Catching the tube at Castlemartyr

This is the start of a three week, 29 course trip and it took me three hours to get to Castlemartyr, the ‘newest’ course I’ve played so far, with the back 9 only open a few months. So I was stiff after the drive – cough – an abysmal 17 over!

The Capella Hotel group own the whole affair and the hotel is, by all accounts, divine. It’s a good drive in and it’s such a shame that the beautiful water on the right of the road doesn’t come in to play on the course. Or the castle ruins for that matter. It certainly adds to the experience. And as well as the hotel there are lodges you can rent, so it’s a great base to play golf. When you consider that Fota Island is 20 minutes away (with its own hotel I might add), this is a good base for some great inland golf.

On the golf front, the clubhouse is still being constructed, but what a remarkable beast it is going to be – see pic. Timber flanks and a flattened tube like shape may not sound enthralling, but it is certainly different. At the moment you can play this quality course for €50 – a discount on the anticipated €95 because of the lack of the facilities, which are housed in prefabs. I’d have to say that prefabs they may be, but they’re better than many of the facilities I’ve used on my travels. [Photo: Par three 12th]

It was a perfect day, in the 20s and gorgeous sunshine. You couldn’t ask for better conditions – just a shame about the golf.