A view from Sandy Hills Links at Rosapenna Hotel and Golf Links
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4.8
17 Reviews (17)
5 Stars
14
4 Stars
1
3 Stars
1
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
1
Conditions
4.8
Value
4.0
Layout
4.8
Friendliness
4.1
Pace
4.9
Amenities
4.4
91.6%
Recommend this course
15 out of 17 reviews
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Average Rating
Avg Rating
0
5 Stars
0
4 Stars
0
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
0
Value
0
Layout
0
Friendliness
0
Pace
0
Amenities
0
0%
Recommend this course
Read Reviews
Average Rating
Avg Rating
5.0
2 Reviews (2)
5 Stars
2
4 Stars
0
3 Stars
0
2 Stars
0
1 Stars
0
Conditions
5.0
Value
4.0
Layout
5.0
Pace
5.0
Amenities
4.5
StaffFriendliness
4.0
100.0%
Recommend this course
2 out of 2 reviews
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About

Holes 18
Type Resort
Style Links
Par 72
Length 7255 yards
Slope 121
Rating 71.0
Book a Tee Time at
Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort - Sandy Hills Links
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Course Details

Year Built 2003
Golf Season Year round
Architect Pat Ruddy (2003) Beau Welling (2013)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes - EUR 50
Clubs Yes
Pull-carts Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Bunker Yes
Caddies Yes
Golf School Academy Yes
Golf Simulator Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Indoor Practice Yes
Putting Green Yes
Practice Hole Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted Visa, Mastercard, Delta, American Express, Laser
Walking Allowed Yes
Dress code Smart casual at all times

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Banquet Facilities

Reviews

4.8
17 Reviews (17)
Advanced Filters
Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Used cart
Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Somewhat Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
3.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Wet weather
Walked

A very challenging but fun course

Let's get this straight. If you're a mid to high handicapper then this course is going to be a real challenge. Particularly if you are not playing well of the tee. This can be somewhat countered by thinking much more strategically than you would at 9 out of 10 other courses. I learnt after 6 holes (with 3 balls lost off the tee on the 6th) that using your GPS and choosing a club most likely to result in you hitting the narrow fairways was the way to go. Once I had worked that out I played much better. I can't think how difficult it must have been prior to them making many changes in the past 5 years to make it easier.

Aside from the difficulty it's a very interesting course that makes you think from start to finish about where you need to be playing the ball. I love that about Sandy Hills and it's what would bring me back again.

With regards to to the dunes, I think they are fascinating to play through but it all looks the same after a while. There aren't many views of the water so I would say that it's not the most interesting of courses looks wise. If you want spectacular views then Dunfanaghy golf course down the road provides that across nearly half of the holes for half the price.

Conditions Good
Value Fair
Layout Average
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Sandy Hills review

Loved the course, was in great shape for the time of year, considering the weather that had been thrown at it. Its a playable lynx course with plenty of great scenery.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Hidden gem

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 3
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Superb views

Superbly designed course with many holes living long in the memory. Great test of golf : pack a few extra balls. Greens were a bit slow and needed a cut but overall, an amazing morning we'll spent. Staff very welcoming, friendly and helpful.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 15-19
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Walked
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 20
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Rosepenna Sandy Hills

Loved the course! Guys in the Pro Shop were extremely helpful! Great experience!!!

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Played On
Reviews 378
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 10 Contributor
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Walked

Sandy Hills Links is one fun ride

I don't know that this was my favorite course during a terrific week of golf in Northern Ireland and the north coast of Ireland, but it was certainly a great way to end the trip. The course plays through the massive dunes next to Sheephaven Bay, which makes for one fun rollercoaster ride. Best of all, with generous fairways and decent sized greens, the course is very playable, though it's pretty easy to get distracted by the views. This is a course where if you miss a shot by a couple yards, it's possible to recover in most cases. On one hole, I actually missed a fairway by 40 yards, luckily managed to find my ball in a reasonable lie and still made par. That won't always be the case here on wayward shots, but at least it's possible. The 36-hole resort also has a large clubhouse with a really well-stocked golf shop as well as a bar and restaurant upstairs leading out to a large patio that overlooks the other course. All-in-all, if you can make it to the area, this is a can't miss experience.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 4
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
1.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played

Sandy hills experience

The more words that are written i feel it wont do justice. Fabulous experience as always. Course magnificient and i hope to play it many many more times. Overall brilliant deal with golf now and i hope to use it again mantmy tines.

Jarlath

Conditions Poor
Value Poor
Layout Poor
Friendliness Poor
Pace Poor
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser

Stunning golf through the dunes

Four club players thoroughly enjoyed. It is quite a challenge maybe not for the wild hitters but a great course ingorgeoys scenery.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Poor
Played On
Reviews 21
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
4.0
Ontario Advisor
First Time Playing
Average weather
Walked

A taste of America right in Ireland; WTF?

