David Higgins to defend Irish PGA Championship title at Carne Golf Links

Carne Golf Links will once again play host to the Irish PGA Championship 2022 from 17-20 August.

 

The 54-hole tournament is returning to the Wild Atlantic Dunes course at Carne Links, for the second year in a row, and will be preceded on August 17th by a Pro-Am (I'll post some pictures). The tournament, which is the oldest golf tournament in Europe, will once again be sponsored by Columbia Sportswear, whose CEO, Tim Boyle, and his family, owns Gearhart Golf Links in Portland, Oregon, which is twinned with Carne Golf Links.

 

Defending champion, David Higgins (Waterville Links), and many of Ireland’s leading PGA professionals will battle for a slice of the €45,000 prize fund put up by Erris Tourism Holdings Ltd, the course owners.

 

Former champions, Tim Rice (Limerick GC) and Damian Mooney (Damian Mooney Golf) have confirmed their place in the field alongside European Tour winner Simon Thornton, and serial winners on the PGA circuit, Colm Moriarty (Glasson Lakehouse), Richard Kilpatrick (Banbridge GC) and Liam Grehan (The K Club).

 

“We are delighted to be staging the 112^th Irish PGA Championship at the wonderful Wild Atlantic Dunes at Carne Golf Links in County Mayo.  This is our most historic event in The PGA in Ireland calendar and it’s a pleasure to work once again alongside Chairman Gerry Maguire, General Manager Fiona Togher, and the entire team at Carne, who are first class supporters of golf in Ireland.  I would also like to recognise Columbia Sportswear CEO Tim Boyle for his continued support of this event” said Conor Dillon, PGA in Ireland Regional Manager.

 

The event will copperfasten the Wild Atlantic Dunes course routing at Carne Golf Links, which entered the Irish Golfer Top 100 rankings at number 13, and has been described as the biggest and most explosive Links in Ireland. 

The original 18-hole course that overlooks the Atlantic Ocean on Ireland’s west coast in County Mayo was the last to be designed by the celebrated architect Eddie Hackett and was completed in 1995. An additional nine holes known as the Kilmore, which was opened in 2013, plus the back nine of the Hackett course form the Wild Atlantic Dunes – the stage for a tournament that was first contested in 1907.

 

Chairman of Carne Golf Links, Gerry Maguire: “On behalf of the Board of Turasoireacht Iorrais Teo (Carne Golf Links) we are delighted to be welcoming back the Irish PGA Championship in 2022 on our magnificent Wild Atlantic Dunes course at Carne.

 

“I would like to welcome all the visiting Pros, their families and friends, to Carne, for what I know will be a great test of golf in dramatic and spectacular surroundings, amongst the highest dunescape in the world, and I wish them all the very best of luck in the tournament.

 

“It is a great honour for Carne and the Erris Gaeltacht region to be able to host this prestigious tournament, and we are looking forward to building on the success of the 2021 Championship and ensuring that the 2022 Tournament will be even more successful and enjoyable. Spectators are welcome free of charge at the event, which will bring a huge economic bounce to the town of Belmullet with increased bednights and spin offs for the local hotel, hospitality and retail industries.  It is only made possible by the support of our sponsors, Columbia Sportswear, and we are delighted to continue our successful twinning with Gearhart Golf Links, and partnership with Columbia.

 

“We look forward to working with the Irish PGA and continuing our long standing relationship to ensure a very successful Championship for all.”

 

Tim Boyle, CEO of Columbia Sportswear, added; “We are honoured to sponsor the prestigious Irish PGA Championship at Carne Golf Links, one of the world’s best courses.”

Sister Courses in Ireland and Oregon to Host Golf Championships in 2021

When Carne Golf Links first told me about their twinning with Gearhart Golf Links, in Oregon, I thought: now that's a brilliant idea. Two courses that help each other, swap ideas, promote the other locally and nationally, field teams against each other, and generally just create a positive channel of communication between them. What's not to like? Joint membership? Yep, that too.

