Sunday – 25th September 2011

Optimism, sunshine, rain, threat of lightening and a fantastic finish to The Solheim Cup – a brief description of the today at Killeen Castle. We all arrived at 9.30am in plenty of time and each of us staked our viewing spot at our favourite location. We choose the back of the 3rd green where we saw all 11 (Kerr never made it due to wrist injury) come through. The atmosphere was fantastic with equal shouts of “USA…. USA….USA” versus “EUROPE… EUROPE” or “Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole”. Early blood to the Europeans with Catriona Matthews taking Paula Creamer apart in the first match. This was the first time Paula had lost in singles matchplay. Catriona never let her get a footing in the match and was in front from the start. The pairing that had the most interest was the veteran match of Laura Davies v Julie Inkster. With both ladies in the twilight of their careers and having played in all of the past Solheim events this was amazingly the first time they met in singles. We later found out that this pairing was arranged as both ladies had requested it. The match fittingly ended all-square with Inkster nearly holeing out a bunker shot on the 18th.  [SinglePic not found]

The crowd at gathering around the 18th at Killeen Castle

 Coming towards the end of the round it was Team USA that had the upper hand. Needing only to reach 14 points to retain the competition they were up in 1 and all-square in 2. Suzanne Peterson and Michelle Wie arrived at the 18th tee all-square. Peterson went onto birdie the hole to take the point, now the atmosphere changed. European suddenly had momentum and USA seemed the be losing their nerve. Hedwell has 2 down with 2 to play against Ryan O’ Toole and managed to sqaure the match – once that happened Europe reclaimed The Solheim Cup.

 

Saturday – 24th September 2011

A glorious day at Killeen Castle today, the sunshine Gods have been good to us. Another strong start by the Europeans but as with Friday the Americans came back strong to end the day 8-8. By all accounts (from golf pundits and the knowledgeable golf followers) the considered view was that Europe needed to have a lead going into the Sunday singles…. things are not looking up for Europe and the strong indication is that Rosie Jones will be bringing the Cup back to the States. [SinglePic not found]

Michelle Wie at Killeen Castle

 

 

Friday – 23rd September 2011

Today was the first day of competition, all the practice rounds are now done and pairings announced. Foursomes were first out this morning with the USA playing exceptionally well on a format they are not used to. At lunch the score was 2-2. Europe would have to do better in the afternoon and they did. At once stage the fourball leaderboard was all blue but a stirring fightback from the USA left the score at close of business… EUROPE 4 1/2 and USD 3 1/2…… tomorrow is a very important day. In my opinion Europe need to win both sessions to have any chance come the singles on Sunday.   The atmosphere at the event is brilliant, so friendly with well intentioned banter at the ready. Rick got chatting to two ladies from Thurles Golf Club and we managed to sneak a photo in (well the marshalls weren’t going to kick us out!). [SinglePic not found]

Ann, Rick and Delia at the 14th tee-box at Killeen Castle

 

 

Thursday – 22nd September 2011

Today we made our first venture to Killeen Castle to see the opening ceremony of The Solheim Cup. It was a worthwhile trip as we were able to review the course and “pick our spot” for the first day of competion. The opening ceremony itself was well attended with some great music from Declan O’Rourke and Donal Lunny (Lunny did a great version of the “Wild Mountain Thyme). President Mary McAleese addressed the audience and spoke very elegantly about Ireland and how excited we are to have The Solheim Cup. Tomorrow is the first day of competition. My feeling is that Europe need to have a lead going into Sunday singles so Friday and Saturday are vitally important.

