St Helen's Bay Golf Resort
St Helen's Bay Golf Resort
St Helen's Bay Golf Resort
4
About
Amazing 18 Hole Parkland Golf Course with 2 signature cliff edge challenging holes. Nestled in the Bay of St. Helen's this course is a must for any Golfer. On site restaurant and bar overlooking St Helen's bay provides the perfect setting for holiday maker,golfer or to celebrate any occasion. Visit our website for more details.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.0
40 reviews
Excellent
22
Very good
8
Average
1
Poor
2
Terrible
7
Cathy D
Kildare
Aug 2014 • Family
I am a holiday home owner for 12 years in this amazing part of the country. However the website is out of date and giving false information ( which in turn is turning visitors off and giving very bad reviews). I would firstly like to "welcome all new and repeat visitors" to St. Helens Bay. We are in the process of re-opening the facilities of bar and restaurant under new ownership, so please bear with us. The activity centre is no longer available. We, however, have a wonderful 18 hole course which is being maintained. We hope to be up and running shortly with full bar and restaurant facilities, so please bear with us and we look forward to seeing all our new and old friends and visitors again.
Written August 5, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sarah D
Dublin, Ireland
Jul 2014 • Family
I have recently stayed in St Helens bay with my partner and young child. As I was lead to believe it was family orientated, totally misleading.. The playground that I had read about was a joke it was taken over by teenagers and totally unacceptable for a 2 year old he couldn't go on anything,it was facilitated for older children NOT toddlers which I would have expected. Going to the beach was a nightmare as there were a lot of steps down to the beach which was impossible with a buggy and being pregnant made it worse, we went to the beach once and that was it.. Carne beach was lovely that's were we went it was a 12 km drive away not too bad but considering St Helens bay have a beach we weren't expecting to drive everytime we wanted to go to the beach. Very disappointed the club house wasn't open as we had been told throughout the year it was going to be up and running by the time we arrived. The activity centre was a joke we arrived on day one to see a zip line which looked ok I suppose, but by day 2 the main attraction of the activity centre was being dismantled and removed, with no warning to anyone.. The only thing that got us through our stay was the accommodation, it was lovely and as advertised. I would not recommend staying here if you have young children or actually I wouldn't recommend St Helens Bay to anyone.
Written August 8, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
daviddelaney70
Hobart, Australia
Jul 2014 • Family
St Helens bay golf resort looks to be a lovely and relaxing place to spend a holiday going by photos on its website. Even the show “At Your Service” shows it to be a struggling but very nice place to stay. The reality unfortunately is very very different. Read the below if you want an in-depth account of the terrible stay recently had or scroll to the bottom to get a sharp short overall review.
On arrival you are greeted with a sign advising you of the amenities and facilities the resort has to offer. Beside this is another sign telling you about the Rosslare activity centre (seen on the show “At Your Service”). Both look great; plenty to do; plenty of activities to occupy your time. As you travel up the road towards the resort itself, down a narrow winding country road stereotypically Irish you pass the Rosslare activity centre. What the sign doesn’t tell you it that it is dilapidated, overgrown with metre long grass and left unused and unloved. It’s completely closed down and by the looks of it, it’s been a long while. Beside the closed down, left to rot activity centre is the driving range and chipping green. This looks as uncared for as the activity centre. It also sits among overgrown grass, a torn and a half falling net to catch golf balls once sent flying into the distance. The shed used to cover golfers from the rain as they take their shots has two panels missing from its roof giving it an unintentional sun roof. So with the disappointment of the activity centre and the driving range closed (but still advertised everywhere you can see) we make out way toward the resort itself.
On arrival it seems nice. Quaint holiday homes sit to your right while a lovely golf course expands to your left. We drive up to what looks to be the main centre of the resort, the club house and golf shop. We get out looking for a reception area, somewhere to pick up our keys for our accommodation. We make out way to the club house first. It’s closed which seems odd for two in the afternoon so we head to the golf shop instead. Inside, the guy working there tells us firstly to call a number for our keys and secondly that the club house is closed down and has been for a while. He goes on to tell us that there’s an issue with new buyers and the whole place going into receivership. A closed up club house wasn’t on the board outside or on the website, something which would have been nice to know. So with another step up on the disappointment scale we call the number for our keys. The guy on the other end tells us the keys are under a mat of one of the houses we rented. This is the classiest way I’ve ever collected keys to accommodation... under a mat. So with a feeling that we’ve stepped into an episode of Fawlty Towers we drive towards the house, the one with the under the mat reception.