Though separated by thousands of miles, these two courses with a unique connection will celebrate their alliance in the summer of 2021 by hosting national championships: The US

Miracles at Belmullet - Carnage and Celebration at Carne

As the Atlantic Coast Challenge draws near (9-11 July) it's time to post a wonderful tale of golf that was emailed to me by American, Mike Considine. Mike has some special memories of playing in Ireland and playing at Carne in particular. As you'll deduce from the opening sentence, Mike and his friends met the South African golfer, Wayne Westner, in Belmullet. Here is Part 1:

The 8th green at Carne (clubhouse to the right)

The recent passing of the South African golfer Wayne Westner prompted a search of dusty boxes containing materials from old Irish golf tours.  I was looking for a particular file.  The year was 2000, and, in our new springtime tradition, I and a few college friends were preparing for a golfing trip to Ireland, the Green Isle.  Unlike many links purists, we had not included Scotland on our itinerary.  Scotland was never our focus.  With a nod perhaps to our Irish heritage, our group's links lust centered on the courses introduced to the world by the siren call of Herbert Warren Wind in Sports Illustrated, and the stirring prose of Irish writer Dermot Gilleece. Ballybunion, Lahinch, Waterville and regal Royal County Down -- these were the courses that lit our imagination.  My very first round of Irish golf had been at Ballybunion Old in 1987, where I was greeted in the unassuming clubhouse by a friendly dog, and escorted around the course by an affable caddy named Eric Glasper.  The modest old clubhouse, now replaced by an imposing edifice, featured a large wall

Welcome the West of Ireland Golf Collective

A friendly neighbour will watch you play Connemara.

I’ve banged this drum before… the West of Ireland coastline, from Galway around to Sligo, has some of the most thrilling, beautiful and entertaining golf courses any golfer could ask for. And yet it is difficult to understand why this corner of the world does not receive more credit in terms of the links and seaside courses on offer. Especially when you compare green fees with the big names to the south and north.

Clearly West of Ireland Golf feels the same way. This new ‘collective’ of seven Irish golf courses stretches from Galway Bay Golf Resort, around the Wild Atlantic Way, to

Ladies... You're On The Tee

After last week’s plug in the Irish Golfer Digital+ magazine for the Dooks Father & Son tournament (and similar events) on 21st April, it seems only fair to give the ladies a share of the limelight.

With women’s golf growing more popular it makes sense that more events and opportunities should be dedicated to lady golfers. Ladies can play in plenty of Open events and the

Two Irish Golf Links: Two Offers: Two Different Wallets

The beach at Portnoo (golf course on the dunes behind)

Two great Irish links courses are promoting two very different 'offers' at the moment. One is for locals and Irish; the other has a more international feel although it's by no means exclusive.

Which two courses? Two of my favourites:

• Carne: Life Membership
• Narin & Portnoo: €149 'All-In' Golf Offer

Atlantic Coast Challenge 2013 - Day Two (Carne)

The 1st tee and that drifting drizzle

"I can feel it running down my chest," Finbarr said, as we slogged through the rain on Carne's 8th hole.

I'd had water running down my legs since the 4th. Sometimes waterproofs come down to the gaps around the edges. And Ronan's 'showerproof' top was proving as effective as a fishing net at stopping the rain.

Here we were on one of Ireland's mightiest, most dramatic golf courses and you could see next to nothing. Every swing was uncomfortable, and every golf shot a stab rather than a swing. One of my goals at the start of this tournament was not to lose a ball. There was no fear of that at Carne - I could barely hit the ball out of my way.

Atlantic Coast Challenge 2013 - 12 days left...

Teeing off on Enniscrone's 4th

There are 12 days left to enter one of Irish golf's great challenges. So why not make this the year to give it a lash. There are plenty of challenges to choose from, but this one has three of the most adventurous links courses to tempt you:

• Carne
• Enniscrone
• Rosses Point

Modern Links Masterpieces on the Emerald Isle

From Guest Blogger, Rory, a review of five of Ireland's most modern links.