 

Junior Solheim Cup – The USA retain the Cup

The USA came from behind to retain the Jnr Solheim Cup, played at Knightsbrook Hotel and Spa in County Meath. Europe were leading 7-5 going into the singles matches but the USA won the singles format 7-5, making the overall score 12-12 with the incumbent keeping the trophy. Congratulations must go to both teams who put on a great show. http://tinyurl.com/43km8ek  

Wednesday – 21st September 2011

Without everyone now arrived safely we are all gearing up for the opening ceremony tomorrow. From our locations in Dublin City Centre and Portmarnock we are travelling to Killeen Castle daily to see Europe attempt to wrangle The Solheim Cup from the United States…. it won’t be an easy task but one thing is certain — the European Ladies will certainly give it a good go and with a strong Irish crowd in place it certainly makes for a mouthwatering event. This blog will give you daily updates from the event with some added comment around the goings on of the groups. You can follow us daily on TWITTER, search for # IrishGolfTour  

Solheim Cup 2011

What is Solheim Cup? If you are a golfing fan, then you will not want to miss out on the great experience of the Solheim Cup which takes place this September at Killen Castle Ireland. The Solheim Cup is a biennial woman’s professional golfing event, and is named after its creator – Karsten Solheim. Like the Ryder Cup, the Solheim Cup is a team event with teams representing Europe and the United States. The first event took place in 1990, and alternates with the Ryder Cup every other year. Teams for the events are selected via a points system, although the European team is decided by a mixture of points and world rankings. Team captains for both Europe and the USA are normally retired professional golfers who have had Solheim Cup experience. They are also chosen on their ability to lead a team.

The team match itself is played over three days using a similar format to the Ryder Cup. This means there will be 28 matches made up of eight foursomes, eight four-balls and 12 singles on the final day.

Women’s golf has grown tremendously over the years, with many young girls taking up the sport. As such, a junior version of the Solheim Cup called the PING Junior Solheim Cup was started in 2002. It follows the same format as the senior cup and comprises the top 12 junior players from both Europe and America. The girls play golf over two days. Although not played on the same course as the main Solheim Cup itself, it is generally played in the vicinity. Since 1990, the winning team in both the senior and junior versions of the cup have been the United States. Past American women golfers who have participated in the Solheim Cup include Donna Andrews (1994 and 1998) and Julie Inkster who had an almost continuous run since the event was created. This remarkable statistic is only beaten by Britain’s Laura Davies who has played in every one of the Solheim Cup events. This year participants The official European team for this year’s Solheim Cup is not yet known. The final team will be announced at the end of August. What is known however is that Alison Nicholas will be the captain of the team. There is a suggestion that Laura Davies is making a bid for her 12^th appearance, while others in the frame are fellow Briton Melissa Reid, Frenchwoman Virginie Lagoutte-Clement and Danish golfer, Iben Tinning. On the US side, Rosie Jones is to be the team captain. What to expect this year at Solheim Cup Killeen Castle is based in Dunsany, County Meath, Ireland. The golf club itself covers some 300 acres of rambling grassland surrounded by beautiful natural woodland. Created by the famous golfer, Jack Nicklaus, Killeen Castle Golf club is a golfer’s paradise with no fewer than 18 championship events held here. So, if you are looking forward to going to watch the Solheim Cup you will be in for a treat. What’s more if you fancy a break from watching the match, you could always go fishing or go for a walk around the resplendent gardens. Flights to Dublin go from a number of UK airports including Manchester, Gatwick and Plymouth.

Final Round of the Trip!

By Sam Blackwell We played a final round of golf Friday on the way back to Dublin and our return flight to the U.S. Almost midway between Galway and Dublin, Glasson Golf and Country Club is a lovely and hilly parkland course wrapped around a large lake. It won’t make you forget Enniscrone but offers pleasant challenges. Glasson is 6,800 yards from the members’ tees, so length is one of its difficulties. We stepped up to a forward set of tees that was more amenable to our distances off the tees. The course was wet, so we were advised to use preferred lies. The day was generally sunny and warm, but when clouds covered the sun a briskness set in, so we were always switching between layers of clothing. We were enthusiastic but a bit sad to be playing our last round in Ireland. When we look back on the courses we played on the Road Less Travelled Tour – Carne, Rosses Point, Enniscrone, Connemara and Glasson – we know each has a distinct character and appeal. At Carne we battled sleet, and the sleet won. Rosses Point is a links course of the highest order, one Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy have won on. This is a course that would offer a golfer new challenges each time he or she plays. [Gallery not found]