With keys in hand we enter each of the three houses we had booked. They seem really nice. As we had kids on the trip we allocated the houses with bunk beds to the families with kids and the one house without to the couples without kids.
Entering the non bunk bed house you’re met with gloomy light and stained walls. In the kitchen you can detect the faint smell of sewage which is always lovely to start a holiday. The shower, upon checking it has two temperatures, ice cold or just above freezing. It’s dirty tiles and shower stall don’t fill you with warm holiday feeling. From here we enter the first bedroom which has a double bed and is taken by the first couple. The bedroom down the hall is taken by the second couple. There are two single beds in second room so the thought comes to mind to push them together. One bed is pushed towards the other revealing the floor beneath. Not only is there a nice black stain laying in wait but there are also dozens of crawling insects or mites. They scurry about having a great time while we grab our bags and leave the room, closing the door deciding to try the third bedroom. Luckily this was fine although we didn’t bother moving the two single beds closer together this time, just in case.
The next morning we wake and go through our bags picking up clothing that fell to the floor only to discover some stowaways are scuttling around on our clothing. Our insect friends weren’t happy to stay confined to one room. They decided to come across to the third bedroom. We call up to complain and ask to be moved which the resort manager was happy to do. He arrived and explained they were sand mites from the beach that runs alongside the golf resort. I couldn’t care less what kind of insect they were, only the fact they there were running riot on the floor and out clothes. He goes on to tell us the club house is in some dispute about liquor licences and that it was supposed to be open. Again, I couldn’t care less why only that it isn’t open and nobody bothered to mention this important piece of information. With this bit of meaningless banter over we head to the next holiday home which turns out to be really nice. Well maintained, clean and comfortable. The only issue was we would have to move on our last day which was fine. On the third last day a woman came to one of the houses we had rented to ask us if we knew we were supposed to be moving that day. We said no, that it was the last day. The woman apologised telling us that the manager had told her that we knew. This wasn’t too much hassle but having a surprise move thrown at you isn’t great considering the place was pretty dire to begin with. We moved and the next place seemed really nice also. Only a few issues came up but in my book there were pretty big. One of the issues was, as I went to lay my head down onto my pillow that night I noticed a large dark stain beneath the pillow case. I pulled the pillow case off to find a nice big dry scarlet blood stain on the pillow. Someone had changed the pillow case but not bothered to throw the blood stained pillow out. Lovely and hygienic. I used another pillow that night but made sure to check all the blankets, duvets and mattress before using them. The next issue was the water pump. Whenever anyone turned on a tap, flushed a toilet or ran a shower it would activate the pump. Unfortunately the pump sounded like a jack hammer reverberating throughout the house. During the day it was fine but when nature called at night, well no sleep for anyone else. Lastly was the cleanliness of the place. Dead insects sat on every ledge, windows were grubby, children’s toys lay across the floor and the place smelled musty.
We did ask to speak with the manager again but he told us he was too busy and that he would send somebody else. The “somebody else” never turned but the manager did pull into our parking space outside the house that day. We thought he had come himself but he pulled back out and drove away, which was weird.
The golf course was lovely. There were signs that it wasn’t being cared for as well as it should with broken signs here and there and the walk way through it joining the club house to the main accommodation village was left unmaintained with loose gravel and stones lining it.
The beach that runs parallel to the course is really nice as well but with about 40 steps down to it, prepare to enjoy hauling buggies and kids up and down it for the duration of your stay. No sign of a ramp or wheel chair access at all.
Overall, St Helens bay is very disappointing with falsely advertising facilities and amenities that are closed. The area in general is poorly maintained and grubby. The accommodation seems to be a hit and miss with some being taken care of while others are not. If you are considering a stay in a golf resort it is worth your while researching others and not wasting your money on this place.
