The Full Irish: Old Head Golf Links
Is it really a links? I mean ... does it really matter?
One of the running jokes over on the No Laying Up message board that I’ve been a part of long before they headed over to Ireland is the simple quip, “No Old Head?” This is a reference to the question they got, incessantly, when they went over to Ireland and no, did NOT include Old Head in their rota.
There are many reasons, I’m sure, that it wasn’t part of their trip - and one is almost assuredly that they didn’t plan as insane and extensive a trip as we did. But, when we looked into it, we finally just said to ourselves we HAD to include it. Why? It’s unlike really any other course out there.
Founded: 1997
Designer: Ron Kirby
Ratings:
Top100GolfCourses: 71 (Britain & Ireland), 17 (Ireland)
The Irish Golfer: 24 (Ireland)
Golf.com: 83 (Britain & Ireland)
Old Head Golf Links aren’t a true links, in the sense that definitionally a links course connects the sea to the land - and the course itself sits out on what is essentially an island.
More critically, this rocky terrain that became this course doesn’t sit on sand, which is the most important marker of a links course. Still, would that make you not want to play THIS?
You’ll note that Old Head is a much more modern creation, and as such more than a lot of other courses feels designed for wealthy Americans and others, akin to a private club or a wildly expensive public course in the states. We were fortunate to not have to pay rack rate due to a friend of a member, but it certainly wasn’t cheap.
It’s one thing, however, to know a course isn’t technically a links course … it’s another thing altogether to realize how little it plays like one. Indeed, Old Head plays just like almost any other course in the United States, which took a lot of getting used to. It was shocking how fluffy the lies were, how the ball did not really run down the fairway and that you had to play the ball up in the air, just like most American courses. And in that way, it was fairly disappointing.
What was not disappointing? The views. They’re not like ANYTHING else we’ve seen. Anywhere.
There are ruins of older lighthouses as well.
And then there’s the 12th hole, which is just … wow.
My complaints are not for the gorgeous views (and you can see that after a fog delay, it cleared up and then some for a truly beautiful day) but that the course plays very easy - and seems designed to make rich American tourists enjoy the views, score well and have a good story to tell.
And that’s FINE. But it wasn’t very strategic, and I’m not sure the holes are memorable for much more than the views. See that amazing photo above? Sure, you could try to cut off your drive by going left - but because the rough and grass are so thick, even a hit in the fairway won’t really run very far. So you’re likely to still hitting a layup to this par-5 green. You can also just go straight and avoid most of the cliffs altogether and then do the same with a longer second shot.
(I’ll also add that as someone who does NOT like being near cliffsides or anywhere where I feel like I might fall…you know, to my death … this was not the most ideal course for me.)
After the round, we headed into the upscale seaside town of Kinsale for the evening. We had a reservation at Fishy Fishy, a restaurant cited not only in Tom Coyne’s A Course Called Ireland but also on the great Netflix show Somebody Feed Phil. This was the best meal we’ve had on this entire trip, and we’ve had a few great ones. I had a lobster bisque and some mussels that were so good it was a travesty I couldn’t finish the bowl.
The next day we had a merciful day off planned. Just before we retired to our rooms, there was a bit of a discussion about finding a pitch-n-putt on the way back to Dublin, which sounded like a particularly awful idea.
But first we stopped at the Midleton Distillery which produces Jameson, Redbreast and others. We did a small tasting (I left some in every glass as I was driving) and it was well worth the hassle. (Note: the parking was disastrous, we arrived about 10 minutes before our tour and actually got there 25 minutes late. If you’re ever going, keep that in mind.)
We then in fact DID stop at a pitch-n-putt, reportedly the “best in Ireland” per the locals in what passed for a pro shop. McDonagh Pitch & Putt Club was a total delight. Built just after WWII, it featured hidden and elevated greens, and nothing more than about 75 yards. It was a great respite from the drive, and a great suggestion by my companions.
We headed into Dublin after checking into our hotel, and ate a tremendous Italian meal at a place called Mamma Mia’s, where we seemed to be the only non-locals in the joint. We then headed over to the Stags Head, which is an incredible pub that, yes, was filled with a ton of Notre Dame headwear. (I think it must be a requirement for graduation that you must wear something from the school when traveling abroad. It’s an epidemic.) We walked around the city for awhile and then realized just how tired we were, and headed back to Malahide for the evening.
The next day would be our last full day in Ireland, and include our last round. It turns out that even The Full Irish has its limits.