A selection of images of our wonderul trip to Glasson

Enniscrone was perhaps the most beautiful course we played, winding through grass-covered dunes for part of each nine and then emerging into Eddie Hackett’s more wide-open design the rest of the way. A bad cold kept me from playing Connemara, but the other golfers enjoyed their day. Getting there from our home base at Sligo is a trip through a lunar landscape, they said, but the course itself is a good links challenge. Glasson offers wide fairways and well-bunkered and often elevated greens. The greens are in good shape, much better than the greens back in the U.S. at this stage of the year. Tampa Joe remained in Galway to meet up with his Irish girlfriend, and Virgil flew back to Dublin a few days earlier to tend to some business, so our group is reduced to four. Mike and Gary took on Rick and me in a match-play contest for a round of Guinness. They made short work of us, 4 and 3. Afterward we had roast beef sandwiches in Glasson’s architecturally distinct and modern clubhouse, which a prospective bride and groom were appraising for their upcoming nuptials.  Breda, one of the owners, greeted us and gave each of us a Glasson ball marker as a remembrance. Our driver Kevin drove our coach back to Dublin, our starting point almost a week earlier. We are spending our last night in Ireland at the Portmarnock Hotel, a first-rate facility not far from the Dublin airport.  The Pormarnock Golf Course is just out the window, but we have no time left to play.   When – not if – we return.

Remembering the Road Less Travelled

By Sam Blackwell A week after returning, our seven days in Ireland seem like a whirl of formidable links golf courses, predictably unpredictable weather, sheep farms and walls made of stacked stones, singular dining experiences and endless glasses of Guinness.  We also met lots of welcoming people who made our stay memorable. Irish Golf Vacations called our tour the Road Less Travelled because most foreign golfers head for golf courses that are more famous – names like Ballybunion, Royal County Down, Old Head, the K Club — than those of Northwest Ireland. Our tour would go places and play courses far off the been-there, done-that list. Rick and Michael are knowledgeable tour leaders who saw to every need, including the large, comfortable coach that delivered us from golf course to golf course.  Kevin, our Irish driver, pointed out historic sites in Dublin after we arrived but also knew well the landscape along the 3-½-hour drive to Sligo on Ireland’s West Coast. Sligo is a delightful town, fun to walk around and filled with unique shops.  The seafood paella at Hartigan’s is excellent, and so is the hospitality. We also liked the food and the folks at the Embassy, a wine bar and grill that serves a mammoth hamburger swaddled in bacon and cheese. Our hotel, the Sligo Park Hotel, is comfortable and has everything a golfer needs, from a hot tub and gym to a late-night bar. Our first golf course, Carne Golf Club, provided the most unforgettable experience of our trip. We expected a cold wind off Blacksod Bay, but a few holes into our round driving sleet began pelting our faces and numbing our hands.  We hoped the squall would soon abate, as we were told the squalls usually do, but this one didn’t.  Our group retreated to the clubhouse after five holes. The other group retired after nine. Never has a round of Irish coffee been more appreciated. The following day at Rosses Point, the County Sligo Golf Club, we played a course where Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy have won Western Ireland Golf Championships on. The famous golfers who have played the course include Walter Hagen, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo, Byron Nelson and Bernhard Langer. It is a good test with ample variety in the holes. The sun sparkled the next day at Enniscrone Golf Club, a magnificent course on Killala Bay 50 miles from Sligo. Enniscrone offers the work of two designers: Eddie Hackett and Donald Steel. Hackett’s part of the course is open and bunkered while Steel’s winds through huge dunes. It is the best of two worlds of links golf. We left the next morning for Galway, the city known as Ireland’s arts capital. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Galway was a highlight some of the golfers in our group missed because they were playing at Connemara. At midday, bands and gaily dressed children wove through downtown Galway surrounded by festive onlookers, most of them wearing the green in some way – if only their hair color. Afterward everyone filled up the pubs for rounds of food and drink that rolled into the night. We read in the newspapers that St. Patrick’s Day parades are actually a tradition that began in America, but Ireland seems to have taken to it fully. In Galway, a big pub called Monroe’s was a favorite where we ate fish pie and Irish stew. At Connemara, the golfers encountered a landscape unlike anything they’d seen in Ireland before. Some described it as a moonscape. Sleet greeted the golfers in the morning, but by the afternoon they were playing in the sun. Everyone in Ireland is intensely interested in football, rugby, Gaelic football and jump racing. While we were there, the Festival at Cheltenham race played on every television in every pub. The Irish were very proud that their horses won some of the most important races. Glasson Park, a hilly parkland course between Galway and Dublin, offered us a pleasing final round before we returned to Dublin and then back to the U.S. Spending our last night in Ireland at the Portmornock Golf Club and Hotel outside Dublin was a final treat. The hotel is luxurious, the course inviting. The people of Ireland were warm and hospitable, and Ireland has some of the world’s best links golf courses. Ireland offers beauty and golf experiences available nowhere else on earth.

