavern of a bunker, which could have come straight out of the ‘Hamlet cigars’ advertisement on the TV. (You know the one. Where the fella is hacking about in the bunker for about half an hour, and his mate throws him a Hamlet to console him!) So the trick here is ALWAYS to take at least one club more than you think you need, to ensure you carry over this demon of a bunker. (I know this to my personal cost. Enough said!) At least from the back o
f the green you have some chance of getting down in a pitch and a putt for your par figure.

~ ~ And just to finish you off totally, the 18th hole is then a monster of a par-4.
Measuring 448 yards, (Championship tees; 406 yards in normal play) you have a tight drive from among the sand dunes, to a narrow fairway that seems to be so distant and small that you almost need a pair of binoculars to spot it.
Manage this trick OK, and you then have a long iron into a green that is again in a natural hollow surrounded by dunes and bunkers, and which nestles in the shadow of the imposing hotel. Finish with a par four here and you’re playing great golf.

~ ~ Well. That’s a little taste of the course itself folks.
It’s fairly accessible by car or taxi either from the airport (15 minutes) or from Dublin city centre, (25 minutes) and is well signposted. I’d recommend a taxi (naturally) which will cost you about €25 approximately from the city, as who wants to be humping their golf gear on an old bus?
There are no restrictions on playing times, as the course has been designed to encourage visitors to Ireland to play golf here, and is practically unique in that it has no members whatsoever.
The hotel and clubhouse are fantastic, and everything a five star facility should be. Changing and catering facilities are excellent. If you want a bit more information, and details of the special deals they do for visiting golfers, then can I recommend that you click on the following link, where you’ll get some piccys, and all the information you would ever need. (It’s a good website)
“ http://www.portmarnock.com/news/”
If the course falls down in any respect it is that it somewhat lacks good practice facilities, with only a small chipping area and putting green where you can warm up before you play.
But don’t let this put you of playing this fine golf course.

~~~~~~~~~~~~


Location: 11 miles east of Dublin City.

Director of Golf: Mrs. Moira Cassidy.

Telephone: (353-1) 846-1800

Fax: (353-1) 846-1077

Professional; None

Cost: Winter
(Jan – March and Nov – Dec)
Mon. to Friday €60
Sat. and Sun. €85

Summer
April to Oct.
€100 at all times.

Caddies, trolleys, and golf clubs are available to hire.

Trolleys €5
Senior Caddie €32
Bag Carrier €20
Golf Clubs from €15 to €58 (depending on manufacturer)

(A Euro is approximately 61 pence Sterling)

A Handicap Certificate from your own golf club is required.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Summary: