StrokerAce Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 Guy I've been playing with quite a bit this year and starting to get to know better told me last weekend while we were playing that he was trying to put together a golf trip to Ireland for next year. One week trip with 6 days of golf. The next words out of his mouth were "..something, something, 3300 per guy...something...something" I tried to play it cool but WHOA!.... Someone please tell me this isn't accurate.... there's got to be a better way. I'm not sure what courses he's playing but that price seems really really high. Quote Driver- Cobra Aerojet LS Woods- Cobra LTD 3w 15*, 5W 19*, F9 24* Irons- XXIO X (6-A) Wedges- Callaway Jaws Raw (54/58) Putter- Bettinardi BB56 Ball- Maxfli Tour X Buggy- Motocaddy M7 GPS Remote Electric Caddy Bag- Motocaddy Dry-Series Proudly testing for 2024: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
null Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 Does the number include flights? Hotels? Flights are anywhere from 500-800 Hotels in Ireland will run anywhere from 100-200 a night So there you are looking at basically almost $2000 before you even start counting greens fees. Definitely doesn't seem like a crazy number StrokerAce, GB13 and Har in the Hat 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. 82 Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 Does the number include flights? Hotels? Flights are anywhere from 500-800 Hotels in Ireland will run anywhere from 100-200 a night So there you are looking at basically almost $2000 before you even start counting greens fees. Definitely doesn't seem like a crazy number This is accurate. Do your own homework if you want, but $3,300 for a week in Ireland is average. Sure, you can spend the time and look for deals, etc, but what your buddy is quoting isn't insane. GB13 1 Quote G400 Driver XR 4 Fairway 16.5° Fli-Hi Utility Iron - 21° G Series 5-9 irons SM7 46°, 50°, 54° & 58° Ghost Spider S putter Nexus Laser Rangefinder Garmin Approach S20 GPS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GB13 Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 Yeah, if this is all inclusive, it is pretty accurate. I am sure you could go bargain hunting and find it for $500 cheaper or something but your buddy definitely isn't way out of the ballpark. Quote Wilson Staff C300 9.0* Fujikura Pro 58 stiff Callaway Rogue 3W Mitsubishi Diamana D+ LTD 80 stiff Mizuno MP-18 MMC FLI-HI 2 iron UST Mamiya Recoil 95 stiff Ping I200's 4-W Aerotech Steelfiber I110 CW stiff Ping Glide 52* and 58* stiff Bettinardi Studio Stock #38 Armlock Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveP043 Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 I agree, it isn't a crazy number. There are certainly some ways to save some money, easiest is to stay away from the most famous courses. The big names are in the Southwest (Waterville, Ballybunion, Lahinch, Old Head, Doonbeg) or in Northern Ireland (all of the Royals). You could go to County Mayo, Sligo, and/or Donegal and play wonderful Irish links and pay a lot less. Another way is to stay in a B&B instead of a hotel. The thing is, if your friend is using a booking service, they'll generally steer you towards more luxurious lodgings and more famous courses. They might also include a vehicle and driver, you can save money by driving yourselves. On the other hand, Ireland is a brilliant place to visit. Many of the golf courses are outstanding, the people are friendly, and the food and drink are good to excellent. The only problem with going to Ireland once is that you'll want to go back over and over again. I just realized, I have a point of comparison. In June I spent a week in Scotland, (flew IcelandAir to save about $400), 8 days of golf planned (we played a few more holes along the way) 8 nights lodging (one nice B&B, one small hotel), we drove ourselves, and our base cost was under$2000, plus about $850 for air travel. We didn't play Open rota courses, although Prestwick hosted the first 12 Open Championships. If your friend is talking $3300 plus air, he's being quoted a fairly high-class