St Patrick’s Day at Connemara

By Sam Blackwell and Rick Hetzel Sam, not feeling too well this morning, thought he might opt for a bit of rest and take in the St Patrick’s Day Parade in the Galway’s Eyre Square.  Knowing I would be writing today’s blog, I tried to be careful to study the course for interesting details and nuances like Sam does so well. Connemara Golf Club,  located on the west coast of Ireland about sixty miles from Galway, is situated in a rugged and isolated part of the country where one may see plenty of  stacked stone walls, sheep in lambing season, and a barren but breathtaking mountain and lake vistas.  Mike commented on the long morning ride from the hotel what an irony that such beautiful golf courses would be located in so many remote locations in Ireland. [SinglePic not found]

Connemara Golf Links – County Galway

Tom Watson once stopped by Connemara, said our caddie, Jamie.  But apparently no one recognized him and there was no name on the tee booking.  As one club member walked across the parking lot of the club and noticed Watson, he asked in the clubhouse if there were any famous golfers on the course.  “No” was the reply, but they later learned that it was Watson on the course.  Despite the remote location and sparse population of the area, by the time Watson reached the 9^th hole a large gathering had formed to follow him during the remainder of his round.  Watson shot 69.  An autographed shirt and several photos adorn the wall of the Connemara Clubhouse. The Irish say a golfer can experience any type of weather in Ireland, and today as we started off playing the beautiful coastal links of Connemara we felt the small blades of sleet hitting us in the face as we approached the first green.  Thinking this might be a repeat of our experience at Carne, Gary, who is more of a warm weather golfer, told me he was really hoping this storm would pass quickly.  Jamie Flaherty, our able caddie from Connemara and a keen golfer in his own right, assured us this little ice storm was sure to pass quickly. Indeed it did.  The following eight holes brought us course designer Eddie Hackett at his best as Mike, Gary and I traversed pot bunkers and coastal winds to reach the clubhouse for a warm coffee. As we prepared to tee off the 10th, we noticed the wind had calmed and the sun was beginning to peek through the clouds off the Atlantic coast.  All of our group were playing well of the tees, but the fast greens seemed to be our Achilles heel.  Mike, who has a masterful short game, was even having a few problems getting his chips close, except for the 12^th hole where, true to character, he holed a chip from off the green.  The rest of the round proved to be a unique Connemara experience as we pulled off layers of clothing to the warming sun and joked about freezing rain in the morning and sunburned faces in the afternoon. [SinglePic not found]

Jamie (caddy), Gary, Rick and Mike at Connemara

The coach ride back to the hotel was marked with periodic roadside stops for pictures of the countryside and the sheep with their new lambs.  Our Irish driver, Kevin, thought it all somewhat humorous. [SinglePic not found]

The month of March in Ireland – lambing season throughout the land

Back in Galway, Joe and Sam told us about the parade, a homegrown affair featuring lots of children’s organizations, marching bands and a troupe from Amnesty International.  Most everyone wore green of some kind, if even in their hair or painted on their face. Afterward, whole families retired to their favorite pub to relive it all. As they say in Gaelic, the original language of Ireland, “ La Fheile Phadraig.”

