Golf near Galway - Please share advice
 

One week before my friend and I depart for Ireland and we are working to nail things down. One detail we have not covered yet is golf. While we are in Galway, we hope to go golfing one morning or afternoon. This would be on Wednesday the 21st or Thursday the 22nd. We need to rent clubs and, obviously, we'd like to find a decent course to play on. Neither of us could be called highly skilled golfers, but we enjoy playing and would like this experience.

We are very happy playing 9 holes and do not have a need to play a full 18. Every course we have found online thus far, even as far as Westport Golf Club, seems to only offer the full 18 hole course. If this is the only option available, we can live with that and your recommendations would be valued. If we can play 9 holes on a nice course, however, that is greatly preferred.

Thus, it all boils down to two important questions:

1) Do you know of any courses within a reasonable drive of Galway that offer 9 holes? Would you recommend playing there?

2) Do they rent clubs?

As always, thank you for your help and advice!

http://www.galway.net/todo/activities/golf.html

Hoping someone has a specific course to recommend for you, but this should get you started on what's around

:)Dawn

I especially like Spanish Point Golf Links, a 9-hole links layout near Miltown Malbay in County Clare; but it might be a bit too far a drive from Galway.
If you go west from Galway, just past Ross a'Veal (in Connemara) there's a 9-hole course: the Clubhouse is the last with a Thatch roof in the Republic. It's called Connemara Isles and. although in an island setting, I wouldn't call it a true Links layout: more like a hybrid. It's a little too rocky for my taste; but they do have rental clubs. See my http://groups.msn.com/NedsIrelandPubsandgolf for pix of both courses. For the latter, take the Causeway from Ross a'Veal toward Carraroe; turn right just after the Texaco station and follow the road.

Connemara Isles, yes! It is a bit rocky and a bit quirky and if there is a wind (it's likely there will be), it can be very challenging. I liked it a lot.

Bill

Forgot to mention: Connemara Isles and Spanish Point - no buggies; you have to walk. But you can also rent a 'trolley' (i.e., pullcart). Some of the 18-hole courses will rent you a buggy for nine holes: I did that and just played the back-9 at Carne Golf Links, Belmullet, County Mayo. Maybe Oughterad or Westport would do that.

This has 18 - close to Galway but is split into two ninnes.

http://www.glenlo.com/

any way even if its an 18 hole - just play 9 (the 9th is always near the watering hole in Ireland)