The 8th at Ballyliffin. Photo by Aidan Bradley
www.golfcoursephotography.com

As we all know golf is an ancient game, rooted in tradition and history, played on courses that have remained largely unchanged over the centuries. While the age old courses are a great reminder of where the game came from, like all things, golf must move forward. Over the last couple of decades we have seen the arrival of some world class, modern golf courses. 

Best Irish Golf Courses

Following the publication of Golf Digest Ireland's Top 100 courses, 2013, I was asked (on Boards.ie) about my top ten favourite courses. I started reeling them off in my head, and passed 10 far too quickly. I wrote them down and ended up with 18 - which seemed very fitting.

Portstewart Perfection

It’s a long drive north, from Wexford to Portstewart, but you certainly appreciate the Major Inter-Urbans (motorways to you and me) when the trip to the Border takes under two and a half hours, courtesy of the M11, M50 and M1. Then you’re back on the ‘A’ roads, travelling through Northern Ireland on winding single lane roads, and sitting in traffic jams in country towns on market day wondering which idiots haven’t built a bypass.

The Celtic Tiger didn’t leave us much in terms of a positive legacy, but at least we have one hell of a good road network.

My tee time was 2.20 on a sunny Saturday afternoon, courtesy of an invitation from an American golf writer, Dave Owen. Actually, that’s a lie, because I invited myself. Dave wrote an article on his Irish golfing travels last year and in it he said he would be returning this Spring, so I got in touch, wrangled an invitation and arranged the weather – it was the least I could do.

Dave was starting at Portstewart and Royal Portrush and then making his way west, playing a bunch of his personal favourites (which just happen to be mine too). He’d brought along six friends for the journey, some of whom had never been to Ireland before, and some of whom had never played links golf before. This was a slap-in-the-face introduction if ever there was one.

I chose to meet them at Portstewart for four reasons:

·      It was a weekend

·      It has a new clubhouse I had yet to see

·      It has the most stunning start in Irish golf and what is often considered the best opening 9 holes on the island

·      I needed photographs (and boy was I snap-happy)

Perfect Views

The clubhouse was opened in 2009. It is big, luxurious and perfectly positioned with a vast expanse of glass wrapped around the bar so you can look out on the course and down the spectacular 1st hole. I was watching fourball after fourball tee off, but only after most of the golfers stopped and stared at the glorious surroundings: the Inishowen peninsula rises out of the ocean to the north west, dark and brooding; Mussenden Temple stands proudly on the headland in the distance, almost directly ahead; and the perfect beach streams off into the distance below you, white caps racing like stallions across the sand.

[Photo: views from the 1st tee]

When it comes to kicking off a round of golf, it doesn’t get better than this, and the dunes that await you are as mesmerising as they are terrifying.  

And all this from the bar in the clubhouse!

We were eating our food when Delwyn, the bar manager, passed by. He's been with the club for 22 years, so I asked him about the new clubhouse and he was happy to fill me in.

The place can host a wedding for 280, he told us, and couples regularly have their photographs taken on the 1st tee.

I wondered how many brides were golfers, and how many expected their new husband to get up the following morning and return to the same spot for entirely different reasons.

“It’s alright, love,” he’d say, “we’ll have plenty of time to catch our flight, but I’m just going to squeeze in a quick round before the honeymoon starts.”

Liar. There’s no such thing as quick round of golf at Portstewart. It’s too big, glorious and tricky for that.

[Photo: the approach to the dogleg par four 8th]

Dave arrived shortly afterwards. I recognised him from his New Yorker picture. He introduced his six companions and I introduced my golf widow wife – it seemed a fair exchange.

And shortly after that we were on the tee. My wife watched from the clubhouse, no doubt hoping that I started with a good drive. I’d played a match the previous day with my father and we had been thrashed 7 & 5, so I was not in the best of golfing spirits. Then again, this was not about playing good golf – it was about experiencing the heady thrills of playing Portstewart again, and weaving my way through a run of dunes known as ‘God’s Own Country’… and picking Dave’s brains, of course.

[Photo: tee shot on the 1st]

I was playing alongside Dave, David and Tim, and we stood on the tee and made the appropriate noises of approval, even as an anvil-head of dark clouds and rain swept across from Inishowen. They never reached us and we spent most of the next four hours playing in glorious April sunshine.