Tuesday 15th March 2011 – Enniscrone, my Enniscrone

By Sam Blackwell Tampa Joe, one of the members of our group, didn’t feel well enough to make the 50-mile trip to Enniscrone Golf Club. Later we’d tell him he may have missed one of the best golfing experiences of his life.  The course is exquisitely beautiful, and so was the day. Enniscrone sparkled in the sun. As Rick, one of the leaders, says, it doesn’t get better than this. The championship Dunes course at Enniscrone is on Killala Bay. The course is framed by Batra Island and the Ox Mountains, but the most striking characteristic is the way much of it threads through mountainous dunes covered in long brown grasses. [SinglePic not found]

Some of the magic dunes to be experienced at Enniscrone

The club was founded 1918. Eddie Hackett, who designed a number of the courses our group is playing, redid this one in 1974.  Hackett’s courses tend toward wide fairways and protective bunkering. When Donald Steel redesigned the course in 2001, he added treks through the dunes on both the front and back nines. Golfers are provided with two very different kinds of challenges, but the effect is not schizophrenic. This course engages you with its beauty while sternly testing your golf skills. Pat Sweeney, the club manager, played in the lead group with Rick and me. He told us many funny stories as we played, including one about a Japanese golfer who made supposedly made  hole-in-one. The Japanese custom requires the golfer to provide the playing partners with lavish gifts. When the group played the next day the golfer aimed away from the pin, but his ball struck a rock and caromed in for a second hole-in-one and second round of expensive gifts. Pat told us Enniscrone would add 10 strokes to our handicaps, and that turned out to be true for all but one member of our group. Mike is not a long hitter but keeps the ball in front of him and has a masterful short game. That is a good combination at Enniscrone, and he shot just 3 over par. [SinglePic not found]

Gary, Virgil, Mike, Sam, Pat Sweeny (Enniscrone) and Rick

Virgil is leaving the group to tend to some radio business in Dublin, a live broadcast from the Jameson Distillery on St. Patrick’s Day.  The rest of us will be wearin’ the green in Galway. Our stay with the Sligo Park Hotel has been as pleasant as could be. Every morning we have powered up with their full Irish breakfast, and every night we have found an intriguing eating establishment in Sligo. Everyone says they would return. For those interested Pat tells us that you can play Carne (Day One), Rosses Point (Day Two) and Enniscrone on the 4/5/6 July of this year in the inaugural Atlantic Coast Challenge. You can find out more about it here

Remembering the Road Less Travelled

By Sam Blackwell A week after returning, our seven days in Ireland seem like a whirl of formidable links golf courses, predictably unpredictable weather, sheep farms and walls made of stacked stones, singular dining experiences and endless glasses of Guinness.  We also met lots of welcoming people who made our stay memorable. Irish Golf Vacations called our tour the Road Less Travelled because most foreign golfers head for golf courses that are more famous – names like Ballybunion, Royal County Down, Old Head, the K Club — than those of Northwest Ireland. Our tour would go places and play courses far off the been-there, done-that list. Rick and Michael are knowledgeable tour leaders who saw to every need, including the large, comfortable coach that delivered us from golf course to golf course.  Kevin, our Irish driver, pointed out historic sites in Dublin after we arrived but also knew well the landscape along the 3-½-hour drive to Sligo on Ireland’s West Coast. Sligo is a delightful town, fun to walk around and filled with unique shops.  The seafood paella at Hartigan’s is excellent, and so is the hospitality. We also liked the food and the folks at the Embassy, a wine bar and grill that serves a mammoth hamburger swaddled in bacon and cheese. Our hotel, the Sligo Park Hotel, is comfortable and has everything a golfer needs, from a hot tub and gym to a late-night bar. Our first golf course, Carne Golf Club, provided the most unforgettable experience of our trip. We expected a cold wind off Blacksod Bay, but a few holes into our round driving sleet began pelting our faces and numbing our hands.  We hoped the squall would soon abate, as we were told the squalls usually do, but this one didn’t.  Our group retreated to the clubhouse after five holes. The other group retired after nine. Never has a round of Irish coffee been more appreciated.

