9/10/2023
We departed for Dublin last Wednesday, our baggage packed with all the necessary gear to handle the elements we expected to encounter over the course of the trip. This was my first visit to Ireland and members that have travelled there in the past told me to prepare for anything and everything. Upon returning last Thursday, I can report that the rain gear, neck warmers, togues, etc., never made their way out of my luggage. I could have left all of that at home in exchange for a few more pairs of shorts! We were very lucky to get warm and sunny conditions throughout the entire trip. Aside from our round at Ballybunion (sustained 35km wind/gusting to 50km), we also had very calm wind.
The town of Killarney was our home base for the first five nights of the trip. This location allowed us to branch out to play Old Head, Waterville, Killarney, and Tralee. Following our round at Ballybunion, we continued to the town of Lahinch for our final two nights. Our trip concluded with a round at the Old Course at Lahinch. I have included some photos of each club that visited during this trip. The pictures confirm what I described above, lots of blue skies! One of the biggest surprises for me was when we arrived in Lahinch. There were multiple surf shops and lots of locals out catching some waves when the tide was moving in. I DID NOT expect to see surfboards at any point in the trip!!?? Our very own, Jaime Hugessen decided to join the locals and go for a swim in the Atlantic on our final night.
Since the participants of this trip were going to miss the Club’s Ryder Cup event, I decided to organize our own Ryder Cup event over the course of the entire trip. It was only fitting that we divided the group into two teams, Canada vs. Ireland. Representing Team Canada was Doug Painter, Ross Reimer, Pierre Lemaire, Kevin McKenzie, Bill Lambert, and Tim Price. Team Ireland included me, Dan Welton, Jaime Hugessen, Tom Marsh, Dan Gallo, and Bob Cook.
Heading into the singles in the final round, Ireland held a five-point lead. Team Canada won the singles 10.5 to 7.5 to close the gap. Unfortunately, it was not enough, and Ireland was the winner 28 to 26. Aside from bragging rights, the winners were treated to a pint of Guiness from the losing team. There were also some daily competitions, including skins which added to the fun and provided some great conversation at dinner every night.
A big THANK YOU to Bob Cook for working closely with JD Golf Tours to organize this trip! The success of this trip would not have been possible without all the work you did behind the scenes. I feel lucky to have shared this experience with such a great group of our members! Looking forward to another adventure in the not-too-distant future…
