ROSAPENNA, SANDY HILLS GOLF COURSE - 16 POINTS
Sandy Hills is a modern course, designed by Pat Ruddy and opened in 2003. It’s routed through some wild dunes and that, combined with some of the decisions Ruddy took in his design, make for a course which is exacting and tough, but rewarding for strong golfers who are on their game.
Ruddy routed the Sandy Hills course right through the dunes on the Rosapenna estate. This is pretty wild land to build a golf course on and, where other architects may have taken a slightly more gentle approach, Ruddy has been bold and brave. And the course will reward golfers with a similar mindset (and ability).
You can probably tell where I am going with this! I think stronger players will probably enjoy this course more than mid and higher handicappers. Many of the holes are standalone, in vast dunes, where you need real precision from the tee to find the fairways. But there’s a lot more to this course than just being strong off the tee. It is both a first and second shot course.
Your approach will often require a shot to an elevated green. If you are out of position from the tee, that shot is often blind, and if you miss the green you often will be swept away to a really tough up and down.
If you are the kind of golfer who likes courses like Trump International in Aberdeen, or a stout test like Carnoustie, I suspect you will really enjoy Sandy Hills. That’s not to say that less proficient golfers (of which I am one) won’t enjoy it. It’s just you have to be prepared for a challenge and approach it with the right mindset. I certainly felt that sometimes I was doing battle with the course rather than easing my way around!
The course has been softened over recent years. Looking at some photographs from the early days, the fairways are definitely wider in places. I can only imagine what that original test was like.
While the course is tough, I definitely didn’t find it boring. There are many features to keep you entertained and engaged and sometimes you just need to step back from worrying about your score and focus on enjoying the challenge laid out.
Next time I stay at Rosapenna I would definitely look to play Sandy Hills again. Maybe being slightly better prepared for the challenge I would approach it a little differently.
It would be wrong not to comment on the conditioning. While St Patrick’s was still bedding in when I played, the condition of Sandy Hills was excellent all the way round the course.
Make sure you spend a few days in this wonderful area of the golfing world, and don’t be tempted just to play St Patrick’s and overlook Old Tom Morris or Sandy Hills. The courses are very different, but both will add to your golf education.
BOOKING A TEE TIME
You can book your tee time online here. There are quite a few different green fees. Summer rates are €150, dropping to €125 when booking some online times. If you are an Irish resident there is some availability for €80. If you are staying at the hotel you will get further discounts which vary according to season, so be sure to give them a call to find out more.
If you are looking to play all three courses in the same trip then the three links ticket for €400 is worth looking at - €210 is you are a Golf Ireland member and there are off peak rates available too.
So, I would say it might be worth a phone call to ask what would be the best package for you.
Prices correct as of August 2023.
TOUR TIPS
WHERE TO STAY
If you can, I would recommend staying at the Rosapenna hotel. There are 70 rooms and the standard rate for a standard twin room is €240. However, there are often imaginative options on offer, so I would recommend having a look at the website and phoning up to see what packages they have available including golf. The hotel is closed over the winter and the season is from the end of March to the end of October.
Sandy Hills and Old Tom Morris are both near the main golf pavilion and hotel at Rosapenna and St Patrick’s Links is about 5 minutes drive away.
The hotel has a bar and a very nice restaurant and the whole place feels very golfy. Most people you are encounter here are also on a golf holiday so you should have plenty in common with everyone you speak to!
It’s no surprise that rooms are fast becoming hard to get at Rosapenna such is the fame following the launch of St Patrick’s. Tee times should be much less of a problem though. With three courses to choose from there are far more tee times available than hotel rooms!
Don’t worry though, this is a holiday place so there are plenty of Airbnbs around and hotels include The Beach Hotel and Downings Bay Hotel. They are only ten minutes walk from Rosapenna so don’t let the lack of available accommodation at the hotel put you off making the trip.
WHERE TO PLAY
When it comes to golf you have a lot of great options to build a trip around. Of course, you will probably choose to play at least one of the Old Tom Morris and St Patrick’s Links courses when onsite. I would say that St Patrick’s is one of the very best courses built anywhere for many years. I believe it’s an absolute must-play.
Rosapenna is really well placed for day trips to other courses. Here are some places to explore (click on name for my review) -
Narin & Portnoo - 1 hour 20 minutes drive. Gil Hanse has extensively redesigned the course and it is a must-play if you are in the area. Wonderful dunes and spectacular coastal holes. There’s lots to like!
Cruit Island - 1 hour 15 minutes drive. On the way back from Narin & Portnoo a stop at Cruit Island is highly recommended. It’s a short, 9 hole course and while a relatively modern course, it feels like a throwback to a simpler time. Raw golf at its best.
Portsalon - 30 minutes drive. The owners of Rosapenna were very keen I should see Portsalon and I was glad they told me about it. It’s in a lovely setting with beaches and mountains framing the holes. A crumpled links with some lovely features.
Ballyliffin Old and Glashedy - 1 hour 30 minutes drive. If you are coming from Belfast, or indeed Portrush, you will drive close by Ballyliffin and it’s well worth starting your trip here. Alternatively, it is very doable from Rosapenna as a day trip too. The Glashedy is the hero course at Ballyliffin - a modern links which will test the very best golfer. The Old is a more gentle test, but one you will enjoy.
WHERE TO EAT
I mainly ate in the hotel which was very good, however there are other options. Fisk is a seafood bar open Wednesday to Sunday and which comes highly recommended. It doesn’t take advance bookings, but there is a pub next door where you can wait. Other notables are the Goose and Gander pizzeria in Downings and The Olde Glen Bar and Restaurant ten minutes outside of town.
LOGISTICS
Rosapenna is about a two and half hour drive from Belfast International Airport. That journey is set to come down closer to two hours when the new dual carriageway (currently under construction) opens. It’s well worth hiring a car, or going on an organised tour, as it would be a hard trip to organise using just public transport and taxis. While there is lots of good golf around, things are quite spread out in Donegal and even when places look quite close together they can involve quite a journey on the winding local roads!
CONTACT DETAILS
Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort,
Sheephaven Bay,
Downings,
Letterkenny,
Co Donegal,
Ireland
Tel: +353 (0) 74 915 5000
E-mail: golf@rosapenna.ie
Web: www.rosapenna.ie