[Gallery not found]

A selection of images from throughout the week

The following day at Rosses Point, the County Sligo Golf Club, we played a course where Padraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy have won Western Ireland Golf Championships on. The famous golfers who have played the course include Walter Hagen, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo, Byron Nelson and Bernhard Langer. It is a good test with ample variety in the holes. The sun sparkled the next day at Enniscrone Golf Club, a magnificent course on Killala Bay 50 miles from Sligo. Enniscrone offers the work of two designers: Eddie Hackett and Donald Steel. Hackett’s part of the course is open and bunkered while Steel’s winds through huge dunes. It is the best of two worlds of links golf. We left the next morning for Galway, the city known as Ireland’s arts capital. The St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Galway was a highlight some of the golfers in our group missed because they were playing at Connemara. At midday, bands and gaily dressed children wove through downtown Galway surrounded by festive onlookers, most of them wearing the green in some way – if only their hair color. Afterward everyone filled up the pubs for rounds of food and drink that rolled into the night. We read in the newspapers that St. Patrick’s Day parades are actually a tradition that began in America, but Ireland seems to have taken to it fully. In Galway, a big pub called Monroe’s was a favorite where we ate fish pie and Irish stew. At Connemara, the golfers encountered a landscape unlike anything they’d seen in Ireland before. Some described it as a moonscape. Sleet greeted the golfers in the morning, but by the afternoon they were playing in the sun. Everyone in Ireland is intensely interested in football, rugby, Gaelic football and jump racing. While we were there, the Festival at Cheltenham race played on every television in every pub. The Irish were very proud that their horses won some of the most important races. Glasson Park, a hilly parkland course between Galway and Dublin, offered us a pleasing final round before we returned to Dublin and then back to the U.S. Spending our last night in Ireland at the Portmornock Golf Club and Hotel outside Dublin was a final treat. The hotel is luxurious, the course inviting. The people of Ireland were warm and hospitable, and Ireland has some of the world’s best links golf courses. Ireland offers beauty and golf experiences available nowhere else on earth.

__________________________________________________________________________________

To read more on each day just click on the link!

Day Six – The Final Round of the Trip (Glasson)

Day Five – St Patrick’s Day at Connemara

Day Four – Enniscrone, my Enniscrone

Day Three – Rosses Point (Co Sligo) Golf Links

Day Two – Carne Golf Links

Day One – Arrival in Ireland

  (more…)

With the Solheim Cup now less than one year away we thought we’d keep you up to date with the current rankings and a brief synopsis of the ranking system. In all only 12 golfers can be on the team but the different associations (LPGA and LET) have differing methodologies to arrive at their selection. USA: 10 players qualify by scoring points based on top 20 finishes in the 2 years leading up to the event. The Captain then has two wild card picks to fill the 12 places. Europe: the top 5 players from the LET rankings are chosen followed by the next top 4 European players on the Rolex Rankings plus 3 Captain wild-card picks. As you can see from below the European ranking points are very close with only Laura Davies (England) virtually guaranteed to be in Ireland in September. The USA rankings seems to be more clear-cut with everyone from Brittany Lang upwards virtually booking their ticket to Dublin Airport.

