I just played this course a few weeks ago and its an absolute stunner!!! The feel and vibe are just absolutely incredible right at the start. You have a castle clubhouse, cannons lining the way to the first tee, duck back to the hitting net and then stripe your first tee shot with a castle behind, water with sea lions to the left, and a formidable fairway out in front of you! The routing on the first several holes is very good and the elevated tee boxes create quite an impression for the golfer. Yes, the holes are simplistic in nature but it is just an incredible journey of golf through the property. Matt, I totally agree with your assessment and it is almost a 'bucket list' course when in Northern Ireland. You will not forget this golf course. I thought it could have squeaked out a ' 1 egg' just for scenery alone and some very good laid out golf holes with some adequate bunkering. There is some strategy involved in playing golf shots and it's not just grip it and rip it!! Awesome article!!!

How do we get more (drinking) water on golf course and more importantly, when is the proliferation of in-ground trash cans (painted green of course and inconspicuously yet strategically place down the fairway) going to start? Or has it already started? Nothing worse than carrying an empty water bottle for a couple holes.

It’s nothing special

I played the Sandbox recently. It was a lot of fun. And I got tired pitch shots. to this thread, it was more Shortys and Cradle than Preserve. If I had eggs, Preserve would have more than the other 3.

Was thinking the same thing!

One thing I noticed at the FEGC event this weekend was that the majority of the cement cart paths that are in these pictures have been removed.

What an awesome setting. Please let me know where to contribute to the restoration/creation of the castle tee! Sometimes when I see a course routing like this, I wonder what led to the routing using up all of the best/most dramatic land for golf so early in the round. In this case, I assume it would be due to the course originally having fewer holes and a much smaller property? Assuming the newer holes were shoe-horned into the routing later.

You're too kind Michael. I appreciate the support!

Great write up and such a cool looking place. I will admit the Wall of Fame really puts it over the top for me.

I think your central Q is about tournament/pro golf Conor? You do mention recreational golfers but seem to settle back on pro golf as your concern for your thoughts. FWIW I think it makes little difference to amateur golfers; after all the nines have been flipped on many courses, and routings altered over many decades. Portush now finishing on the old 16th is a much better finish than the old 18th, Augusta used to start on 10...and all of our home courses have been assuredly changed many times to the point where calling correct sequences of playing holes is a sort of moot point I think? Anyway maybe I coming down harshly on sequencing of holes as I'm in a vogue of starting on the 10th at Portmarnock recently, and dipping and diving across various holes on the three nines for whatever takes my fancy. I'm seeing golf and the playing field more and more as malleable and it seems to heighten my enjoyment. Re: pro golf- yes sure it might materially impact a player if they start on 10 on say Shinnecock and suck an approach down the hill and follow up that with a disaster at 11...but who is to say what they would have done on the handshake opener, and no 2 often plays as one of the hardest holes. I say all this to say there are so many variables in golf / tournament golf. I think other factors other than a 1/10 start hold far larger influence-the good side of a draw has often ruled half the field into a position of pure advantage at a British Open. But ultimately how the player deals with each of the 18 holes in isolation will govern their experience; bad swings can happen on easy holes. Once you've seen one tennis court you've seen them all...its great to be able to mix it up for the pampered pros and get them off a 10th start...now I wonder if there's any major venue with a flip wedge par 3 as a 10th hole, to a fiddly green. Would like to see that!