In Hooked I talk about the ‘golf experience’ of playing a course. Early on, before the reviews start, I mention the different things that are a vital part of that experience: weather is one; great company another; and playing well a third. Two out of three ain’t bad, and playing poorly matters little when you’re having fun. It makes you realise that you can play any course and, no matter how bad the quality, as long as the company’s entertaining you’ll usually have a blast.

Five Penny Piece

The shot of the day belonged to Dave, on the par three 6th hole, which I rate as the best 6th hole in the country. Take a look and you’ll see why.

[Photo: Five Penny Piece]

A mere 135 yards, the hole is called Five Penny Piece because the green doesn’t look much bigger than that from the tee and the sides are steep and will swat balls away into deep troughs below. If you get this far and haven’t realised the premium placed on finding the putting surface, you are guaranteed a long day. 10 holes have severe slopes rising up to them. They will make you cry!

I don’t know what Dave hit into the two club wind that was coming from about two o’clock, but the ball never budged from the flag. It cut through the wind and landed close to the hole. All the way I thought he was going to bag an ace and when we reached the green, his pitch mark was less than an inch away. It started the inevitable conversation about holes in one. I wasn’t contributing much since I’ve never had one, and ‘almost’ doesn’t cut it.

[Photo: David tees off on the par five 4th with Tim looking on]

My only quibble with Portstewart is not an uncommon one. The club promises the most exhilarating start, which lasts for 12 holes, before the pace slows and then ends tamely, with 16 and 18 being the least interesting on the course. After holes 1 to 9, it would be almost impossible to maintain that level of excitement, so Portstewart offers the best of whatever’s left… but you might find yourself walking towards the 16th and 18th greens (side by side under the clubhouse), glancing across at the dunes of the front nine, at the flags of holes 8 and 9 that shimmer in the late sunlight, and at the glory of the 1st tee box that will remain with you for a very long time.

[Photo: views across the 16th to the 9th green (left) and 8th green (centre), and God's Own Country beyond]

Despite that sense of longing, Portstewart is a thrilling round of golf, and the bar is as welcome a spot in the evening as it is in the morning. The rest of the lads – Tony, Tim, Jack and Howard – joined us in the bar for the post round analysis and scoring. My wife and I were invited for dinner, but we were heading in the opposite direction, and I didn’t want to overstay my welcome – the guys had landed from New York that morning and were about to embark on seven days of 36 holes. They were going to need their rest.

As they left, it was made clear that I was welcome to play golf in Washington, Connecticut, whenever I happen to be over that way.

Our hotel was the York Inn, in Portstewart, overlooking the Old course. After dinner we walked into town at around 11pm and found Morelli’s open and buzzing. No, not a bar - an ice cream parlour. Despite my dinner I managed to squeeze in some Toffee Crunch and Rhubarb & Custard ice cream. That’s what I call a perfect end to a perfect day.

Links:

Portstewart Golf Club

York Hotel

David Owen’s Blog

David Owen is a writer for Golf Digest and the New Yorker. He is the author of several books, and not just about golf.

The Point of a Great Itinerary (my scores for David's chosen courses)

Portstewart 89

Royal Portrush 92

Ballyliffin Old 92 Glashedy 90

Portsalon 90

Narin & Portnoo 92

Donegal/Murvagh 94

Enniscrone 96

Carne 93

[Photo: Dave reflects on what might have been on the 6th green]

Golf Course Provenance - Waterville

Waterville Golf Club is one of the finest and most beautiful links in the world. Set on the edge of the wonder that is County Kerry, the course is a mecca for golfers worldwide.

But when was Waterville founded?

A Golf Week article (January 19, 2012) by Martin Kaufmann, listed it at number four in the Top 40 GB&I golf courses built since 1960… i.e. the Modern era. It lists the designer as our beloved Eddie Hackett, and the date as 1973.

[Photo: Waterville's 1st hole - Last Easy - green to tee]

I strongly suspect that Waterville GC would take exception, seeing as the course was established in 1889. It was one of the earliest courses to be played in Ireland and was one of the first clubs to be affiliated to the Golfing Union of Ireland.