package. StrokerAce and HardcoreLooper 2 Quote Irons Titleist T200, AMT Red stiff Rogue SubZero, GD YS-Six X T22 54 and 58 wedges 7-wood 5-wood B60 G5i putter Right handed Reston, Virginia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrokerAce Posted September 18, 2018 Author Share Posted September 18, 2018 It just seems that in this day and age with vacation home rentals and Uber this should be cheaper. Quote Driver- Cobra Aerojet LS Woods- Cobra LTD 3w 15*, 5W 19*, F9 24* Irons- XXIO X (6-A) Wedges- Callaway Jaws Raw (54/58) Putter- Bettinardi BB56 Ball- Maxfli Tour X Buggy- Motocaddy M7 GPS Remote Electric Caddy Bag- Motocaddy Dry-Series Proudly testing for 2024: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. 82 Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 It just seems that in this day and age with vacation home rentals and Uber this should be cheaper. Have you ever traveled outside CONUS? Quote G400 Driver XR 4 Fairway 16.5° Fli-Hi Utility Iron - 21° G Series 5-9 irons SM7 46°, 50°, 54° & 58° Ghost Spider S putter Nexus Laser Rangefinder Garmin Approach S20 GPS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy_BNG Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 I just went on an Ireland Scotland family vacation. Just the wife and I. I only played one round at St. Andrews and with sightseeing, food, lodging, and travel we were just shy of 10. We were there for 10 days. If $3,300 is everything, I think that is a hell of a deal. Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy Quote What is in my Sun Mountain C-130 bag or Jones MyGolfSpy bag Driver: Dark speed LS 8* set to -1.5* with an Attas Daaas 4x shaft @ 45” Fairway: F85 3 wood with a XPhplexx Agera X @ 42.5” F85 5 wood with a UST Elements Chrome 7F5 @ 41.5" Driving Iron: Rapture 2-Iron Irons: SMS Pros 4-PW with Steelfiber I95s Wedges: SMS 50* T grind with Steelfiber i110s Glide 4.0 46* zz wedge shaft Glide 4.0 E grind 54* zz wedge shaft Putters: Mezz.1 34” 69* lie EV5.1 black 33.5” 69* lie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougC38 Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 As everyone else said it's actually a good price... never been myself but after pricing out a week in Disney for my son, wife and I, nothing surprises me anymore haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanoito Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 Have you ever traveled outside CONUS? I was gonna ask the same... but yeah, Europe can get really expensive. Price is actually pretty reasonable when you add airfare from the US. GB13 1 Quote SpeedZone 9* w/ Aldila Rogue Silver 60 S X2 Hot 3 Deep 14.5* w/ Aldila Tour Green 75 S JetSpeed 5W 19* w/ Matrix Velox T 69 S OR Super LS 3H 19* w/ Kuro Kage Black 80 S JPX919 Forged 4-PW w/ Modus3 105 S Vokey SM7 50/08F, 54/14F & 58/08M w/ Modus3 115 Wedge ER1 34" w/ SuperStroke Fatso 2.0 Pro / H2NO Lite Cart Bag / 3.0 / NX7 Pro LRF My reviews: MLA Putter // Titleist SM7 // PING i500 // PuttOUT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GolfSpy_BNG Posted September 18, 2018 Share Posted September 18, 2018 Don't forget to factor in that the U.S. dollar is about $0.75 on the dollar in Northern Ireland and Scotland. gaussman1 1 Quote What is in my Sun Mountain C-130 bag or Jones MyGolfSpy bag Driver: Dark speed LS 8* set to -1.5* with an Attas Daaas 4x shaft @ 45” Fairway: F85 3 wood with a XPhplexx Agera X @ 42.5” F85 5 wood with a UST Elements Chrome 7F5 @ 41.5" Driving Iron: Rapture 2-Iron Irons: SMS Pros 4-PW with Steelfiber I95s Wedges: SMS 50* T grind with Steelfiber i110s Glide 4.0 46* zz wedge shaft Glide 4.0 E grind 54* zz wedge shaft Putters: Mezz.1 34” 69* lie EV5.1 black 33.5” 69* lie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveP043 Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 I'm wondering whether strokerace has any more information on what that price included. Details that would make a difference would be: Level of accommodation (hotels, B&B), single or two per room Transport included, including driver, or self-drive rental vehicle(s)? Courses? Airfare included? Meals included, beyond breakfast (which is