We arrived mid afternoon and were greeted by friendly staff at the hotel reception. Proceeding to the golf shop, we purchased our green cards and then played the par 3 short course situated at the side of the hotel. The weather was dull on the day we played, however there were few players on the course and we could take as much time as we needed to stroll the well maintained fairways and greens. The views are wonderful - really post card stuff - an easy distraction from the game, although my colleages were patient with me as they knew I was there to review all aspects of the course for the DayOut.ie web site - this was the same excuse I used when I lost!
There is plenty of choice for golfers, with the opportunity to play 9 holes or 12 on the 'short' course, also a wonerful 9 hole (the Fintan's 9) with tee off situated to the right of the main car park on approach or indeed the 18 hole main course with tee off situated to the left of the car park on approach. DayOut have played this tee off before and it requires good accuracy, with the initial drive required downhill and parallel to the approach road.
The par 3 however, was ample for our skill level on the day and is a good overall test of ones game - taking in some long tee shots as well as tricky pitches to greens which are out of view and elevated. All courses are situated on the side of Howth hill so courses are half uphill, half downhill - the walk through is a good work out!
A small putting green is available in front of the hotel, again providing spendid views of Howth marina and the nearby Howth vilage.
With our 12 hole game complete, we proceeded to the bar area to toast our game. The Turkish barman was friendly and outgoing and we had a great chat about holidays we had taken to Kusadashi some years ago. En route to the bar from our rooms, we passed the pool and day spa area which looked impressive, however we didn't get to sample these facilities on this visit.
The hotel itself has an air of 60s/70s architecture throughout the interior however the rooms are spacious and the usual facilites such as tv, tea/coffee etc. are provided in rooms. Ready for the off, we arranged a taxi which arrived promptly and took us downhill to Howth vilage which is a short 5 minute drive. There are plently of bars and restaurants and of course being a fishing village, seafood features prominently in many establishments. There is also the mexican El Paso restaurant which we have sampled before, serving all your favorite mex dishes.
We finished our night in Findlaters pub, where we enjoyed the craic into the wee hours!
If you're thinking of visiting Howth, why not travel by Dart - Howth is the last stop and drops you within easy walking distance (2-3 minutes) to the the main pubs and restaurant areas. Also check out the 31 bus route which takes you further into Howth and around Howth head. If tarvelling by car, car parking can be tricky at weekends and busy periods and at times tail backs can happen at Sutton Cross in late afternoon as everyone decides to make their way home. Situated on a hill, there are 2 approach roads to Howth from either side of the hill but they both start at Sutton Cross.
About | Contact | Privacy | Add your venue
© Dayout 2008-2009. All rights reserved.
Company Reg No. 444987 | VAT No. 9667123Q | Registered in Ireland
web design