On arrival you are greeted with a sign advising you of the amenities and facilities the resort has to offer. Beside this is another sign telling you about the Rosslare activity centre (seen on the show “At Your Service”). Both look great; plenty to do; plenty of activities to occupy your time. As you travel up the road towards the resort itself, down a narrow winding country road stereotypically Irish you pass the Rosslare activity centre. What the sign doesn’t tell you it that it is dilapidated, overgrown with metre long grass and left unused and unloved. It’s completely closed down and by the looks of it, it’s been a long while. Beside the closed down, left to rot activity centre is the driving range and chipping green. This looks as uncared for as the activity centre. It also sits among overgrown grass, a torn and a half falling net to catch golf balls once sent flying into the distance. The shed used to cover golfers from the rain as they take their shots has two panels missing from its roof giving it an unintentional sun roof. So with the disappointment of the activity centre and the driving range closed (but still advertised everywhere you can see) we make out way toward the resort itself.
On arrival it seems nice. Quaint holiday homes sit to your right while a lovely golf course expands to your left. We drive up to what looks to be the main centre of the resort, the club house and golf shop. We get out looking for a reception area, somewhere to pick up our keys for our accommodation. We make out way to the club house first. It’s closed which seems odd for two in the afternoon so we head to the golf shop instead. Inside, the guy working there tells us firstly to call a number for our keys and secondly that the club house is closed down and has been for a while. He goes on to tell us that there’s an issue with new buyers and the whole place going into receivership. A closed up club house wasn’t on the board outside or on the website, something which would have been nice to know. So with another step up on the disappointment scale we call the number for our keys. The guy on the other end tells us the keys are under a mat of one of the houses we rented. This is the classiest way I’ve ever collected keys to accommodation... under a mat. So with a feeling that we’ve stepped into an episode of Fawlty Towers we drive towards the house, the one with the under the mat reception.
With keys in hand we enter each of the three houses we had booked. They seem really nice. As we had kids on the trip we allocated the houses with bunk beds to the families with kids and the one house without to the couples without kids.
Entering the non bunk bed house you’re met with gloomy light and stained walls. In the kitchen you can detect the faint smell of sewage which is always lovely to start a holiday. The shower, upon checking it has two temperatures, ice cold or just above freezing. It’s dirty tiles and shower stall don’t fill you with warm holiday feeling. From here we enter the first bedroom which has a double bed and is taken by the first couple. The bedroom down the hall is taken by the second couple. There are two single beds in second room so the thought comes to mind to push them together. One bed is pushed towards the other revealing the floor beneath. Not only is there a nice black stain laying in wait but there are also dozens of crawling insects or mites. They scurry about having a great time while we grab our bags and leave the room, closing the door deciding to try the third bedroom. Luckily this was fine although we didn’t bother moving the two single beds closer together this time, just in case.
The next morning we wake and go through our bags picking up clothing that fell to the floor only to discover some stowaways are scuttling around on our clothing. Our insect friends weren’t happy to stay confined to one room. They decided to come across to the third bedroom. We call up to complain and ask to be moved which the resort manager was happy to do. He arrived and explained they were sand mites from the beach that runs alongside the golf resort. I couldn’t care less what kind of insect they were, only the fact they there were running riot on the floor and out clothes. He goes on to tell us the club house is in some dispute about liquor licences and that it was supposed to be open. Again, I couldn’t care less why only that it isn’t open and nobody bothered to mention this important piece of information. With this bit of meaningless banter over we head to the next holiday home which turns out to be really nice. Well maintained, clean and comfortable. The only issue was we would have to move on our last day which was fine. On the third last day a woman came to one of the houses we had rented to ask us if we knew we were supposed to be moving that day. We said no, that it was the last day. The woman apologised telling us that the manager had told her that we knew. This wasn’t too much hassle but having a surprise move thrown at you isn’t great considering the place was pretty dire to begin with. We moved and the next place seemed really nice also. Only a few issues came up but in my book there were pretty big. One of the issues was, as I went to lay my head down onto my pillow that night I noticed a large dark stain beneath the pillow case. I pulled the pillow case off to find a nice big dry scarlet blood stain on the pillow. Someone had changed the pillow case but not bothered to throw the blood stained pillow out. Lovely and hygienic. I used another pillow that night but made sure to check all the blankets, duvets and mattress before using them. The next issue was the water pump. Whenever anyone turned on a tap, flushed a toilet or ran a shower it would activate the pump. Unfortunately the pump sounded like a jack hammer reverberating throughout the house. During the day it was fine but when nature called at night, well no sleep for anyone else. Lastly was the cleanliness of the place. Dead insects sat on every ledge, windows were grubby, children’s toys lay across the floor and the place smelled musty.