A full out North American-styled resort with its hotel attached, Rosapenna stood out among all the courses I visited, and not in a good way. Once you make your way to the “Golf Pavillion” – which sounds like part of a Disney resort – you can wander into the golf shop where a disinterested staff member will take your money and send you on your way. Every other course seemed genuinely happy to see me and found me a game. Rosapenna’s golf staff told me “the course is empty, no other players, sorry.” Even the food in the expansive lounge seemed devoid of character. The place had no soul; that made it feel less like I was playing in Ireland and more like a tired resort. Golf pavilion experience aside, the course was good. The Sandy Hills Links is the newer 18 hole course alongside a Tom Morris 1893 design. It weaves its way through the dunes – definitely a resort course with wider, more forgiving fairways and fewer blind shots than most courses. The conditioning was fine, but the sand in the bunkers seemed odd, like it wasn’t native to a damp links course. Rosapenna recently purchased the St Patrick’s links directly adjacent to the resort. It’s been closed a few years now, but will be added to their collection giving them a total of 63 holes on the property.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Moderate
Played On
Reviews 638
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Golf Advisor
Previously Played
Average weather
Used cart

Improved playability, fun factor elevate Sandy Hills Links

The past two times I've visited Sandy Hills Links I played in unforgiving conditions on an unforgiving links. Even without the rain and wind, I still would have shot a million on such a narrow, intimidating course designed by Pat Ruddy. Changes over the past five years have really improved the course for all handicaps. Bunkers have been removed, and greens have been reshaped. The thick grasses lining the fairways have been trimmed back. The white tees of the 354-yard 14th hole were pushed up to 267 yards the day I played it, creating an opportunity to reach the green with one swing. All those little things add up to a more playable, enjoyable round on one of Ireland's most feared links. Sandy Hills will always deliver its share of scary moments, like the severe drop-off to the right of the 17th green and the blind tee shots at no. 5 and 6. The setting on Sheephaven Bay makes the long drive to find Rosapenna worthwhile, even to those who still get beat up by such a beautiful brute.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 10
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Used cart

The best course I've ever played

Two days earlier we played Royal Portrush and that was a great course with no two holes being even rermotely the same or going in the same diection. We arrived at Rosapenna two hours late for our tee time due to not being familiar with the Irish raods. I thought we had missed our chance to play one of the courses I was looking forward to playing the most. But the gentleman in the pro shop gave us a key and sent us out, telling us to leave the cart behind the pro shop because he had to close up soon. The man turned out to be Frank Casey Jr. who is the owner of the resort. I'm so glad he let usplay because this course is a roller coater ride from start to finish. Wide fairways, thick, thick rough, elevation changes, blind shots. This course has it all. From the tee the fairways look intimidatingly narrow but once you get into the fairway you see that it's actually very geneerous. But keep it in the fairway because the marrin grass will not allow you to find your ball. This course is NOT a pushover but is an exillirating ride from start to finish. If made to make a choice between Royal Portrush and the Sandy Hills course at Rosapenna, I'll take the latter.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
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Golf Packages

Ballyliffin & Rosapenna Golf Package

FROM $407 (USD)
NORTHWEST IRELAND | Experience first-class links layouts at Ballyliffin Golf Club, playing 2 championship courses, this trip sure won’t be short of quality golf. Alongside a round on St Patricks Links and Old Tom Morris Links at Rosapenna, you’ll be thrilled coming home to the wonderful spa at Ballyliffin Lodge Hotel. Spend your days out playing and your evenings relaxing with this package in North West Ireland.

Royal Portrush Golf Package

FROM $487 (USD)
NORTHERN IRELAND | Enjoy 7 nights bed & breakfast at the Bushmills Inn and 5 rounds of golf at The Strand course at Portstewart Golf Club, Dunluce Course at Royal Portrush Golf Club, Valley Course at Royal Portrush Golf Club, Castlerock Golf Club, The Riverside Course at Portstewart Golf Club.

Signature North West Ireland Golf Package

FROM $397 (USD)
NORTHWEST IRELAND | Staying tucked away in 100-acres of woodland, you’ll find yourself spoilt for choice with an abundance of pure links courses right on your doorstep on this Irish golf break. Starting with the finest Eddie Hackett design course at Carne Golf Links and finishing at one of the leading parkland courses in Ireland with Westport. This trip is perfect for those looking for a quieter break, full of golfing potential.

Royal County Down Golf Package

FROM $577 (USD)
NORTHERN IRELAND | Enjoy 7 nights bed & breakfast at the Slieve Donard Resort and 5 rounds of golf at Annesley Links at Royal County Down Golf Club, Ardglass Golf Club, Championship Links at Royal Country Down Golf Club (x2 rounds), and Royal Belfast Golf Club.

West Coast Scotland Open Championship Golf Package

FROM $697 (USD)
SOUTHWEST SCOTLAND | Enjoy 7 nights' accommodations at the Marine Hotel in Troon and 5 rounds of golf at Old Course at Royal Troon Golf Club, Prestwick Golf Club, Ailsa Golf Course at Trump Turnberry, a Luxury Collection Resort, Dundonald Links, and Western Gailes Golf Club.
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