Ballaghadereen Golf Club

We arrived at Ballaghadereen after a bit of an adventure. By the time we were getting near the town it was around 10pm, dark, windy and it had only just stopped raining. Our map only got us so far and when we thought we were in the general vicinity of the course Clive stopped someone who told us we were miles away from the course and gave us directions out through the north of the town. Not convinced by those directions we then stopped someone outside a pub in the town who sort of pointed us back the way we came. Along that road we stopped a car who said we should follow him for a bit and as we passed the road the golf club was on he would indicate. Which we did and eventually we arrived at Ballaghadereen Golf Club.

It’s a 9 hole parkland course and on the day that we played it three words would sum it up: muddy, wet, flat. I’m guessing the first two aren’t a problem all year round but today there was barely a section of the course that didn’t squelch when you stepped on it. The ball frequently plugged and with practically every shot there was a spray of mud.

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Strokestown Golf Club

Date played: 8 April 2007, 3pm
Weather: Cloudy, patchy sunshine, chilly

We came to Strokestown not expecting much and sad to say that we got even less than that!

We knew it was a 9 hole course but given the time of daOy we weren’t expecting any bother making it round the course. But we were wrong. Between arriving and making bite of lunch a fourball and two twoballs made it onto the course and it was slow with a capital S L O W.

The course itself was no consolation for the length of time were having to stand and look at it. It’s pretty much a field and you go up, down and across it. There’s nothing of interest and to cap it all, there were temporary greens.

We were so unimpressed that we left after 9 holes. There was little compelling reason to repeat the nine holes, especially since pulling teeth would be quicker more desirable way to pass the time.

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