We did ask to speak with the manager again but he told us he was too busy and that he would send somebody else. The “somebody else” never turned but the manager did pull into our parking space outside the house that day. We thought he had come himself but he pulled back out and drove away, which was weird.
The golf course was lovely. There were signs that it wasn’t being cared for as well as it should with broken signs here and there and the walk way through it joining the club house to the main accommodation village was left unmaintained with loose gravel and stones lining it.
The beach that runs parallel to the course is really nice as well but with about 40 steps down to it, prepare to enjoy hauling buggies and kids up and down it for the duration of your stay. No sign of a ramp or wheel chair access at all.
Overall, St Helens bay is very disappointing with falsely advertising facilities and amenities that are closed. The area in general is poorly maintained and grubby. The accommodation seems to be a hit and miss with some being taken care of while others are not. If you are considering a stay in a golf resort it is worth your while researching others and not wasting your money on this place.
Written July 29, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nicole c
Dublin, Ireland
Apr 2015 • Family
My Husband and i and our 4 kids stayed in 11 castle gardens in st.Helens bay over Easter and we had the most wonderful time . The house / apartment was fantasic. It was spotless and had everything we needed including buckets / spades tennis rackets and balls . The weather was superb and sitting in the sunroom was just super. plenty for the kids to do with playground / football pitch and the fantastic beach. The restaurant had just opened and we ate there a few times, it seemed a little understaffed however the food was good , while there we rang the owner to book next year !
Written April 20, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
annetteDublin
Dublin, Ireland
Aug 2014 • Family
I have been coming to st helens for the last 7 years and am dismayed at the number of negative reviews that have been appearing recently. I am very sorry to hear that some visitors have been unhappy and would hope they do return in the future. The resort offers lots for visitors primarily golf, a super beach and facilities including playground and tennis courts. It is going through a transition period at the moment but it is hoped to have the clubhouse/bar open certainly for next summer. I am concerned that visitors were given incorrect information and also that their accomodation wasn't up to standard. St Helens do not offer a letting facility so visitors are booking privately, there is no Resort Manager here!
I do appreciate that the playground can get busy with older kids as they need to hang out also! they dont usually appear before 12!
I do appreciate that the playground can get busy with older kids as they need to hang out also! they dont usually appear before 12!
Written August 22, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rebecca Bermingham
Dublin, Ireland
Jul 2016 • Family
We were due to stay for a week at St Helens Bay but could only last two hours. The house was filthy and unkempt. The duvets were very stained, pillow stained with blood, there was dead insects inside the house on the window sills next a lot of mould. The bathroom had dirty towels, the toilet was filthy and hadn't even been flushed, and the plughole in the bath was full of hair.
One of the bedrooms was actually the conservatory and only a curtain for privacy, which couldnt even be closed as the curtain pole was broken, and the whole room was covered in dust.
The was no storage in the house as the wardrobes contained somebodies clothes and belongings, as if someone else was living there.
The kitchen bin was broken and sitting next to the fridge in the middle as was a dirty mop and bucket. The counters were so cluttered they couldnt be used, the presses were full of crap, the kitchen table was sticky. The TV was broken. The armchairs were from the middle ages and the dirt of them was hidden with two big throws. The bench in the garden was broken.
When I bought this to their attention, I was told a mixture of excuses such as:
"we were supposed to get this fixed the week before"
"we had no idea that the house was in such a state"
"I have asked the house owners to take their stuff from the house but they still havent"
We ended up not being able to stay there which resulted in us having to drive from Wexford to Dublin in the middle of the night after being unsuccessful with finding anything else with children and their grandmother.
After reading reviews on here on return from the house I can see Im not the only person who has deal with this, so they are fully aware of what their doing, regardless of what they say.
When I eventually managed to get my deposit back it came with a very nasty letter and not a word of an apology, as if it was all my fault.
You couldnt pay me to go here again
One of the bedrooms was actually the conservatory and only a curtain for privacy, which couldnt even be closed as the curtain pole was broken, and the whole room was covered in dust.
The was no storage in the house as the wardrobes contained somebodies clothes and belongings, as if someone else was living there.
The kitchen bin was broken and sitting next to the fridge in the middle as was a dirty mop and bucket. The counters were so cluttered they couldnt be used, the presses were full of crap, the kitchen table was sticky. The TV was broken. The armchairs were from the middle ages and the dirt of them was hidden with two big throws. The bench in the garden was broken.