included at most places)? Quote Irons Titleist T200, AMT Red stiff Rogue SubZero, GD YS-Six X T22 54 and 58 wedges 7-wood 5-wood B60 G5i putter Right handed Reston, Virginia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrokerAce Posted October 1, 2018 Author Share Posted October 1, 2018 I don't really have too many details yet; I think he mentioned that transportation was included and there were some pretty nice courses. Nevertheless this is way out of my budget but I just wanted to see if it was reasonable....which, it sounds like it is. Guess I'll be waiting a while to golf in Ireland! Quote Driver- Cobra Aerojet LS Woods- Cobra LTD 3w 15*, 5W 19*, F9 24* Irons- XXIO X (6-A) Wedges- Callaway Jaws Raw (54/58) Putter- Bettinardi BB56 Ball- Maxfli Tour X Buggy- Motocaddy M7 GPS Remote Electric Caddy Bag- Motocaddy Dry-Series Proudly testing for 2024: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony@CIC Posted October 1, 2018 Share Posted October 1, 2018 I don't really have too many details yet; I think he mentioned that transportation was included and there were some pretty nice courses. Nevertheless this is way out of my budget but I just wanted to see if it was reasonable....which, it sounds like it is. Guess I'll be waiting a while to golf in Ireland!Keep in mind that there is a pretty big difference in exchange rates plus the Vat taxes are higher than our sales tax Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy Quote Left Hand orientation SIM 2 D Max with Fujikura Air Speeder Shaft Cobra Radspeed 3W/RIptide Shaft 410 Hybrids 22*, 26* Cobra Speed Zone 6-GP/Recoil ESX 460 F3 Shafts SM7 54* Wedge Glide 3.0 60* Wedge O Works putter V3 NX9-HD - 4 Wheel EZGO TXT 48v cart - too many shoes to list and so many to buy And BAG Boy Golf Balls: Vice Pro Plus 2020 Official Tester Beginning Driver Speed - 78 2019 Official Tester 410 Driver 2018 Official Tester C300 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwmck9 Posted November 27, 2018 Share Posted November 27, 2018 I'm planning a trip for May, you can save a lot by staying in Airbnbs. Also kind of random but you can save a decent amount if your credit card / auto insurance provider has rental car coverage so you don't have to pay up for the expensive coverage from the rental companies. I'm shelling out for Ballybunion, and filling in the rest of the trip with so called "hidden gems" that are less well known but very good value. (Dingle, Ballybunion Cashen course, Dooks, and some courses in County Louth north of Dublin, one of which is County Louth Golf Club a nice old links course that has hosted two Irish opens) Played Waterville a few years ago. Amazing place. Next time around I'll hit Lahinch and RCD, once I win the lottery that is... Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk Quote G400 LST (10° playing at 9°) - Rogue limited edition 125msi 60TX Cobra F7 3W (14.5°) - Fujikura 65X RBZ Stage 2 Tour 2h (16.5° playing at 18°) - Accra HF tour M4 Mizuno JPX-900 Forged (4-GW) - Project X LZ 5.5 Vokey SM7 54, 58 Ping Anser 2 TR1966 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nunfa0 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 (edited) On 11/28/2018 at 7:27 AM, rwmck9 said: I'm planning a trip for May, you can save a lot by staying in Airbnbs. Also kind of random but you can save a decent amount if your credit card / auto insurance provider has rental car coverage so you don't have to pay up for the expensive coverage from the rental companies. I'm shelling out for Ballybunion, and filling in the rest of the trip with so called "hidden gems" that are less well known but very good value. (Dingle, Ballybunion Cashen course, Dooks, and some courses in County Louth north of Dublin, one of which is County Louth Golf Club a nice old links course that has hosted two Irish opens) Played Waterville a few years ago. Amazing place. Next time around I'll hit Lahinch and RCD, once I win the lottery that is... Sent from my ONEPLUS A5000 using Tapatalk Make sure you play Sea Point while you're in Louth Edited April 20, 2019 by Nunfa0 Quote In my cart Bag: Driver: King F9 9° - LH - Atmos Blue TS 6 Stiff Woods: