Shillelagh Golf Course

  Johnscottant - 7/14/08
Have you ever wondered "if" the TV shows Green Acres or Mayberry had a golf course what would they look like? If so then look no futher than Shillelagh Golf course, found deep in the woods of Gibsonville NC on Highway 61. Shillelagh golf course is the example of what can be created with plenty of countryside and small amounts of money. I came across this golf course while doing some Sunday driving and luckily had my clubs in the back seat. When pulling into the parking lot of the Shillelagh course, its easy to see that at one time many years ago (back in the 60's or 70's) this course was probably a popular one among the Gibsonville and surrounding area golf faithful. It has a small brick club house and a nice area in the back with tables for eating and good southern conversation. It's obvious this course was created with family in mind. To the left of the tables however and right behind the first tee is an old shed used as a "graveyard" for broken down and disassembled golf carts. Truely an eye sore but finances at Shillelagh doesn't allow for much upgrading. Speaking of the golf carts, the golf carts used at Shillelagh are the very old 3 wheeled "EZ-GO" carts. Many of the carts have torn interior, bad brakes and poor steering but that also adds to the fun of Shillelagh. How so? Well lets talk about the course to understand more. First thing to understand about the course and probably the first thing that will turn most "pure" golfers off, is the fact that there really isn't any fairways in the true sense of the word at Shillelagh. If you are looking for a sculptured course where there is a defined lined between the fairway and rough, then you've come to the wrong place. Shillelagh's course is a pasture where the grass between the tee and the green looks cut by a common lawn mower. The type of lie you find here is the type of lie you would find at any front lawn after the grass has been cut. Adding to the difficulty is the patches where no grass grows and red dirt reigns supreme. Trust me after your round your clubs will be covered in a red dirt that looks like it came from the planet Mars! Now if you are the type of golfer that likes to know exact yardage from tee to green, then again you've found the wrong place. Each hole has a tee marker made of (get this) ceramic tile. Each one painted for the appropriate placement which includes Championship, Regular and Women tees. Also after you tee off, you may (or may not) enjoy the Easter egg hunt of finding the 200, 150 and 100 markers again made out of ceramic tile. These yardage markers are placed in the ground, mostly out of view unless you roll over it, and are practically useless. My advice to you when playing this course is to play yardage by sight and feel (feel the force young Skywalker) and you will have good results. Finally the golf course (especially holes 1-9) is framed by a dense yet beautiful forest of trees. So much so that on some tee shots you simply stand there scratching your head wondering how in the world you are ever suppose to get a shot down the fairway. This is never more true than on the 3rd hole a par 5 which spans 524 yards from the championship tee. The beginning 190-200 yards of this hole is a narrow stretch of fairway and trees. If you can't hit a straight shot with your driver or 3 wood, then you better take a long iron (or hybrid) and play it safe. Strangely enough after the 9th hole you cross a road and find yourself in a very open area. The remaining holes on the back 9 are a pleasant surprise of open fairways and wonderful greens. My guess would be that the final 9 holes were recently added (perhaps in the last 5 years or so) and almost have a seperate identity from the opening 9 holes. If given a choice I would probably want to play the back 9 twice as oppossed to playing the full 18 holes straight through.
In the end Shillelagh golf course is truely a course for those who just want to have a good time, and who care less about scores. If you are new to the game and want a place to learn without the pressure of more advanced golfers rushing you, than Shillelagh is your course. If you are an advanced golfer who has a inexperienced spouse that wants to play with you from time to time, then again Shillelagh is your course. If you love the outdoors and the raw beauty of North Carolina, if you like to drink a few beers with your friends and make some noise..... (you guessed it!) Shillelagh is for you.

However if you are looking for a pure round of golf where the fairways are cut tight, and the greens roll true. If you are looking for proper yardage, challenging hole designs and the opportunity to bring out your driver every other hole, then please keep driving past Shillelagh. Personally I was disappointed in the course more so because of price then anything else. I arrived at Shillelagh Saturday at 3 pm. I was charged 23.00 to play a course that had possibly 4 other golfers on the entire 18 hole course. There are far too many other courses that provide a better golf experience for the same price. My suggestion to the owners of Shillelagh is to drastically lower their prices and also allow golfers to play all day on the course for that price. Target the younger golfers with low prices and fun tournaments and Shillelagh could have a promising future and rebirth.