Golf Digest Ireland's Top 100 courses for 2015
Royal County Down
It's time for the annual "debate" over the Golf Digest Top 100 rankings and while there will be many who disagree with the order, it has to be said that the readers had a big input this time with 80 golfers from an entry of 2,628 having their views heard.
The Golf Digest Readers’ Panel comprised golfers from all corners of Ireland who were asked to review courses and submit their views, making up 25 per cent of the total vote.
Using a panel of industry experts, Golf Digest Ireland spends months visiting and rating hundreds of Irish golf courses to produce the ranking which, they say, ultimately acts as a very important indicator of the state of Irish golf.
"... at the beginning of each year, we write to every club in Ireland with an 18-hole course and ask if any upgrade work has been undertaken over the previous 12 months or if they felt their position was not justified," writes editor Linton Walsh.
"No fewer than 81 golf clubs wrote back this year, outlining details of various projects they had addressed. That list, combined with the Top 100 from the previous year and the leading 20 golf clubs, which did not make last year’s rankings, were then scheduled for consideration and review.
"Pádraig O’hUiginn, the former Chairman of Fáilte Ireland, has continued in the role as chairman and for the latest rankings. He was joined by Kate McCann (former Irish international), Valerie Hassett (Munster Interprovincial), Ally McIntosh (GDI course design/columnist), John Kelly (PGA professional and PGA Order of Merit winner), Dougie Heather (former chairman of International Sports Management and former International golfer), Phil Collins (PGA Professional), Linton Walsh (Editor of Golf Digest Ireland), Alan McDonnell (Head Greenkeeper at Adare Manor), Mark Magowan (PGA Professional), Michelle McGreevy (former Irish International), David O’Donovan (Secretary Manager) and Siobhán Cullen (Readers’ Panellist).
"The readers’ panel of 96, undertook their briefing on a beautiful March day. From this group 80 readers were selected to make up our 2014 panel. They went on to generate over 1,384 reports and ranking scores on golf clubs around the country, which accounted for 25 per cent of the final vote.
"These reports and scores were discussed and, as always, they gave valuable insight through the eyes of everyday golfers, when the main panel met in November.
"The big news is Royal County Down has regained the top spot as the number one golf course in Ireland and Portmarnock Golf Club has slipped down to second. Adare Manor remains the top parkland in the country and moves up one place in the overall rankings to nine.
"Other notable upward movers were Ballybunion – Cashen (up 10 places), Tulfarris (up 8), Blainroe (up 7), Strandhill (up 6) and Dooks (up 6).
"Co Louth slipped a couple of places due to upgrade work on the course and Glasson (down 9), Headfort - New (down 7), Woodenbridge (down 5) and Dundalk (down 5).
"New entries to the Top 100 list were New Forrest, Dunfanaghy and finally Macreddin coming in at 100."
The scoring system employed to assess golf clubs was as follows:
Shot making/variety 20 points
Design Variety 10 points
Wow factor 10 points
Memorability 10 points
Condition 10 points
Playability 10 points
Degree of difficulty/fairness 10 points