King F9 - LH - 3/4 Wood - Atmos Blue 7 Reg Z U85 2 Iron Irons: T200 4 Iron AMT White S300 T100S - LH - 3-48* - AMT White S300 Wedges: Indi FLX- LH - 52° 56° 60° - True Temper Spinner Wedge shafts Putter: 2 Bar Hybrid Ball: Pro V1x Testing: Haywood CB/MB Combo Iron Set, 4-7 Cavity backs, 8-PW Muscle Backs, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 Stiff, 2 Degrees stronger lofts. Tracked By: Follow me on Twitter @ham12_hampton and on Instagram @Nunfa0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gaussman1 Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 Make sure you play Sea Point while your in LouthI'll chime in, absolutely play the Island Club your last day there and stay in Malahide. It's very close to the Dublin airport and a thrilling topsy-turvy gorse covered links. Also Ardglass is on my list for that side of the country. European Club to the south in Wicklow is amazing. Portmarnock Old didn't do much for me tbh. Sent from my Pixel 3 using MyGolfSpy mobile app Quote Rogue SZ 10.5 *NEW* Fujikura Pro Green 65 X Rogue 15 degree Evnflow Blue 6.5 Back in the Bag Z765 4-G Nippon Modus 120 Stiff 54 and 60 Amazing Grace Ass Kicker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rtracymog Posted April 20, 2019 Share Posted April 20, 2019 If you have a flexible schedule, try looking on Groupon or living social. We got flight, a huge house at adare manor for 6 days and a manual transmission van (we upgraded to the automatic) but that was around 8-900 person. This would be a good base price and starting point. We did a lot of driving over that time because we just stayed at adare. We played the course there and old head because my mom and wife with with us, but you can get some amazing deals on flight and one place of stay through them. Good luck!Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy Quote Cortex w/MGS Motore X F1 7X tipped 1" F5 17 degree hybrid w/Rogue Black 85X C300 Forged 3-5 w/C-Taper 130X FG Tour V6 5-6 w/C-Taper 130X Staff Model Blade 7-PW w/C-Taper 130X RTX4 52, 56, 60 w/S400 Tour Issue ER7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alzoinnv Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 hmmm, our trip to Irleand and Scotland (playing 7 courses to include old head, the european club, portmarnok, New course, carnousite, jubilee, kingsbarn) all hotels (Portmarnok, Scores, Metropole) transportation provided with private driver, all include the full Irish and Scotish each day and 2 dinners plus a gift card or so. I'm starting to wonder if we took it in shorts for 4400, plus we needed airfare? Oh well, its about to go down and its paid for...I'm going to enjoy it. Quote Driver: SLDR Mini Driver 12 degree, 77g Speeder S shaft (I also have r7tp, r9, r15tp...all in the penalty box) Fairway Woods: M2 2017 16.5 3 wood & r9 19 degree 5 wood (old reliable) Irons: P790 4 - SW S300 S Shaft Wedges: 50 AW & 54 SW, wedge flex; 60 LW, wedge flex Putter: White Hot Mallet #5 Ball: Pro V1 & Pro V1x (I try many and always go back) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveP043 Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 3 minutes ago, Alzoinnv said: hmmm, our trip to Irleand and Scotland (playing 7 courses to include old head, the european club, portmarnok, New course, carnousite, jubilee, kingsbarn) all hotels (Portmarnok, Scores, Metropole) transportation provided with private driver, all include the full Irish and Scotish each day and 2 dinners plus a gift card or so. I'm starting to wonder if we took it in shorts for 4400, plus we needed airfare? Oh well, its about to go down and its paid for...I'm going to enjoy it. The newer courses are also some of the most expensive, and you have three of those on your list. Private drivers are expensive, and you're staying in nice hotels. You can plan these kinds of trips yourself, play some less-famous courses, stay in B&Bs, and drive yourself, and save a bit. When you work through an agency, that agency has to make some money somewhere. Quote Irons Titleist T200, AMT Red stiff Rogue SubZero, GD YS-Six X T22 54 and 58 wedges 7-wood 5-wood B60 G5i putter Right handed