European 2011 Solheim Cup Standings

Position	Player	Points
1	Laura Davies (ENG)	150.33
2	Melissa Reid (ENG)	81.83
3	Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (FRA)	79.25
4	Suzann Pettersen (NOR)	68.50
5	Trish Johnson (ENG)	63.17
6	Marianne Skarpnord (NOR)	55.67
7	Iben Tinning (DEN)	54.58
8	Becky Brewerton (WAL)	50.00
9	Gwladys Nocera (FRA)	47.50
10	Anja Monke (GER)	45.50
11	Linda Wessberg (SWE)	42.58
12	Florentyna Parker (ENG)	42.33
13	Christel Boeljon (NL)	41.00
14	Maria Hernandez (ESP)	33.83
15	Vikki Laing (SCO)	33.33
16	Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA)	31.50
17	Carin Koch (SWE)	31.00
18	Anna Nordqvist (SWE)	28.65
19	Nicole Gergely (AUT)	28.00
20	Tania Elosegui (ESP)	27.00

USA 2011 Solheim Cup Standings

Position	Player	Points
1	Cristie Kerr	380.0
2	Morgan Pressel	218.0
3	Michelle Wie	213.0
4	Angela Stanford	182.0
5	Paula Creamer	163.0
6	Brittany Lincicome	152.0
7	Brittany Lang	142.0
8	Kristy McPherson	110.0
9	Christina Kim	107.0
10	Stacy Lewis	91.0
11	Vicky Hurst	77.0
12	Juli Inkster	63.0
13	Stacy Prammanasudh	60.0
14	Wendy Ward	59.0
15	Natalie Gulbis	43.0
16	Michele Redman	39.0
17	Amanda Blumenherst	38.0
18	Pat Hurst	34.0
19	Meaghan Francella	32.0
20	Irene Cho	23.0

[SinglePic not found]

“The Irish Road Less Traveled”

Golfers around the world are familiar with many of the famous Irish Golf Courses in southwest Ireland, the likes of Ballybunion, Waterville, and Tralee, just to name a few.  Many are also familiar with the famed K Club,  host of the 2006 Ryder Cup, and Royal Country Down,  a majestic golfing venue voted “the best golf course in the world outside the United States” by Golf Digest.

However, many golfers looking for good values and hidden gems are not all that familiar with golfing in Northwest Ireland.  This somewhat undiscovered golfing paradise in Ireland will be the destination for an upcoming golfing journey by Irish Golf Vacations North American Director Rick Hetzel; freelance writer, Sam Blackwell and a small group of lucky golfers, who will spend a week in March 2011 exploring the golf courses, pubs, hotels, and Irish hospitality or “Craic”.

Freelance writer Sam Blackwell, an avid golfer and frequent playing partner with Hetzel in the United States, will be chronicling their experiences in a daily blog on the company’s website (irishgolfvacations.net/blog).  According to Hetzel, “Sam is an excellent writer with keen insight and a love for the spirit of golf.

Blackwell, a seasoned journalist and college professor, also has a weekly column in the Southeast Missourian Newspaper in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.  “Sam will do a great job blogging about our golfing and travel exploits in northwest Ireland. Blackwell is also planning to chronicle the events of the trip in a magazine article following the trip.”

“Although we have clients from all walks of life, this trip to northwest Ireland is designed to give the average golfer a taste of what hidden gems and great Irish communities exist off the beaten path”, said Hetzel. “Not only are there great golf courses and splendid Irish communities, there are tremendous values to be found for the traveling golfer.”

Hetzel and Irish business partner, Michael Danagher, are currently developing the itinerary for the group’s golfing journey, which will include links and parkland style courses, as well as a taste of several different hotels, restaurants, and pubs.

We are developing our travel group now, says Hetzel.  Golfers interested in joining us in March 2011 for some great golf and lots of fun should contact Rick at rick@irishgolfvacations.net.

