Portsalon

A beautiful place transformed by Pat Ruddy and the Good Friday agreement which opened up the area to the Belfast pound only two hours or so away.  Rather more remote from Dublin it has benefited with increased summer trade and now retirees.  Mountains, views and a world class beach crowned by a peachy golf course. 

A fairly sober start uphill to steady the nerves for a tempting second hole across the estuary and beach.  How much to carry with your first relieves the tension for the river crossing on your second shot or a frustrating lay up.  A very well crafted hole. 

Brilliant to find double greens and other deft links touches.  These holes which lie below the last ridge of dunes are ‘hidden gems’. Only the short fifth doubles back to the clubhouse before you are taken onto the furthest reaches of the course and back to the middle at nine.  The course gradually zig zags you inland and away from pure links land. As you climb  number 13 you benefit from better views, when not shrouded in cloud, and the course takes a more dramatic hue across rougher terrain. There is even a Mass hole/hollow to mark the turbulent history and geography of these lands.  Towards the close the river runs across you again and much profit has been made of it.

The last has a curious feature, seen also in Cornwall, where the semi subterranean walkway to the beach wears a mesh hood to protect pedestrians and golfers alike.  A good finishing hole especially when the pin is front right and the burn’s mermaids whisper their siren voices.

If I have been briefer in my description than with other reports my praise is not so diminished.  I rated the course highly and would like to play the alternate shots I was precluded from that morning.  Preferably on a sunny day.  We played foursomes scudding below threatening and occasionally very sodden clouds with a plane to catch.

We were greatly indebted to a local member who, with the club, kindly settled our green fees so that we could pay them to Alzheimer’s Society.  Thank you.