It’s history started with the hundreds of workers drawn to nearby Valentia Island to work on the first trans-Atlantic cable, which relayed messages between North America and Europe. The workers gradually migrated south towards Waterville, where golf was played in the winter months.

Back then it was a nine hole course, and membership varied alongside the demand for cable communications. By the 1950s, such demand had evaporated and the links at Waterville fell dormant… ‘dormant’ being the important word.

[Photo: Waterville's famous par five 11th: Tranquility]

John A. Mulcahy, the Irish born American, ‘rediscovered’ Waterville in the 1960s and had a vision to build the world’s most challenging links. He asked Eddie Hackett to design this eighteen hole course, which Eddie did, brilliantly. The revitalised Waterville opened in 1973… which is where the Golf Week list comes in.

I disagree that Waterville should be included in this ‘Modern’ list. Eddie Hackett’s course reconfigured and expanded the original holes to create today’s front nine.

So, the question is, does reconfiguration and expansion make it a Modern course? Personally, no, it doesn’t. The provenance is too strong and too influential to the final design.

[Photo: Approach to Enniscrone's mighty and terrifying 12th]

The European Club (ranked 6th) was built in 1992 from scratch. There was no history to the place. The same applies to Carne (ranked 8th), built in 1995. These can’t be disputed, but the same issue of Modernity applies to Enniscrone (ranked 9th), founded in 1918. A course has always existed on the links, although the current 18 uses little of the old nine hole course. Like Waterville, however, I suspect Enniscrone wouldn’t be pleased to be regarded as a Modern course.

It is also worth noting that Eddie Hackett played a major role in the design of Carne and Enniscrone.

The list also includes the Irish Courses of:

Old Head of Kinsale 7

Lough Erne 10

Carton House (Monty) 11

Tralee 12

Doonbeg 13

Ballyliffin (Glashedy) 14

Rosapenna (Sandy Hills) 19

Druid’s Glen 26

The K Club (Smurfit) 28… SERIOUSLY!

Fota Island 32

The K Club (Palmer) 34

Ballybunion (Cashen) 40

Enniscrone: Risk and Reload

[Photo: View of the par five 4th]

It was a nice touch. Pat Sweeney, Enniscrone’s General Manager, had turned the all too abused golfing cliché ‘risk and reward’ on its head. And aptly so. Enniscrone is a beast of a links course and one of the finest in this country. Remarkably, after being awarded Golf Course of the Year a couple of years ago, Enniscrone still remains one of the best links that people don’t talk about.

The two puregolf2010.com travelling Kiwis had Enniscrone on their original schedule, but let it go as they decided to play Ballyliffin’s two courses instead. I like both Ballyliffin courses well enough, but not compared with Enniscrone. The size of the dunes, the routing of the course, the imagination required on each hole – it all adds up to one of the most enthralling rounds of golf you’ll play. Jamie and Michael missed a beauty.

Once again Dad and I arrived early and got onto the course well ahead of time. And the sun was out which seemed a good omen for our final round. With dunes this big and the wind sending coils of patterns through the marram grasses, it was like playing through a living, breathing thing.

[Photo: Dad ponders the approach to the 12th]

Dad had never played here, so I kept my mouth closed about what was to come – apart from giving him a line on the blindish holes (2 and 4, and later, 12 and 13). I wanted him to enjoy everything as it arrived. After some distinctly poor golf the previous day, his game picked up after the 2nd. He birdied the par three 3rd, sinking a putt of well over 30 feet, while I was stuck down the back and was lucky to stay on the green with my recovery. If there’s one simple lesson to be learned about Enniscrone, it is not to go off the back of the greens. There is no room and no relief. After the 3rd, dad added a run of pars and bogeys over the following holes to put a smile on his face. Risk and reload… not something my dad does and his sensible play reaped the rewards he was due. It was a great way to finish, and into a strong headwind he almost got his four on the 429 yard 18th.