“One warning” says Rick Hetzel – “a spirit of adventure is required”!

To follow our blog or for updates or information about golfing in Ireland, contact Rick Hetzel or Michael Danagher at www.irishgolfvactations.net.

The 15th Club – Your Attitude

As I watched the Scotty Cameron putter belonging to one my golfing friends wing its way across the green and into a shallow creek, I realized this round of golf at one of the most beautiful golfing venues in the world was going to be memorable, but not for the right reasons.

That very well could have been me many years ago, but then one day I realized that playing vacation golf was different than playing tournament golf, golf at our home club, or even golf at nearby courses.  Different in the sense that we should not always expect to play our best golf, but we should expect to enjoy the golfing experience.  So…..how do we do that?

I believe in the simple concept of “keeping all things in perspective”.  That is, accepting the simple realities that most of us are not professional golfers and we play the game of golf to enjoy the simple beauty of a well designed golf course coupled with the fellowship of good friends, a good cigar, and perhaps even a good pint of ale at the end of the round.

Why then do we get so frustrated when we can’t play up to the same standards as we do at home? I believe it is mainly due to our refusal to identify and accept the factors at play during our travel, which may include:

• Lack of experience with the course we are playing.
• No feel for the greens
• Possibly playing with strangers
• Lack of course layout knowledge
• Not having slept well, since we are not in our own beds
• Perhaps a bit thickheaded from one too many pints the night before
• Playing with rental clubs – not our own (this excuse works very well)
• Lastly, perhaps a bit nervous about all of the above.  (If you don’t believe this, try teeing off on the first tee at St Andrews.  George Peper – author of “Two Years at St Andrews”, refers to this experience as the “greatest natural laxative in golf”.)

Recognizing these factors and acknowledging them before we play will help us realize why we may not play a vacation course as well as we play at home.  The key………..Keeping it in perspective!

I recall my first experience playing the incredible Old Head Golf Links near Kinsale, Ireland.  On the practice range, all I could manage to hit were off center fades.  My back was stiff from the long train ride and I was a bit nervous playing with several new clients for the first time.  When we approached the first tee, I made the decision to just swing easy, keep the ball in play, and try my best not to let the course beat me up too badly.

After the first six holes, I discovered my easy swings were just the ticket to the difficult and demanding course, which was taking its toll on the rest of the group.  I continued to concentrate on keeping the ball in the middle of the fairways and hitting simple knock down shots on most holes.  As I watched one of the younger players in our group continue to hit the typical high, but off line shots resulting in lost balls and high scores, you could sense (and hear) his frustration directed toward the challenging course conditions.  I overhead one of our playing companions suggest he try what I had been doing by keeping the ball low and swinging easier.  Content to play the same game he played at home, this young golfer, who normally played to a 5 handicap, ended up with a round well into the 90’s. Needless to say, he also wasn’t much for enjoyable company on the long ride home.

On the other hand, despite not being at my best, I ended up posting a very good score on a course that I had never played before.  Simply because I had accepted the realities of the situation and adjusted my playing style.

Now I must also tell you the following day, we played the Old course at Ballybunion and I ended up with a terrible score for the day amidst the rain and tough course conditions.  Nevertheless, it was a great experience for our entire group because we all accepted the realities of the situation and focused on the beauty of the course, the fellowship, and the good laughs about some of our play.

That being said, it becomes easier for the traveling golfer to accept the occasional bad shot or missed putt, but still enjoy the vacation experience with friends and fellow golfers.  After all, we have all experienced the occasional episode where a member of our foursome has a bad day and engages in a hole by hole tirade, which does little for their game, but does throw a wet blanket over the experience for the rest of the group.

Bottom line here is simple….”keep the traveling golf experience in perspective.”  Acknowledge up front the pitfalls and circumstances you will encounter and accept them.  If you end up playing well it will become an incredible experience.  If not, you will still have an enjoyable golfing experience to remember, without the expense of the new putter.