When I bought this to their attention, I was told a mixture of excuses such as:
"we were supposed to get this fixed the week before"
"we had no idea that the house was in such a state"
"I have asked the house owners to take their stuff from the house but they still havent"
We ended up not being able to stay there which resulted in us having to drive from Wexford to Dublin in the middle of the night after being unsuccessful with finding anything else with children and their grandmother.
After reading reviews on here on return from the house I can see Im not the only person who has deal with this, so they are fully aware of what their doing, regardless of what they say.
When I eventually managed to get my deposit back it came with a very nasty letter and not a word of an apology, as if it was all my fault.
You couldnt pay me to go here again
Written October 13, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tammy584
Dublin Ireland
Jun 2014 • Family
This was our first time to holiday in Ireland having spent all other holiday abroad and we looked forward to it a lot so here is a list of reasons as to why I cannot recommend this place.
Apartment grubby and uncared for - had to ask to be moved - blood stained pillow found on our first night (refer to photo below)
Club house closed during our stay - having being told it was going to be open
Playground dismantled during our stay - we were told plenty for children to do
Ridiculous amount of steps down to the beach - so we were hauling buggies up and down
Road leading up to holiday homes was boreen - dangerous for driving and in very bad condition
Manager of resort very unhelpful - having spoke to him on the phone and made appointment to meet with him, he never showed up
This was my first and last holiday ever in st helen bay
Apartment grubby and uncared for - had to ask to be moved - blood stained pillow found on our first night (refer to photo below)
Club house closed during our stay - having being told it was going to be open
Playground dismantled during our stay - we were told plenty for children to do
Ridiculous amount of steps down to the beach - so we were hauling buggies up and down
Road leading up to holiday homes was boreen - dangerous for driving and in very bad condition
Manager of resort very unhelpful - having spoke to him on the phone and made appointment to meet with him, he never showed up
This was my first and last holiday ever in st helen bay
Written August 2, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hiberet Tessema B
Dublin, Ireland
Apr 2012 • Family
Been there with two kids and wife. Smelly, untidy. Cobwebs in oven .Windows greasy . Terrible decor. Great location by the beach, which compensated what the rooms lacked. We asked to switch to another house, they wanted to charge an extra 50 Euro.If you are booking make sure to get details of the house and its cleanliness as the newer houses much better.
Written April 14, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jul 2016 • Family
At first sight the property looked alright, not great,, but ,clean.. we then discovered the broken shower, broken toilet, damaged fixtures dirty couch,and other things. Area itself was great...really lovely, on thanks to "Relax Ireland",they are a terrible company to deal with.Did not want to know.We will not be using them again
Written May 10, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sinead c
Carlow, Ireland
May 2016 • Family
We stayed in this house for the May Bank holiday weekend for 3 nights. We were a large group of golfers, families and each family stayed in a different house. This is the house we were allocated. The house was disgusting. It was so dirty. We were afraid to even touch the cooker let alone use it. The frying pan was disgusting. Badly laid out kitchen. To open fridge person sitting at the kitchen table had to move. Carpet on the stairs probably hadn't been hoovered since last year. Bathroom upstairs and downstairs toilet didn't have working lights. Shower in main bathroom didn't work. The walls were dirty and in need of a painting, however I could have overlooked this detail if the rest of the house was clean. We passed on our comments to the lady who we had to pay. Further to this, in the description it said electricity was included, however prior to departure we were told each house would have to pay €15 for it. We queried this and thus the charge was dropped. Upon arrival my parents had to wash all cutlery and crockery, clean kitchen table and counter tops. Absolutely appalling house. So beware of the house you are allocated as each house is private and standards vary enormously from one to the other and obviously nobody is controlling hygiene or condition of houses.
Written May 9, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi. I would like to know what yearly fees I would have to pay if I were to purchase a house in st helens village
Written August 18, 2019
Brenda B
Okotoks, Canada
I am asking if your golf course will have rental golf clubs for Sept. 2015 as we are staying at a holiday cottage on your golf course. We are travelling from Canada with everything booked.
Written February 6, 2015
Brenda B
Okotoks, Canada
Is your golf course up and running with clubs to rent for September 2015. We are coming to stay at a cottage on your course from Canada, coming for one week.
Written February 6, 2015
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