Portmarnock top of the pile after course upgrade
Prepare for wailing and gnashing of teeth in some quarters and for prideful boasting in others – because the ‘Golf Digest Ireland Top 100 Courses’ list has been released. There are no soft positions on rankings such as these. Clubs either love them or hate them, depending on upward or downward progress.
And in these recession-hit times, those moving down the ranking list won’t be pleased. Marketing is at a premium with the country’s golfing facilities rattling out the special offers at a rate of knots but the ‘Top 100’ is always big talking point.
In that respect it’s significant that although annual revenue projections by clubs are down for 2009, investment on course improvements has paid off. The other big interest – apart from the movers and fallers – is that consideration of length and modern equipment was given particular relevance.
Portmarnock takes over as number one from Royal County Down, which was tops in the rankings for the last two years. Linton Walsh, MD of the magazine said: "After the publication of last year’s list, the magazine contacted all of the courses on this island, requesting information on any work that was being undertaken.
“Correspondence was received from 83 of these clubs (96 courses), an increase of over 30pc from last year, outlining the great work that had been undertaken in their club. In total 37 clubs moved up the list, 45 moved down, 10 remained the same and there were eight new entries.”
Difficulty
The clinching factor for Portmarnock was upgrade work, particularly to run-off areas on several greens which heightened the difficulty of recovery shots at the second, third, eighth, ninth, and 14th holes, plus work on restoring traditional fescue and marram grasses on the links.
The European Club has jumped two places to third, which means that Ballybunion (Old) drops two places to number five. In Ballybunion’s move down the order, the panel considered length to be a significant factor, this time in a negative sense.
While acknowledging the timeless challenge posed by its superb greens, the panellist took the view that, at 6,598 yards off the back tees, the much-revered Co Kerry links has become increasingly vulnerable to modern equipment. Even in the nine years since it staged the Irish Open, tournament players are driving the ball an average of 14 yards further.
Adare Manor goes down three places to number seven, though it remains the top-ranked parkland course in the country. Waterville stays sixth and Lahinch is still eighth. County Louth is down two to ninth and The K Club Palmer course remains in 10th place.
The most significant movement at the upper end of the Top-10, however, has been by Royal Portrush, which is up from ninth to fourth. However, the best mover of all was the fine Sandy Hills links at Rosapenna, moving 27 places from 44 in 2008 to 17th this year. The eight newcomers are Kilkenny (57), South County (70); Castle Dargan (81); Ashbourne (85); Castlecomer (88); Castletroy (89), Limerick County (94) and Portarlington (98).
THE TOP 100
1 Portmarnock (+1)
2 R Co Down (-1)
3 European Club (+2)
4 R Portrush (+5)
5 Ballybunion Old (-2)
6 Waterville (-)
7 Adare Manor (-3)
8 Lahinch (-)
9 Baltray (-2)
10 K Club Palmer (-)
11 Tralee (+2)
12 Mt Juliet (-1)
13 R Dublin (+1)
14 Killarney Killeen (-2)
15 Ballyliffin Glashedy (+2)
16 Co Sligo (-)
17 Rosapenna Sandy Hills (+27)
18 The Island (+1)
19 The Heritage (-4)
20 Enniscrone (+14)
21 Carne (-)
22 Druids Glen (-2)
23 Fota (-1)
24 Portstewart Strand (-1)
25 Portmarnock Links (-)
26 Carton Montgomerie (-8)
27 Seapoint (+23)
28 Castlerock (+3)
29 Old Head (-5)
30 Headfort New (-4)
31 PGA National (-4)
32 Carlow (-2)
33 Malone (+2)
34 Doonbeg (-5)
35 Belvoir Pk (+1)
36 S Russell (+4)
37 Cork (-)
38 Ballyliffin Old (+7)
39 Dun Laoghaire (+17)
40 K Club Smurfit (+1)
41 Powerscourt East (+2)
42 Mt Wolseley (+4)
43 Westport (+5)
44 Knightsbrook (+8)
45 Portsalon (+25)
46 Glasson (-14)
47 Carton O’Meara (-5)
48 Dundalk (-10)
49 Donegal Murvagh (-10)
50 Rathsallagh (-1)
51 Dundrum House (+4)
52 Hermitage (-1)
53 Dromoland C (-)
54 Tramore (+37)
55 Bantry Bay (+20)
56 Mullingar (-23)
57 Kilkenny (NEW)
58 Connemara (-)
59 Tullamore (-12)
60 Hilton Templepatrick (-3)
61 New Forest (+1)
62 Clandeboye (+11)
63 Castleknock (+11)
64 St Margaret’s (-4)
65 Grange (+4)
66 Castle (+12)
67 Dooks (-13)
68 Shannon (-1)
69 Woodbrook (-1)
70 South County (NEW)
71 R Belfast (+5)
72 Killarney Mahony’s Pt (-9)
73 Roganstown (-7)
74 Skellig Bay (-3)
75 Esker Hills (-10)
76 Athlone (-12)
77 Rosslare (-16)
78 Gowran Pk (+6)
79 Ring of Kerry (-7)
80 Narin and Portnoo (-)
81 Castle Dargan (NEW)
82 Galway (+7)
83 Arklow (+16)
84 Laytown and Bettystown (-3)
85 Ashbourne (NEW)
86 Moyvalley (-7)
87 Ballybunion Cashen (-10)
88 Castlecomer (NEW)
89 Castletroy (NEW)
90 Galgorm Castle (-2)
91 Monkstown (-6)
92 Curragh (-2)
93 Rathcore (-10)
94 Limerick County (NEW)
95 Blainroe (+1)
96 Ballinrobe (+1)
97 Malahide (+3)
98 Portarlington (NEW)
99 Lee Valley (-4)
100 Waterford (-13)
