Chapter 3 – Ireland Leg is Over

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!!


9 Comments
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9 Comments
  • Jim Staunton
    Reply

    Good on both of you for sticking it out in the rain. Sure is true about the Guiness over there – nothing like it.

    April 24, 2019 at 9:32 pm
  • Sandy K
    Reply

    I’ve just found your blog – was wondering where your reports were stored (I should have figured this out earlier!) The photos look amazing and it sounds like you are having a wonderful time. I am currently reading your recommended book “A Course Called Scotland” (excellent! – Earl read it and loved it) and look forward to hearing your comments/review from that beautiful country. All the best and stay happy!

    April 25, 2019 at 12:09 am
  • Don/Bonnie Tuka
    Reply

    Guiness seems to be the drink of choice, guess Scotch in Scotland? So windy. Thanks for taking us with you

    April 25, 2019 at 12:49 am
  • Bev Wilson
    Reply

    Looks very very chilly to me, but I’m assuming the beer is keeping you warm. So loving the scenery and realizing that Ireland is one of the places in the world I have NOT been to, best I get on that asap.

    Enjoy moving forward to Scotland ! See you in July !

    April 25, 2019 at 2:57 pm
  • Phyllis Clark
    Reply

    The trip goes from stength to strength…I do notice a theme other than golf. Looking forward to the next leg.

    April 25, 2019 at 3:04 pm
  • Lori
    Reply

    So fantastic! This is what life is about!

    April 25, 2019 at 5:30 pm
  • Amazing backdrops on the courses!! Again, love all the pics!! Can’t believe poor Stevie needed another ?. Guess he doesn’t have the Luck of the Irish ? Although by your Guinness consumption alone, you both should be Honourary Citizens!! ?

    April 26, 2019 at 12:11 am
  • Jim Staunton
    Reply

    I want to know how you pronounced Smithwicks. I got corrected very quickly the first time I mispronounced it.

    May 2, 2019 at 5:04 pm
    • Steve
      Reply

      Hey Jim – Smithwicks beer is pronounced “Smidiks”

      May 3, 2019 at 6:51 am

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