Ireland is such a warm, welcoming and beautiful country! I spent 4 days travelling around the western and southern part of the country – stopping at some top notch golf courses along the way.

I flew into Shannon Airport and were immediately faced with the dreaded and daunting task of driving on the “wrong” side of the road. It really was not as bad as I initially thought…the trick is to always stay to the left! There are a number of roundabouts and some very narrow backroads but all had room to pull to the side if needed. The first stop was in Killarney,  a town in southwest of Ireland’s County Kerry. It’s a stop on the Ring of Kerry scenic drive, and the start and finishing point of the 200-km Kerry Way walking trail. The town’s 19th-century buildings include St. Mary’s Cathedral, and across the bridge is Killarney National Park. It is a vibrant little town with some great restaurants and pubs. I tried a traditional Irish dish called Boxty, and also the seafood chowder. This chowder was nearly everywhere I went and it was delicious every time I tried it (literally every meal😊).

The first golf stop was Tralee Golf Club. The records show that golf has been played in Tralee since 1896. In October 2009, Tralee Golf Club celebrated its 25th anniversary since its move from the town of Tralee to its present location on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The course was designed by Arnold Palmer.

I took a short break from golf the next day to make the pilgrimage Blarney Castle and Gardens to kiss the Blarney Stone.  The castle originally dates to 1210 – It was destroyed in 1446, but subsequently rebuilt by Cormac MacCarthy. At the top of the castle lies the Stone of Eloquence, better known as the Blarney Stone. There are many versions of the origin of the stone, including a claim that it was the Lia Fail— a numinous stone upon which Irish kings were crowned, or that it was part of Jacob’s pillow from biblical times. After climbing up a very high and narrow staircase, trying to not thing about the fact that it was built over 600 years ago, you then must hang upside-down over a sheer drop to kiss the stone, which is said to give the gift of eloquence. It is a bit scary!! Surrounding the castle are extensive gardens, including a poison garden with a number of poisonous plants and the estate house. I even enjoyed some rare Irish sunshine to walk around and explore the beautiful area.

After the walk around the gardens,  I went on to Kinsale, a small coastal town on the southern part of the Island. This postcard-like town was a lovely stop and there was live music in nearly every pub.

Old Head Golf Club was the second golf stop. Literally taking up an entire coastline, this stunning peninsula reaching out over two miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Old Head of Kinsale is home to the most spectacular golf views I’ve ever seen! This is probably one of my favorite courses I’ve ever played, and definitely the first time I’ve ever hit a golf ball of a cliff, cascading down into the ocean. This was my first experience of the real Irish golf winds as well!

The final stop on the trip is Ballybunion. Founded in 1893, this world-renowned course is easily one of the top in the world both from a challenge perspective as well as the rugged beauty. Another stunning coastline and challenging links set-up (not to mention some EXTREMELY long par 3s) make this one of the toughest yet enjoyable courses I’ve played. I was so thankful for my caddie on several blind tee shots!

Ireland is well worth adding to the list – I’ll be planning around trip back as soon as possible!  I think I need another shot to prove myself on the Irish coastal courses.

– MAL

Hotels/Guest Houses:

• Killarney- Killarney Lodge
• Kinsale – Desmond House
• Ballybunion – Teach de Broc

Restaurants:

• Course ClubHouses/Bars – we actually had lunch at all 3 of the clubhouses. All were great and had incredible views. Old Head probably the nicest/best food.
• Killarney:
  • Bricin – absolutely amazing! Moved our reservation to get the early menu. If you have a reservation before 6:45, it’s 3 courses for €27!! Its got a great local dish called Boxty.
  • Murphy’s pub
  • Laurels
  • Courtney’s
• Kinsale
  • Fishy Fishy – had an app and cocktail here. Gorgeous view of the water.
  • Blue haven – great outdoor space in the back and a cool connected sportsbar (we were there while the Kinsale Rugby team was playing a big match)
  • White House – dinner
  • Sam’s Bar – local pub with fun live music every night

Sites:

• St. Mary’s Cathedral (Killarney)
• Blarney Castle and Gardens
• Kinsale Downtown and Waterfront (Kinsale)