Golf. Again...

I've already played more golf, in under a week, than I've played in any other visit in total.  Thanks to Candee for her patience and forbearance.  The golf transpires in beautiful settings, but yesterday's track, Carne Links on the Belmullet peninsula, was a very, very challenging hike.  The course crosses huge sand dunes in the Northwest quadrant of Co Mayo and, although I have worked very hard in both walking and biking at home, this was a difficult physical challenge.  Candee tagged along for the front nine and then took a break in the clubhouse.  Padraic and I labored along and, thank God, I was effective off the tee - essential to clear the many gullies, caverns, abysses and other bedevilments this world-class golf course threw in our way.  I actually played quite well.  A couple of putts could've dropped, a couple a chips and pitches could have met a luckier fate, but overall a pretty satisfying round for a guy who plays so infrequently.  It did help that Padraic coached me to overcome my most deadly swing fault - not maintaining proper balance - an iniquity known to the golfer as a "reverse pivot." Deadly to accuracy, deadly to distance.  Padraic's reminders helped in a most measurable way.

Carne runs right along the Atlantic and, again, we had a glorious day.  Brilliant sunshine and stunning blue skies.  The course is one of those which avid American golfers dream of playing their life long.  Padraic and his buddies - "the lads" - hop in their car and are on the first tee in an hour and a quarter.  And this applies to several world-class "links" courses - Connemara in Ballyconneely, Enniscrone in north Mayo.  Go a little further and you hit Rosses Point in Co Sligo, Murvagh in Donegal - courses all ranked among the best in the world.  Ah, get back green monster of envy!  An honor and privilege that Padraic has dragged me along on such outings.