Druid’s Heath Golf Club
Hotel/Spa type resorts aren’t really our thing and when we arrived at Druid’s Heath, that’s what we got. As we approached the reception of the hotel and the dulcet tones of a Daniel O’Donnell type crooner drifted out to greet us, we just looked at each other and decided to have a drink in a pub in Newtownmountkennedy and head back to the place where had parked to make our dinner. So we went to bed thinking we wouldn’t really have anything much to write about our time at this course.
Happily, we were wrong.
Druid’s Heath is right beside Druid’s Glen on the outskirts of Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow. It’s a new course, opened in 2003. I’d call it a parkland course but there aren’t too many trees and there’s quite a lot of long grass around giving a slight links feel, the views out over the Irish Sea help with that as well.
Beautiful, clear blue skies and hardly a breath of wind greeted us this morning – polar opposite to yesterday’s mist and rain and general coldness. When we parked up and went into the shop to pay we found Barry behind the counter. We did a little bit of winding up about the €60 each we were paying (Barry said the normal green fee is €140!) and while I was at the loo Clive managed to blag a stroke saver.
We were a little early for our tee off time but we were on our own and so when we were ready we set off to the first tee. Great view from there and right from the start the course looked immaculate. There are quite a lot of bunkers, the fairways were well cut and the greens were fast. Everything was just perfect – and not a green keeper in sight. Maybe it was their day off or they’re just really good at hiding.
Anyway, we had just finished the superb par 5 second, a downhiller with an island green. When we looked back up the fairway from the next tee box we could see a single guy hurrying down, so we waited for him the catch us up and Adam joined us for the rest of the round. His partners had let him down and they told him at the shop that we were not long gone, hence the hurrying. We were pleased to have the company. We always try to play with a local and while Adam was originally from Cheltenham, he knew is way round Druid’s Heath. And since he plays off 5 I’m guessing he knows his way round most courses. It was a pleasure the play with him. Good company on a great looking course with fantastic weather. Can’t ask for better than that.
Druid’s Heath is a great looking course with some pretty spectacular holes, particularly the 12th and 13th both of which feature water that you have to either avoid or hit over. It was perfectly turned out and, despite what we had been told the night before, not too difficult, albeit that we didn’t score too well. Having said that we still don’t think that any course is worth that kind of money. Proximity to Dublin and Druid’s Glen is what causes green fees of €140 and we’re happy to leave them to the rich and the corporates.
And we still don’t like the hotel/spa thing.
Thomas says:
Brilliant course. Not one of my absolute favourites mind, but an altogether top notch affair (and I’m not just saying that because I paid €60 to play here).
Thanks to Adam for turning what could have been just an ordinary round of golf into a great morning out. He played so well on the front 9 that it really put us to shame! I don’t think he missed a green in regulation. Clive raised his game though and matched Adam’s 19 points.
As for the course I think my favourite holes were the 2nd (I had a par) and the 12th, that superb par four with hills and bunkers and that water to avoid (I had a 7!).
Clive says:
To tell the truth I was thinking that this would be a very hard course – as well as being a very expensive one. I was glad we chose a lovely mountain setting to camp at too. I really liked the holes with the water. I did reasonably well at them although I didn’t do so well at the 12th. There also was a bit of wildlife around too. Adam was a fine young man and I was damned if I was going to let the side down – so I played like a pro for a good many holes. Today I used my 5 wood which did the trick off the tee. The 14th is a lovely par three which reminded both of us of a par three at Portstewart. The course was OK and in lovely order but its design was very similar to so many other ‘new’ courses. My overall impression at the end was that I had played well and gone round in under 100; the company with Adam was terrific and the day and views were superb – we even saw a steam train trundling along.
But what really made the day was the fun with the lads in the pro shop who had checked out our website and the kindness of Barry who spent ages showing us, not only the great Druid’s Glen course, but also for letting us into the fabulous clubhouse complete with its paintings of the men and women of Ireland – Constance Markiewicz, Maud Gonne, Liam Lynch, Michael Collins and, for good measure, Edward Carson. We’ll be spreading the word of the great guys in the pro shop at Druid’s Heath. I enjoyed the day so much more than I had anticipated – that’s golf for you.
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