Mannan Castle Golf Club
We found Mannan Castle on an overcast day but even with the threat of rain this was a very enjoyable course.
We drove straight here from home and were playing in a 9-hole repeater competition. A club official explained it to us but I’m still not sure what it was about. It’s always more enjoyable when we hook up with other people to play the course but we haven’t been doing so well lately and today was the same – on our own again.
The first 7 or 8 holes were just excellent. The first was across the road from the clubhouse and it was a very nice dog leg par 4. As we approached the first green it looked very dark – it seems that they had been fertilised recently so whilst we didn’t see the greens at their greenest they were still fast and very well looked after.
The second hole was one of the nicest par 3s we’ve played. Downhill, large pond across the front and a backdrop of some old castle outbuildings and the course name written in privet hedging. Then came a sweeping par 5 followed by one of the most interesting par 4s we’ve ever come across. The fairway seems to go nowhere – it took us a minute or two to work out what was going on. To the left of the fairway there’s a very high mound and on the right there’s a high hedge and out of bounds. Between the two is the narrowest entrance to green (still a good 150 yards away) that we’ve seen. The fairway was barely 5 yards across at its narrowest! It’s so narrow you can’t see it from the tee box.
The next few holes took us onto higher ground and from around the 7th or 8th there’s a very nice view over the course.
There’s something interesting on every hole on this course which makes it a joy to play. It reminded us a little bit of Esker Hills in Co. Offaly with its valleys and mounds. The tee boxes, fairways and greens (even though they didn’t look green!) were in great condition. There are 6 par 3s at Mannan Castle. For the most part that’s two too many as far as we’re concerned but they were all so nicely done here that we’ll forgive their their course designer.
Thomas says:
I played some good golf today and went round Mannan Castle in 84 shots (that’s a net -1!). The first few holes give you a very good idea of what to expect the whole way round. I particularly liked the par 3 second (where I had a par) and the elevated 5th tee box gives you a great view down into the fairway which looks like it has been carved out of the surounding mounds.
The greens were in top class condition but you could really smell the fertiliser they had used – a sort of iron smell which caught in your throat sometimes.
Mannan Castle is a very enjoyable course. I’d love to get it on a sunny day and with proper green greens!
Clive says:
Some of our friends at our own course at Bright had recommended Mannan Castle. It was going to be one of ours this year anyway. I liked this place from the start. The fourth hole was marvellous – it was really hard to see where you were to go. Narrow entrance to the green made for an accurate shot – which, sadly, eluded me. The 5th hole is one of the finest holes I’ve ever played. It’s a par five but you have to be extra carfeul with your accuracy. I got a 6 and was well pleased.
There are probably too many par 3s but they are all quite a challenge. The 12th is a lovely short hole where you could get a 10 if you’re not careful – I got a 4!!
The last 5 holes are in a newer area and are not as picturesque as the first 11. However, all in all, I give Mannan Castle an 8. Lovely course and making excellent use of the natural features.