Reston, Virginia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alzoinnv Posted July 16, 2019 Share Posted July 16, 2019 1 hour ago, DaveP043 said: The newer courses are also some of the most expensive, and you have three of those on your list. Private drivers are expensive, and you're staying in nice hotels. You can plan these kinds of trips yourself, play some less-famous courses, stay in B&Bs, and drive yourself, and save a bit. When you work through an agency, that agency has to make some money somewhere. Yea, that sounds about right. I'm thinking next time we do this I'd like to do Scotland or Ireland and stay in airbnb and such. Thanks for input on the golf in the St Andrews area...we will check one of them out for sure. DaveP043 1 Quote Driver: SLDR Mini Driver 12 degree, 77g Speeder S shaft (I also have r7tp, r9, r15tp...all in the penalty box) Fairway Woods: M2 2017 16.5 3 wood & r9 19 degree 5 wood (old reliable) Irons: P790 4 - SW S300 S Shaft Wedges: 50 AW & 54 SW, wedge flex; 60 LW, wedge flex Putter: White Hot Mallet #5 Ball: Pro V1 & Pro V1x (I try many and always go back) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian A Posted July 17, 2019 Share Posted July 17, 2019 You can do it much cheaper, just takes work. Wife and I are going in September and with flights and hotels (used AirBnB for a few places) for both of us its under 2k. Quote Driver: G425 9* Hzrdus Smoke Green Small batch 6.5 70g Fairway Wood: Cobra Radspeed Big 3 Hzrdus Smoke Black 6.5 Hybrid: Cobra Aerojet 5 Wood Hzrdus Smoke Black 6.5 Irons: T200 (4-AW) AMT Black Stiff Shafts Wedges: Tour Rack 56* 60* Putter: Scotty Cameron Golo 5 Right Handed Pittsburgh, PA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flog4 Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 OK....Truth....You can go to Ireland for a week and spend $1000 a head and play courses like the one down the street. Stay at Motel 6's.. And fly cheapass air..Like Thomas Cook that just went belly up...Right now course costs in $...Ballybunion 290, Old Head 390, Waterville 250, Tralee 275, Lahinch 275, Royal Portrush 290, Royal County Down 300.....If you go 3000 plus miles to play golf....Those are the places you want to go first few trips...Do you get in your car....drive 3 hours to play the local muni for $20....NYET...So why go to Ireland to play below average courses....No. You go to play the worlds great links courses....and they are not cheap. I set up trips...Not bunches of trips but a few every year. I have 4 guys going next August. Single rooms at nice places. Playing the standard rotation of great courses in SW Ireland. 6 nights, 6 rounds, bus, driver...NO Air. $5200 a head. Asking cost of a trip to far away special places is like asking...How much should my Driver cost. Some guys have drivers that were a $100 and play fine. Some spend over $500...Special Trip 101...If you have to be concerned re cost...Maybe don't go. Everybody has a story of some special nice course they played in far away places for cheap money....As with most everything in life...You get what you pay for.... Quote Epic Flash 9 &15 Titliest 915 18&21 Staff 5 to G Ping SW Wide Flange LW TM Spider X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveP043 Posted September 27, 2019 Share Posted September 27, 2019 10 hours ago, Flog4 said: OK....Truth....You can go to Ireland for a week and spend $1000 a head and play courses like the one down the street. Stay at Motel 6's.. And fly cheapass air..Like Thomas Cook that just went belly up...Right now course costs in $...Ballybunion 290, Old Head 390, Waterville 250, Tralee 275, Lahinch 275, Royal Portrush 290, Royal County Down 300.....If you go 3000 plus miles to play golf....Those are the places you want to go first few trips...Do you get in your car....drive 3 hours to play the local muni for $20....NYET...So why go to Ireland to play below average courses....No. You go to play the worlds great links courses....and they are not cheap. I set up trips...Not bunches of trips but a few every year. I have 4 guys going next August. Single rooms at nice places. Playing the standard rotation of great courses in SW Ireland. 