Enniscrone is not a course to blaze away at. Positioning off the tee is paramount. Take the 15th which is Index 1. Your shot has to be to the right of the fairway or else you see nothing of the green and going for it in two is suicide.

[Photo: view back up the 13th fairway]

Something I alluded to in an earlier blog was a forthcoming book by a gentleman named Craig Morrison. He is producing a book on the 18 best holes in Ireland. He’s already done a similar book for Scotland, and now he’s decided Ireland deserves his full attention. He’ll get no argument from me.

Picking best holes and best courses is always a tricky proposition. I picked Scrabo in County Down as having the best opening hole in Ireland (I still think so), yet a journalist who reviewed my book said that the 1st wasn’t even the best hole on the course.

[Photo: Tee shot on the par four 12th - no driver needed]

And so it is with Craig. He has picked Enniscrone’s par five 16th as one of the top 18, yet I would put holes 12 and 13 ahead of the 16th. The 12th is simply magnificent: Cnoc na gCorp (Hill of the Dead) is a perfect description for the terrifying second shot you will face, but the hill that the name refers to is the monster dune that rises to your left and reaches some 80 feet high, stretching on and on into the distance. Why is it known as the Hill of the Dead? According to Pat, some 1500 years ago when the Vikings landed, they tried to come inland through the dunes. The natives were waiting and slaughtered them all, burying the bodies under the dune. A great story and one to keep visitors intrigued and aiming ever further right.

[Photo: Cnoc na gCorp]

Pat had a heap of stories about the course and I particularly liked the one about four Swedes who took out life membership and now keep their clubs in the top of the clubhouse so that they can come back whenever they want for a few rounds.

Enniscrone will never bore you, crammed as it is with its complex and myriad challenges, its views and its beauty. You will not beat this course, of that you can be sure, but you will be happy to keep trying for the rest of your life. As we left and said our goodbyes to Pat, Dad picked up a leaflet promoting the Atlantic Coast Golf Challenge – a tournament in July 2011 that covers Carne, Rosses Point and Enniscrone. “You up for that?” he asked. I’m guessing that will be his 80th birthday present.

[Photo: the par five 14th]

Thanks Pat, and good luck with the Eddie Hackett golf tour. No better way to promote the man’s genius.

The Kiwi world wide adventure & Druid's Glen

[Photo: Michael Goldstein & Jamie Patton at Druid's Glen. 18 holes finished and looking forward to a good night's sleep]

How long does it take to get from Mount Juliet Golf Club, in Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny, to Druid’s Glen near Newtownmountkennedy in Co. Wicklow?

It was a question I wanted to put to Michael Goldstein and Jamie Patton as our 1.10pm tee time came and went. I know the guys at Druid’s Glen well enough that it wasn’t a problem, but it was a Friday and the time sheet was full. At this stage of the year/economy/recession (delete as appropriate) that’s good news for the club – or any club for that matter.

Michael and Jamie are the two Kiwis travelling around the world playing a different course every day, for a year. You’ve probably heard of them. They’ve played across New Zealand, Australia, the USA and Scotland and here they were, coming to the end of their three and half week trip to Ireland. Their website is www.puregolf2010.com and they’re raising funds for a charity called First Tee, as they go. Take a look at their excellent blog and you’ll get an idea of just what’s involved in their travels.

To most people, the idea of a year stuffed with golf at many of the world’s top golf courses is a slice of heaven. But you have to remember that this is hard work: travelling all the time, doing media interviews, arranging tee times and accommodation, taking photographs, blogging and playing golf… lots of golf. Boy, it’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it!

[Photo: Jamie hits his tee shot on the par four 7th]

We’d been in touch a few times over recent months, discussing their Irish tour and deciding where and when we could meet up. We finally settled on Druid’s Glen. My love of this club is well documented and alongside Adare it is my favourite parkland. They were coming from Mount Juliet, so it was going to be interesting to see how the guys compared the two. Along with Carton House (Monty), these were the only three parklands they were playing down south. The bulk of their golf was on links courses, and these read like a Who’s Who of Ireland’s (and therefore the world’s) top courses, from Royal County Down to Waterville.

