Woodbrook Golf Club

~ ~ Woodbrook Golf Club is one of the institutions of Irish golf. It was founded back in 1926, and is perched on the soaring cliff tops overlooking the Irish Sea between the villages of Shankhill in Co.Dublin and Bray in Co. Wicklow.
I have personally played Woodbrook on countless occasions. Many of my golfing friends and buddies are members of this prestigious old course, and one is even an ex-Captain of the club. My golfing season wouldn't ...
...~ ~ As you approach Woodbrook up the long tree-lined drive to the clubhouse you immediately realise that here is a club that is steeped in history and tradition. The old clubhouse, built in the old timber and brick style with its verandas and terraces, is yet another reminder of golf from yesteryear. But step inside and its old-fashioned outward appearance belies a thoroughly modern interior, where every creature comfort a golfer could require is ... more

~ ~ Woodbrook Golf Club is one of the institutions of Irish golf. It was founded back in 1926, and is perched on the soaring cliff tops overlooking the Irish Sea between the villages of Shankhill in Co.Dublin and Bray in Co. Wicklow.
I have personally played Woodbrook on countless occasions. Many of my golfing friends and buddies are members of this prestigious old course, and one is even an ex-Captain of the club. My golfing season wouldn't be complete without a round or two at Woodbrook, which is generally made even more enjoyable by the fact that it's a course that I generally play well on, and which holds many happy memories for me in terms of trophies won and good scores achieved.

~ ~ As you approach Woodbrook up the long tree-lined drive to the clubhouse you immediately realise that here is a club that is steeped in history and tradition. The old clubhouse, built in the old timber and brick style with its verandas and terraces, is yet another reminder of golf from yesteryear. But step inside and its old-fashioned outward appearance belies a thoroughly modern interior, where every creature comfort a golfer could require is well catered for.
Step into the comfortable locker room and you are surrounded on all sides by framed photographs and press clippings of the world famous players who have competed here at Woodbrook. For many years during the 1960's and 1970's Woodbrook was home to the Carrol's Irish Open which attracted both the cream of Irish golf and overseas stars such as Gary Player, Peter Thompson, Sam Torrance, Bernard Gallagher, and Tony Jacklin. So it was perhaps appropriate that in the 1980's when the Irish Open was re-instated on the European Tour it was Woodbrook that was chosen to host the inaugural event.

~ ~ The course itself has suffered somewhat in recent years, mostly as a result of the many innovations in equipment in the sport, which allow the modern golfer to hit the golf ball so much further than any previous generation.
Woodbrook was never a particularly long golf course, and as a result many of its holes were simply becoming too short and too easy to provide a stiff enough test for the top players. The club went some way towards addressing this problem during the late 1990's, when a leading golf course architect, Peter McEvoy, was given the task of lengthening and redesigning many of the holes, as well as slotting in many new bunkers and laying sand-based greens. But even at its new Championship length of 6,863 yards Woodbrook is still not a long golf course by modern standards. This perhaps explains why it has never really attracted back many of the top tournaments, the only event of note in recent years being the 1998 Irish Senior's Open.

~ ~ Woodbrook is a flat golf course, with no real hills to cope with, and despite its close proximity to the sea, it's not a real links (seaside) golf course. The soil isn't of the required sandy variety, and in fact in the winter season the course has a bad habit of retaining too much of the "Irish Sunshine" (rain) and water logging quite badly. When I last played at Woodbrook (Christmas, 2006) the first four holes were unplayable because of this problem, and the rest of the course was extremely wet and boggy underfoot. So if you're visiting the course in the winter (or if it's wet weather) then you might be well advised to phone up first to ensure that it's in play. That said, the drainage isn't really a problem in the spring and summer seasons.
The views are extremely pleasant, with the Irish Sea to one side and the Dublin/Wicklow mountains to the other, with the picturesque village of Bray in the near distance.

