What are the best courses to play in Northwest Ireland? And the best places to stay, at moderate rates, around Sligo, the extreme northwest of the Republic, and near Royal Portrush and Royal County Down in Northern Ireland. My friends and I also would like the names of the best pubs in these areas.

Here are some suggestions:
Royal County Down (5 star-tops) Tel. 028 4372 3314

Royal Portrush Dunluce Course (5 star-tops) Tel. 028 70822311

Portstewart Golf Club Strand Course (4 star-very enjoyable) Tel. 028 7083 3839

Ballyliffin Golf Club Glashedy and Old Courses (4 star-have not played but highly recommended) Tel 077 76119

County Sligo Golf Club Rosses Point (5 star-highly recommended) Tel 071 77134

Strandhill Golf Club (2 star-underrated, too short to test advanced player) Tel. 071 68188

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Jinx Hoover

Play Strandhill. It is fun and challenging. And Carne on the west coast has the best 4 consecutive holes (14-17) I've ever played. Enniscrone is worth the drive. And try the Rosapenna courses. I haven't played the new course. The old course (on one hole you drive across TWO roads!) is a kick. Have fun.

Rated as one of Ireland's 3-best links courses is Carne Golf links, near Belmullet in County Mayo. It's a bit remote but it's well worth the trip. They have a web site or you can see some of the course at my http://groups.msn.com/Gate5

I stayed twice in Ballina, County Mayo, once at Crockett's on the Quay and once next door at BrigOwn B&B - both are inexpensive. And, from the number of Sligo people I encountered, convenient to Sligo.

JeffT writes: "... Carne on the west coast has the best 4 consecutive holes (14-17) I've ever played. ... "

Why don't you include 'Fionualla' (No. 13 - a Par-3 with a blind tee shot) and 'Log 'a Folla' (No. 18, the 'home' hole - AKA 'Bloody Hollow') on your list of best consecutive holes? I was really 'huffin and puffin' as I walked in on the latter, having found two deep grass gullies with my first two shots.

They had a pint of Guinness waiting for me at the ClubHouse - it went down very smoothly.

In Sep '02 I complained about the Blacktop Buggy Paths, saying they detracted from Eddie Hackett's original design. In May '03, I returned to Carne and learned that my complaint had been taken up at a Board meetion and the grounds keepers were in the process of replacing the asphalt with a local, brown gravel.