Can’t believe the first leg of our trip is over and we have to sadly say goodbye to Ireland and to our dear friends Cheryl and Roscoe!  For us, Ireland is truly a country full of great golf courses – warm pubs – delicious beers (Guinness, Smithwicks and Kilkenny); and amazing people – they are among the friendliest and funniest people we have ever met.


After we said goodbye to Roscoe and Cheryl, we made our way to Spanish Point and then to the Lahinch Golf Course (pronounced La Hinch) – this year’s Irish Open location.  Needless to say we massacred the pronunciation of the name multiple times before we were laughingly corrected by the people who live there.  We loved the golf course and the caddie supported an amazing golf experience. Spanish Point was beautiful and rugged with extreme winds and rain.  We were recommended an awesome pub – Johnny Burke’s – for food and drink – surpassed our expectation!


After Lahinch, we travelled inland to play a parkland course called Dromoland.  A lovely, magically romantic course played around a large castle.  We survived, being the only ones on the course, for 17 holes of torrential  rain and gale force winds.   Who in their right mind would want to golf in those conditions – yup us!!! Except for our bodies (thank god for rain gear) every thing else was soaked, including our golf bags and all the contents!   Hole 19 was warmly welcomed with a Guinness and roaring fire in the clubhouse.  Our final round in Ireland was at the Galway Bay Resort.  We arrived at our tee time to full sunshine and +20  weather.  The 19th hole was especially grand with Guinness’s on the patio overlooking the golf course.


Between the golf, we stayed in Galway – a small seaside city with a young and vibrant culture.  We were so fortunate to have received glorious sunshine while we were there.  Between Stevie getting another cap for his tooth (yup another cap – the other one cracked), we sat outside, listened to some amazing busker music and watched the world go by.


Our final day in Ireland was a glorious drive through the centre of Ireland to the Dublin Airport to catch our flight to Scotland and the next leg of our adventure!


The Irish golf courses are amazing – here is our rating from best to not quite the best:

1 – Tralee

2 – Ballybunnion 

3 – Lahinch

4 – Cashen

5 – Dooks 

6 – Mount Woseley

7 – Dromoland Castle

8 – Mount Juliet

9 – Galway Bay Resort

Total steps walked on the golf courses – 142,075

Total number of golf holes played – 162

Total golf balls lost (including with Roscoe and Cheryl) – 42

Total number of Guinness’s consumed on the 19th hole – 34+

Total number of visits to the dentist – 2

Now off to Scotland!!!

Slainte!!