Thriller tracks: Putting some fun back into golf
The 6th tee at the wonderful - and fun - Cruit Island.
IT HAS been a busy first half of the year for Golf World, a publication that produces various course lists and rankings. There are top 100s for Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, an overall top 100 for GB&I, a Continental European list, a golf resorts list, a best value under £65/€70 list… and a Top 100 Fun List.
It is the last of these that has just been published and 18 Irish courses are scattered throughout the ranking. That’s not a bad result for an island with some 420 courses v 3,000 across the water.
The first thing to stress is that calling a course ‘fun’ is no longer meant as a placating put-down because fun is what this game means to the vast majority of us. If we’re not enjoying ourselves then why are we doing it?
But that’s not the question you are asking yourself at the moment. I am willing to bet that you are far more interested in knowing what makes a course ‘fun’?
The answer is somewhat vague and certainly subjective but Golf World has a large contingent of panellists to balance things out. Courses tend to be short – but not exclusively – they will have elements of quirk and/or charm, they might be different to anything else in the area, or they could have some unique traits. Each will also offer varied and exciting shots and these courses will live long in the memory.
Top of the 2023 ranking is North Berwick. That’s little surprise as it is home to the original Biarritz and Redan greens, not to mention a green tucked behind a wall. It is one of the most imaginative courses you will ever play.
What of the Irish courses? The highest ranking course is Cruit Island, in 8th place, while Ballybunion (Cashen) is the final Irish entry at 91st.
In between are Carne (13th), Mulranny (19th), Rosapenna (St Patrick’s) (29th), Corballis (42nd), Royal Co Down (Annesley) (48th), Ardglass (50th), Strandhill (55th), Narin & Portnoo (61st), Portsalon (63rd), Arklow (65th), Clandeboye (Ava) (68th), Rosapenna (Old Tom) (71st), Castlerock (Bann) (74th), Tralee (76th), Scrabo (85th), North West (90th).
Three of these are 9-hole courses while five are in Northern Ireland. If you have played any of them you may appreciate why they make the ranking. You may also have played them and wonder why they are worthy of inclusion. Tralee, after all, is a big, championship course that can beat you up in a heartbeat… but the back nine is as explosive as the ocean that batters Banna Strand while the four par-3s are the most exhilarating set of short holes on the island.
And it is easy to argue the merits for each of the 18 courses. Cruit Island was laid out as tees and greens and you-get-what-you-get in between. It is a superb and wild golf adventure. The par-3 6th may be the most fun golf hole in Ireland… although par-3s at Carne, St Patrick’s, Corballis, Ardglass, Narin & Portnoo, Scrabo and North West could all consider themselves in the mix. Meanwhile, Tralee looks on with the smuggest of grins.
By this point, you are probably asking yourself why certain other courses don’t appear in this ranking. And who could blame you? The 2012 ranking (the first time it was published) included Lahinch, Portstewart, Old Head, The Island, Doonbeg, Dooks, Ballycastle, Rathcore, and Royal Portrush (Valley), in an Irish list that was 22-strong. By 2023, all of those had gone. Others had replaced them as there was a shift away from the bigger courses. Some still appear – Tralee, obviously – and no doubt there are a few furrowed brows at the removal of Lahinch, The Island and Old Head of Kinsale… but when it comes to fun this is really an opportunity for other courses to shine. I would agree that Lahinch offers fun (holes No 4 and 5 especially) but higher handicappers might not think so on a links this good. Enniscrone, too.
You might look at Carne and wonder the same thing… but Carne has the outrageous factor coursing through it. Some green sites positively vibrate with excitement and attitude, and the dunes constantly squeeze you into insignificance. It’s an absolute blast to play it.
Of course, you’ll have fun almost anywhere you go – assuming you play well and/or have great company – so, in one way or another, every course is fun. That said, some places shine through to provide a unique experience.
So what other Irish courses would you consider for this list? There are some worthy contenders amongst the 9-hole contingent. Most telling are Castlegregory, Spanish Point, and Connemara Isles. Connemara Isles boasts an incredible setting on the brink of the Atlantic Ocean, and there is a tantalising beauty to holes as water threatens and teases constantly. It will, for sure, be in with a shout for the 2025 list.
Then there’s the 12-hole Burrow course at Rosslare. With three par-3s, a solitary par-5 and not one bunker, this is a links designed to be playable… and fun.
What of the 18-hole courses? I’ll submit an immediate application for Co. Mayo’s Claremorris. You will struggle to find greens smaller and trickier than those here. It is a lot of fun – of the devilish variety – trying to beat the slopes and run-offs. There’s a tremendous sense of delight when you ‘beat’ the green and make par.
What about Adare Manor, with its quirks, modest length and ‘abbey’ holes. What about its world-famous neighbour? You won’t find greens like those anywhere in Ireland. Coollattin has an arboretum feel and the par-3 in the walled garden gives it a different air. Birr and Esker Hills have unique topography and the latter’s green sites are presented so sweetly.Â
In Cork, Muskerry and Fermoy have similarly tumultuous terrain. Rathcore, which was on the original 2012 list, remains a firm contender with several punchy, risk-and-reward short par-4s, a tossing, water-laced terrain and two cracking par-3s side-by-side. Gowran Park boasts holes both in and outside a racetrack, Rossmore has a Rathcore vibe… but on steroids, while Wicklow perches on a clifftop and has sweeping greens that are sheer joy.
And finally, Woodenbridge, with its enchanting river and valley setting. The tranquillity only adds to the experience of this shortish parkland.
No doubt you will have more to add but, upon publication of the list, one contributor on Twitter went so far as to say that this list would now be his bucket list of where to play.
The ‘big’ lists, ie the traditional top 100s, are impressive and relevant… but the fun list offers something else: it offers the opportunity for joy, for everyone.
The top 100 breakdown of courses by country is as follows: Scotland has 43, England 32, Ireland (all-island) 18, Wales 6 and there is one lone entry for Isle of Man. The top five are North Berwick, Cruden Bay, St Andrews (Old), Royal West Norfolk, and Prestwick.
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