6 nights, 6 rounds, bus, driver...NO Air. $5200 a head. Asking cost of a trip to far away special places is like asking...How much should my Driver cost. Some guys have drivers that were a $100 and play fine. Some spend over $500...Special Trip 101...If you have to be concerned re cost...Maybe don't go. Everybody has a story of some special nice course they played in far away places for cheap money....As with most everything in life...You get what you pay for.... I don't completely disagree, a number of those courses are absolutely outstanding, and well worth the price. But there ARE outstanding links courses that aren't as expensive. On my last trip I played at Carne and Enniscrone, with current greens fees of 110 and 125 euros (1 euro is $1.09 when I just checked), essentially half the price of the courses you list. These courses provide an incredible experience, even more dramatic dunes than at the more famous courses further south. And oddly enough, you might actually be around Irishmen on the golf course, not all tourists. Someone who is budget-conscious can choose to double up in rooms, or stay in a less expensive hotel. I like having my breakfast prepared for me, so I wouldn't choose AirBnB, but that's another option. You CAN drive yourself, you don't NEED to have a driver, especially if you're staying in one place for a few days at a time. I wouldn't ever tell anyone that a top of the line Ireland trip is a poor choice, and I'd always recommend playing at least a few of the well-known greats. But you can have an amazing experience at a lesser price with a compromise or two, and careful planning. HardcoreLooper and StrokerAce 2 Quote Irons Titleist T200, AMT Red stiff Rogue SubZero, GD YS-Six X T22 54 and 58 wedges 7-wood 5-wood B60 G5i putter Right handed Reston, Virginia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fixyurdivot Posted September 28, 2019 Share Posted September 28, 2019 Based on my brief poking around the interwebz, regarding this subject, $3300 for a week of golf at top end courses and lodging seems average. If that includes flights, it's a really good deal. This makes me wish I'd have been a little less committed to the corporation while they had me traveling all over the globe . That said, as much as I'd like to play Ireland courses, there are a few loops here in the good old USofA I will do beforehand... Robert Trent Jones Trail, Golf Hall of Fame to begin with but there are many others to choose from. https://www.golftrips.com/golftrails/index.cfm HardcoreLooper 1 Quote G410 Plus, 9 Degree Driver G400 SFT, 16 Degree 3w G400 SFT, 19 Degree 5w ZX5 Irons 4-AW Glide 2.0 56 Degree SW (removed from double secret probation ) ER5v Putter (Official Review) AI-One Milled Seven T CH (Official Review) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newballcoach Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 Watching the latest "Tourist Sauce" season from the No Laying Up crew made me think of this thread. For all the hype Scotland gets as a golf destination the Irish golf looks positively breathtaking. I think they've been very fair in comparing the two. You can tell the difference in the weather though, the Scottish courses all looked burned out and the Irish ones are very green and lush. I highly recommend watching if anybody is planning on taking a trip. They talk about having a driver too and not only is the scenery beautiful to look at, but many of the roads are one-way, narrow or difficult to navigate. Having a driver means you don't have to worry about that, which seems appealing to me. Lots of great shots of the nightlife in the little towns they are visiting as well, and lots of Guinness. HardcoreLooper 1 Quote WITB Driver- PING G400 LST w/ Project X Evenflow Black Fwy- TM Aeroburner 16.5HL Irons- Callaway Steelhead XR (3-PW) Wedges- Callaway MD3 (50,54,58) Putter- Cleveland TFI Satin Cero Ball- Snell MTB-X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfriday101 Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 I have done multiple trips to Ireland and Scotland. Each has advantages and disadvantages. The courses in Ireland tend to be more