~ ~ My two favourite holes on the front nine are the par-4 sixth, and the par-3 ninth.
The 6th hole measures 401 yards from the Championship tee, and is a dog-leg from left to right. The trick here is to get your drive into the right position for your approach shot to the green. Too far left and you're in trees. (And in trouble) Too far right, and there are even more trees and a large hedge and ditch. (Even bigger trouble!) The ideal tee-shot is down the left hand edge of the fairway, but even then your problems are only beginning. The green is fronted by an enormous tree, which you must hit either over or around in order to land your ball on the putting surface. To add to the difficulty, there's a small reed-covered marsh just to the right of the tree, which will catch out any wayward shot. Or sometimes even a GOOD shot, if you happen to tangle with its branches! A difficult hole, where a par-4 often feels like you've made a birdie.
The 9th hole, at only 157 yards, is at first glance a fairly straightforward par-3. The trick here is to land your ball softly on the fairly small green, as the bunkers at the front tend to make you overclub yourself slightly and take a wee bit too much club. Do that and you'll find yourself off the back of the green, and at the bottom of a fairly severe slope which makes it extremely difficult to get your chip back anywhere close to the pin to give yourself a chance at your par. And don't hit your tee shot too far left or you'll be over the course boundary and find yourself re-loading! The ninth hole is a wolf in sheep's clothing!

~ ~ On the back nine the beach (or rather the cliffs) come into play. One of my favourite holes is the par-5 fourteenth. At 551 yards it's relatively simple to reach the green in the stipulated three shots to set up a par. (Or possible birdie) But you'd be well advised to not hook or pull your ball left on any shot, or it will be lost forever over the cliff edge and swallowed up by the Irish Sea. Cross bunkers come into play for your second shot, which you have to carry in order to set yourself up with a relatively easy pitch shot to the green. A harder par-5 than it looks.
The last hole, the par-4 eighteenth, has been the ruination of many a fine score. At 371 yards it's no more than a good drive and a short iron to the long green. But when you stand on the tee and look at the railway line on your right, and the practice ground on your left (both out of bounds) your nerves have a way of jangling, and the palms of your hands become just a tad sweaty! Get your drive away down the middle or right hand side of the fairway and a par should be a formality. But take care with that tee shot. I've ruined a few good cards on this hole myself!

~ ~ Woodbrook has all the modern amenities demanded by today's golfer. Despite its old-fashioned outward appearance, the clubhouse has been extensively renovated and extended in recent years. Visitors now have their own designated changing room, (small) and the showers are good and hot. There's a small but well stocked professional's shop where you can purchase all your golfing requisites from tee pegs to full sets of clubs, or rent yourself a caddy cart or ride-on buggy.
The bar is pleasant, comfortable and well stocked, with a couple of large flat screen TV's mounted on the wall, which are usually tuned to either a sports or news channel. Outside the bar windows and overlooking the first tee and one of the two practice putting greens, there's a veranda with outside seating. Very pleasant to have yourself a long cool one after your exertions on the course or even to slip out for a wee smoke if you happen to be a smoker.
The catering is good plain fare, and excellent value for money, ranging from simple sandwiches or bar snacks through to full meals in the dining room. One wee word of caution. Woodbrook is a club of the "old school", and a collar and tie for men are still required in the dining room after about 5PM.
The practice facilities are excellent, with a couple of putting greens, and a pitching green and small practice area at the back of the clubhouse. There's also a larger practice area over the railway track and adjacent to the 13th and 16th tees, and yet another practice area to the left of the 18th fairway.

~ ~ Green fees are not extortionate by today's standard. The current visitor's green fee is €75 (£51 Sterling) for a round during the week, and €80 (£54.50 Sterling) at the weekend and on Bank Holidays. If you go out before 10AM on a weekday this reduces to €60 (£40.86 Sterling), and the green fee is also a standard €60 throughout the winter season. (1st October to 31st March)

~ ~ To find Woodbrook head out of Dublin on N11 Wexford Road. At the Loughlinstown roundabout (well signposted) take the first exit and drive on through Shankhill village. Woodbrook is on your left-hand side as you leave the village. Alternatively, take the second turn off the Loughlinstown roundabout, and continue on up the Wexford dual carriageway for a couple of miles, then take the first slip road for Bray. At the roundabout on the end of the slip road bear left, and the entrance to the golf club is about 400 yards up the road on your right-hand side.
You could also take the bus or Dart (suburban train) to either Shankhill or Bray, and then make your way to the course either on foot or by taxi. (A bit of a trek, mind you!)

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Address: Dublin Road, Bray, Co. Wicklow.

6,863 yards - Par 72

CONTACT DETAILS

Patrick F Byrne General Manager
E-mail: golf@woodbrook.ie
Phone: +353 (0) 1 282 4799
Website: http://www.woodbrook.ie/

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© KenJ 2007 

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