Golf Digest Ireland Top 100 for 2009
Portmarnock Golf Club. Picture via Portmarnock GC
Portmarnock has replaced Royal County Down as Ireland’s top course in the 2009 Golf Digest Ireland poll.
Just two parkland courses made the top 10 with Adare Manor the top ranked course at No 7.
The European Club, which opened less than 17 years ago, is now third ahead of Royal Portrush and Ballybunion Old. Kilkenny is the top new entry at 57th with the biggest movers in terms of their ranking being Rosapenna (Sandy Hills) up 27 places to 17th and Seapoint, which leapt 23 spots to 27th. Tramore is up 37 places to 54th, the biggest leap of any club in the top 100.
Top-100 for 2008 and 2010
“Portmarnock’s promotion was based on key, course improvements, especially to run-off areas on several greens,” said Dermot Gilleece, editor of Golf Digest Ireland, and one of the eight-person selection panel.
This year’s panel was modified with the addition of Garth McGimpsey, winner of 14 championships in a glittering career, and Declan Branigan, who won six championships and is now acknowledged as a leading agronomist and course-designer.
The panel: Declan Branigan (agronomist and course-designer), Mark Gannon (Royal and Ancient selector), Michael McCumiskey (Secretary, PGA Irish Region), Garth McGimpsey (former Walker Cup captain), Ada O’Sullivan (former Curtis Cup captain), John Quigley (Association of Irish Golf Club Secretaries), Dermot Gilleece (Editor, Golf Digest Ireland). Chairman: Padraig O hUiginn.
Golf Digest Ireland Top 100 for 2009
Portmarnock GC Aidan Bradley www.golfcoursephotography.com
Position – Up 1
Where – Co. Dublin
Tralee
11 Tralee
Position – Up 2
Where – Co. Kerry
12 Mount Juliet
Position – Down 1
Where – Co. Kilkenny
13 Royal Dublin
Position – Up 1
Where – Co. Dublin
14 Killarney (Killeen Course)
Position – Down 2
Where – Co. Kerry
15 Ballyliffin (Glashedy Links)
Position – Up 2
Where – Co. Donegal
16 County Sligo (Rosses Point)
Position – Same
Where – Co. Sligo
17 Rosapenna (Sandy Hills)
Position – Up 27
Where – Co. Donegal
18 The Island
Position – Up 1
Where – Co. Dublin
19 The Heritage
Position – Down 4
Where – Co. Laois
20. Enniscrone
Position – Up 14
Where – Co. Sligo
21 Belmullet (Carne)
Position – Same
Where – Co. Mayo
22 Druids Glen
Position – Down 2
Where – Co. Wicklow
23 Fota Island
Position – Down 1
Where – Co. Cork
24 Portstewart (Strand)
Position – Down 1
Where – Derry
Position – Same
Where – Co. Dublin
26 Carton House (Montgomerie Course)
Position – Down 8
Where – Co. Kildare
27 Seapoint
Position – Up 23
Where – Co. Louth
28 Castlerock
Position – Up 3
Where – Co. Londonderry
Position – Down 5
Where – Co. Cork
30. Headfort (New)
Position – Down 4
Where – Co. Meath
31 PGA National
Position – Down 4
Where – Co. Kildare
32 Carlow
Position – Down 2
Where – Co. Carlow
33 Malone
Position – Up 2
Where – Co Antrim
Position – Down 5
Where – Co. Clare
35 Belvoir Park
Position – Up 1
Where – Co. Antrim
Position – Up 4
Where – Co. Cavan
37 Cork
Position – Same
Where – Co. Cork
38 Ballyliffin (Old Links)
Position – Up 7
Where – Co. Donegal
Position – Up 17
Where – Co. Wicklow
40 The K Club (Smurfit Course)
Position – Up 1
Where – Co. Kildare
Position – Up 2
Where – Co. Wicklow
Position – Up 4
Where – Co. Carlow
43 Westport
Position – Up 5
Where – Co. Mayo
44 Knightsbrook
Position – Up 8
Where – Co. Meath
45 Portsalon
Position – Up 25
Where – Co. Donegal
46 Glasson
Position – Down 14
Where – Co. Westmeath
47 Carton House (O’Meara Course)
Position – Down 5
Where – Co. Kildare
48 Dundalk
Position – Down 10
Where – Co. Louth
Position – Down 10
Where – Co. Donegal
50 Rathsallagh
Position – Down 1
Where – Co. Wicklow
Position – Up 4
Where – Co. Tipperary
52 Hermitage
Position – Down 1
Where – Co. Dublin
Position – Same
Where – Co. Clare
54 Tramore
Position – Up 37
Where – Co. Waterford
55 Bantry Bay
Position – Up 20
Where – Co. Cork
56 Mullingar
Position – Down 23
Where – Co. Westmeath
57 Kilkenny
Position - NEW
Where – Co. Kilkenny
58 Connemara
Position – Same
Where – Co. Galway
59 Tullamore
Position – Down 12
Where – Co. Offaly
Position – Down 3
Where – Co. Down
61 New Forest
Position – Up 1
Where – Co. Westmeath
62 Clandeboye
Position –Up 11
Where – Co. Down
63 Castleknock
Position – Up 11
Where – Dublin
Position – Down 4
Where – Co. Dublin
65 Grange
Position – Up 4
Where – Dublin
66 Castle
Position – Up 12
Where – Dublin
67 Dooks
Position – Down 13
Where – Co. Kerry
68 Shannon
Position – Down 1
Where – Co. Clare
69 Woodbrook
Position – Down 1
Where – Co. Wicklow
70 South County
Position - NEW
Where - Dublin
Position – Up 5
Where – Co. Down
72 Killarney (Mahony’s Point)
Position – Down 9
Where – Co. Kerry
73 Roganstown
Position – Down 7
Where – Co. Dublin
74 Skellig Bay
Position – Down 3
Where – Co. Kerry
75 Esker Hills
Position – Down 10
Where – Co. Offaly
76 Athlone
Position – Down 12
Where – Co. Roscommon
77 Rosslare
Position – Down 16
Where – Co. Wexford
78 Gowran Park
Position – Up 6
Where – Co. Kilkenny
Position – Down 7
Where – Co. Kerry
Position – Same
Where – Co. Donegal
Position - NEW
Where – Co. Sligo
82 Galway
Position – Up 7
Where – Galway
83 Arklow
Position – Up 16
Where – Co. Wicklow
Position – Down 3
Where – Co. Meath
85 Ashbourne
Position - NEW
Where – Co. Meath
86 Moyvalley
Position – Down 7
Where – Co. Kildare
Position – Down 10
Where – Co. Kerry
88 Castlecomer
Position - NEW
Where – Co. Kilkenny
89 Castletroy
Position - NEW
Where – Co. Limerick
Position – Down 2
Where – Co. Antrim
91 Monkstown
Position – Down 6
Where – Co. Cork
92 Curragh
Position – Down 2
Where – Co. Kildare
93 Rathcore
Position – Down 10
Where – Co. Meath
Position - NEW
Where – Co. Limerick
95 Blainroe
Position – Up 1
Where – Co. Wicklow
96 Ballinrobe
Position – Up 1
Where – Co. Mayo
97 Malahide
Position – Up 3
Where – Co. Dublin
Position – NEW
Where – Co Laois
99 Lee Valley
Position – Down 4
Where – Co. Cork
100 Waterford
Position – Down 13
Where – Co. Waterford