dramatic--bigger dunes, more separation of holes, more elevation changes. But, the courses are pretty spread out. You will spend a lot of time in a car in Ireland and frequently change hotels. (Again, these are generalizations.) The courses in Scotland tend to be flatter, but are no less of a test of golf. But, the courses are grouped together, so much less travel is involved. You can stay in the same hotel for days and only have short drives to multiple courses. Troon, Prestwick and Turnberry in one hotel, the Old, New, Jubilee and Kingsbarn from one hotel. North Berwick, Gullane and Muirfield. Both are great trips. My favorite courses are about evenly split between the two, with the nod to Ireland, particularly Northern Ireland. But if you want to relax more and travel less between rounds, then I would recommend going to Scotland first. HardcoreLooper and DaveP043 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveP043 Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 18 minutes ago, newballcoach said: Watching the latest "Tourist Sauce" season from the No Laying Up crew made me think of this thread. For all the hype Scotland gets as a golf destination the Irish golf looks positively breathtaking. I think they've been very fair in comparing the two. You can tell the difference in the weather though, the Scottish courses all looked burned out and the Irish ones are very green and lush. I highly recommend watching if anybody is planning on taking a trip. They talk about having a driver too and not only is the scenery beautiful to look at, but many of the roads are one-way, narrow or difficult to navigate. Having a driver means you don't have to worry about that, which seems appealing to me. Lots of great shots of the nightlife in the little towns they are visiting as well, and lots of Guinness. I've been to both Scotland and Ireland a couple of times. I've loved every minute, but there are some differences. Ireland has courses with much more dramatic dunes, higher highs, steeper slopes than I've seen in Scotland. In Scotland, you can stay in one of 3 or 4 spots, and find a bunch of golf courses within an hours drive. In Ireland, they're much more spread out, you'll end up with longer drives and more different hotels. In both places I've been a primary driver for our group, and never had a problem doing it. If you want to hit every good golf course, no matter where you go, you'll spend a lot more time in the vehicle than you will in the pubs, so a driver is a good idea These are the kinds of trips that the tour companies want to market, big name courses, higher-end hotels, and a driver. But if you choose a couple of hubs, with shorter drives to the courses, and maybe not quite so many big name courses, I don't think you really need the expense of a driver. Everyplace I've stayed, I walked to pubs and restaurants, no real need to drive much in the evenings. I prefer to stay in one place for a few nights, and not have to pack and unpack a bunch. But there's brilliant golf to be had in both places. Rchang and alfriday101 2 Quote Irons Titleist T200, AMT Red stiff Rogue SubZero, GD YS-Six X T22 54 and 58 wedges 7-wood 5-wood B60 G5i putter Right handed Reston, Virginia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfriday101 Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 Looks like we were typing at the same time, Dave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveP043 Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 Just now, alfriday101 said: Looks like we were typing at the same time, Dave. We were, and apparently we agree on most of this stuff. One more thing, and it follows on some of the factors we mentioned, for a first-timer, I'd recommend spending a week in St Andrews. Lots of golf nearby, a lovely town with great restaurants and pubs, not far from either main airport. HardcoreLooper and alfriday101 2 Quote Irons Titleist T200, AMT Red stiff Rogue SubZero, GD YS-Six X T22 54 and 58 wedges 7-wood 5-wood B60 G5i putter Right handed Reston, Virginia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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