Golf in Ireland is a bit different from the U.S. To date Jim has only had to play 18 holes in complete rain once. Please take careful note of the word only in the previous sentence.  If you’re going to do anything in Ireland, you must accept that rain will be part of it. Another time it rained for 14 holes. The worst rain was durring a round at Ballybunion. During the other outings it has sprinkled, but all things being equal the weather has not been much of a factor, except for  the wind. Did we mention the wind? Oh, there is usually just a light breeze that blows here - about 30 MPH. And then, there is always the wind. This past weekend it averaged 45 MPH or so. Jim has had to reinvent his golf game but what’s a little wind! Any rate, you get the message. At right is a portion of the course at Kilkea.

The golf courses here are very interesting. Most of the courses are formed as clubs.  People pay a fee and join just like the clubs in the states. The difference is that most of them are not private.  The public can play the course but can only get tee times after the members have all finished - usually after 3:30 in the afternoon. It does work well in the summer when it is daylight till 10:00 PM. The remainder of the courses are “pay and play” - no tee times, just show up and get in line. Some of the “pay and play” courses will let you make advance tee reservations but not many.

The courses themselves vary greatly. I now understand what a links course is. If the course is not on the seashore it cannot be a links. Links courses do not have trees, just vary narrow fairways and lots of long grass growing in the sand. The premium is on accuracy! There is one course North of Dublin called Corbeles that Jim particularly likes. It is public (run by the county council). It is short (fewer than 6000 yards) and par is only 67 but it is one of the most challenging courses Jim has ever played (and at a cost of $18.00 on the weekend it is also one of the best bargains).

The greens are as hard as rocks here. If the ball comes in high and soft it will probably bounce about 8 feet in the air and then continue forward.  The distance it moves forward will depend on the amount of forward motion when it landed. Unless you have hit into the wind and the wind stops the flight of the ball so it comes straight down you can count on not holding the green. Jim has been told that Bernhard Langer comes to Corbeles in the winter to work on his irons and putting. He believes it.

Here’s a typical par 3 at Corbeles.

• A 185-yard par three with a 30+MPH wind blowing from the left to right.
• Out of bounds right.A kidney shaped green with the small part of the green to the left.Lake in front - a reverse mirror of the green, but twice as large.
• The green is elevated about 6 feet above the surrounding ground and lake.
• To the rear of the green is gorse and 12” long grass in front of the gorse.
• To the left of the green is more gorse and long grass.
• The tee box is lined up with the right edge of the green.

Now, tuck that tee shot into a pin set at the far left of the green.

A great golf hole and one of the most challanging Jim has ever played.

Oh, for those of you who are not familiar with gorse, as we were not when we arrived, we offer the following in way of explanation. Picture the most bristly plant you have ever encountered (like thistle) and multiply the number of thorns by 1000. Remember to put the thorns on all of the leaves on the plant. Also, make the stems and leaves the strongest you have ever encountered - just short of being as rigid as a California Live Oak. Picture these things growing together like Oleanders do on the California freeways. Make them between three and five feet in diameter and height. If your ball goes into this stuff consider it lost and hit a provisional (golf speak for assessing yourself 2 strokes and hitting another ball from the same spot where you hit the one that went into the gorse) and pray that this one does not suffer a similar fate.

The other predomina nt course type is called a “park lands”. This is more like the type of course we see in the states.  Lots of trees, nice fairways, etc. (and no gorse ).  Many of these courses have been built on old estates that have residences that are so large they can be considered castles. The settings are quite picturesque and the courses in excellent condition. These tend to be the usual 65-6800 yard par 72 affairs. Prices range from $14.00 to $65.00 on the weekend. Each has its own unique attributes and all tend to be very well laid out.

Above, left is a view of the Wicklow Golf Club course, on the coast of the Irish Sea, another of Jim’s favorite courses.

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