County Sligo Golf Club
‘I firmly believe that the only means whereby an attractive piece of ground can be turned into a satisfying golf course is to work to the natural features of the site in question’. H.S. Colt
My first sojourn to the monolith that is County Sligo GC occurred in the summer of 2005. It was around this time that I had been bitten, quite aggressively, by the golf bug and would think of nothing in planning my weekends around open competitions, up and down the breadth of the country.
Back then I was still playing rugby (badly it must be said, I was to move to the lower jersey numbers over the coming years and things improved....significantly) as a result golf was invariably a summer pursuit in the main, counterpointed by muck, ruck and…..you get the picture!
Leading up to my rugby summer break I used to scour the pages of the Golfing Union of Ireland website to see where I might go, in an attempt to quench my off-season competitive drive. On one of these fateful days in 2005, I spied an Intermediate Scratch Cup (handicap allowance 12-18 ) 36 hole comp that was to be held at County Sligo GC on the last Sunday in May.
I had never played Co. Sligo, nor indeed attempted 36 holes of competitive stroke play on the same day. I figured that to put my best foot forward, I would need to travel up the day before and secure some local accommodation, in order to be fresh for battle. A room was booked at the Yeats Country Hotel, a mere pitching wedge from the 1st tee... job done.
The next few weeks were spent pouring over online reviews and photographs (it was pre google earth, for younger readers) in an effort to prepare myself for the challenge. I was conscious that the club had a rich history and has hosted the West of Ireland Amateur Championship since its inception in 1923. I was also aware that legendary golf course designer Harry S. Colt and his design partner John Morrison had significantly revised the property in the late 1920’s.
The drive from Dublin to Rosses Point was negotiated without incident on a cracker of an early season summers day, check-in was seamless and bags dumped in room. The excitement levels increasing, I decided to walk the boundary of the course (don’t ask me why I didn’t ask the pro-shop if I could take a careful walk out on the course). I wasn’t able to see much so decided to go back to my room to ‘prepare’.
I had brought a copy of Dr. Bob Rotella’s ‘Golf is Not a Game of Perfect’ and with nothing else to do, save for the dulcet tones of the late and great Peter Allis, and perhaps his great pal Alex Hay, on the Beeb (The PGA Championships from Wentworth was in full swing with Paul McGinley dueling with Angel Cabrera), I got stuck into Dr. Bob. The book was completed in two stints, before and after dinner... I was as ready as I was ever going to be.
D-day arrived and after a hearty Irish breakfast I headed to the range to warm up and to get my ‘game face’ on. The weather was as good as you’d want it and I joined a pair of single serving golf companions from Tuam GC, Co. Galway..….. we were off.
No need to go blow for blow here, safe to say I was -1 gross through 10 (playing off 15, bandit country I know, remember I was predominantly a rugby player back then!), pitching and putting like a demon, on a course I had never seen!
The penny began to drop as we turned for home, unfortunately Dr. Bob’s mantra of ‘the farther you get into your round the looser you become and the less you care’ became a little more like ‘how many holes left, what’s my score, Jesus help me……!’. I finally crashed over the line signing for 79 (+8 gross).
In hindsight, it did represent the first time I broke 80 blows….alas, there was another round to go :( ....funnily enough the first round was as good as it got….. I had a nice walk in the afternoon…period, won the best nett (a set of bath towels in case you’re wondering) and headed for Dublin, mentally and physically drained, but on the whole happy in the knowledge that I competed, managed to get out of my own way (for a while anyway) resolving to do better the next time. If you haven’t read Dr. Bob’s book I would really really recommend it, it’s that good!
That story went on a while (apologies, perhaps a wee bit too verbose (JP?), but that story is a great memory for me and was worth recounting for nothing other than my own enjoyment), just as well I didn’t broach my caddying stories!. I feel another post coming along (no Corcoran, nothing is sacred….you too Kennedy! :)).
After a straight away par four start, the routing of the course at County Sligo makes the very best of a spectacular property, the 2nd hole is no more than a link hole, in order to transport you to the top of the hill.
From this vantage point the Championship and Bowmore courses are laid bare in front of you, Ben Bulben keeping a watching brief to your North and the wild expanse of the North Atlantic on the immediate horizon.
From the 3rd tee onwards the course cascades and cajoles in equal measure, almost never heading in the same direction consecutively.
The delight that is the bunkerless par 3, 4th, is arguably the finest hole on the course. A pushed up, table top green with run offs on all sides, is pitched wickedly from front right to back left, only the most sweetly struck iron will suffice. A classically simple hole design (most assuredly not found) . More of this please!
Another personal favourite is the index 1, 7th hole, a par 4 of some repute. The tee shot is protected by some ‘knarly’ pinching fairway pots, from which hitting the green is reserved to expert level setting. Should one be able to avoid these intrusive bunkers, the subsequent shot isn’t a cake walk either… how about a forced carry to a shallow green, protected at the front by a fearsome offset burn and for good measure the green is protected by a series of extremely unenticing swales, giving the better player far too much to think about…..sublime composition! A series of questions are asked here, whether you have the answer is as much to do with luck than judgement :).
Thereafter the golfer travels onwards towards Ben Bulben and either salvation or purgatory. Holes of note include the delightful table top par 3, 9th. The searching test that is the downhill, par 5, 12th, set on a promontory jutting into the ever present Atlantic swell. This tumbling par 5 is followed up by the par 3, 13th, a drop kick shot, to a green located below you with a burn protecting an ample putting surface…..it looks easy, subtle Colt type slopes are exhibited….all may not be what it seems.
Almost final mention must go to the sublime green site at 14, where the mindful golfer can use the inviting kicker slope to reroute their shot towards a gathering pin…. marvelous!
Searching questions are assured arguably the toughest 17th hole in Ireland, your whole being will be questioned and then some.! The hole is a proper 4.5 par beast, with a fairway running out into a likely dicey lie at 280y, thereafter the golfer is left with a heroic shot to a green site located significantly above the level of the approach. There really is no bail out, all guts and absolutely no glory…..5 being quite an acceptable return, more likely the norm or worse!
Recent revisions by Pat Ruddy, of The European Club fame, are not exactly to my taste. In light of the previous comment (and hoping to assuage Mr. Ruddy somewhat legendary response to the mildest whiff of dare I say it ‘criticism’) I would suggest perhaps, that Pat is a bit like marmite, variety is to be welcomed, however, it appears I just do not like the particular taste of his particular vegetable derivative in a specific conchordant fashion . Notwithstanding my previous comments, which are somewhat incidental, the bones of what you will play at Rosses Point are Colt-esque and are sure to delight.
You should pair a trip to Rosses with either Carne, Enniscrone or both, alternatively it is not a million miles away from Donegal and the North Coast. The choice is yours and you should definitely make this trip at some point!
Being on the Atlantic seaboard undoubtedly brings views aplenty to this County Sligo property, however it also brings Atlantic storms where erosion of rock armour has caused boughts of significant damage to the barrier dune protecting the back nine from the right of the 14th onwards. We can but hope that mans ingenuity, represented by using boulders from adjoining farmers properties continue to prevail against the force of nature.
If you’re a regular, thanks for returning, if you’re a first timer welcome! Subscriptions below, like, retweet and recommend. The more the merrier! Previous posts can be found here, in case you’ve missed any.
We (James, Ally and myself) are on the ‘verge’ of making an announcement of some import, stay tuned for further information and hopefully a new medium (full information to follow…I promise).
Best
Shane