When Michael finally arrived on the putting green he did not look 100%. This was to be his 259th consecutive round, so no surprise that he was tired but he had a stomach bug to add to his woes. And Jamie had enjoyed a late night in Kilkenny, so he wasn’t firing on all cylinders either. Gretta – Michael’s girlfriend who’d flown in for a week or two – was, however, full of bounce.

The answer to my opening question is three and a half hours. The lads got badly lost along the way. “Happen a lot?” I asked, assuming that travelling the world in a variety of borrowed vehicles and no GPS would lead to many directionally-challenged moments. “Not as badly as this,” was the reply.

Bert, the Course Ranger, was very accommodating and managed to slip us in at 2.20pm, and once we’d teed off all the drama and mayhem of getting lost was quickly forgotten. The tiredness wasn’t, and for two guys playing off 2 and 3 handicaps, there were some laboured swings and lengthy detours into the rough.

[Photo: Tee shot on the 13th. The hole drifts right, around the rock face]

[Photo: Michael goes searching on the approach to the 13th]

Druid’s 13th is famous and notorious. It is 461 yards off the white markers, and a driver isn’t always the best choice off the tee! The pictures don’t do it justice, but this is the hardest par four in Irish golf (the 12th at Druid’s Heath, next door, is a close second). Jamie and Michael found water and bushes, and then more water and bushes. It is a hole you need to play a few times to appreciate its difficulty fully, and the guys were suitably impressed.

Most top courses are judged by their signature holes. Druid’s Glen has a handful: the par threes 8, 11 and 17, the par four 18th and the 13th. A gentleman by the name of Craig Morrison agrees with me on the 13th, but more on that in the next blog.

I tried my best not to ask the questions that everyone else had undoubtedly been asking, day in, day out for the last 258 days, but sometimes it was unavoidable… best course? Where did the idea come from? Financing? Tiredness?

[Photo: side view of the beautiful par three 8th]

The ‘best welcome?’ question got an immediate response of ‘Ireland’. The guys had enjoyed themselves so much and been subjected to such great hospitality (Carne Golf Club received a special mention) that they were a week behind on their blog. We all know that Irish hospitality is legendary, but I was delighted to hear they were getting the full treatment. Irish golf clubs have been going out of their way to make their time here as enjoyable as possible, and that is coming through loud and clear in the tales they tell.

I decided I should be direct and asked them what they thought of Mount Juliet and how it compared with Druid’s Glen.

Debates about the best links course in Ireland typically centre on Royals County Down and Portrush, Portmarnock, Ballybunion, Carne, Lahinch, The European and Waterville. For parkland, the list is shorter, with Adare, K Club, Mount Juliet and Druid’s Glen being the most obvious contenders. (In truth, Ireland’s newest clubs of Lough Erne, Killeen Castle and Concra Wood should be added to that list.)

[Photo: the water enshrouded 17th. A par three to be played from the back tee]

Their answer was interesting and intuitive – it is not my place to list what they said (check their blog in the coming days), but, like so many things, it proved how conditioned we have become to marketing hyperbole. They are such different courses and they offer completely different experiences. If you’ve played both you’ll know what I mean.

Gretta, a non-golfer, lasted nine holes. When the 9th brought us back to the clubhouse she slipped away. She confessed that she’d not be on the golf course at all, but she couldn’t drive the 1989 Merc that the guys had been in since arriving in Scotland.

“Insurance?” I asked. No, it wasn’t that. How about right-hand drive? Stupid question as they drive on the same side of the road down under. No, it was a mechanical failing. The driver’s seat was stuck well back, and Gretta – somewhat shorter than Michael and Jamie – couldn’t reach the pedals. So she got stuck at the golf clubs, waiting in the bar for her man, and undoubtedly repelling the advances of many a keen Irish golfer.

[Photo: view from the clubhouse back down the par four 18th]

I had one last question for the boys: ‘how are you two getting on together, spending so much time in each other’s pockets?’ There was a brief pause: “It hasn’t come to blows,” Jamie replied wryly.

259 rounds down; 106 to go. Let’s hope it stays that way.