Magical Mystery Tour

It began with a WhatsApp exchange.

Padraic: "Do you want to do something really stupid on Wednesday?"

Me: "I'm intrigued. 😬💪"

Padraic: "Would you do an overnight on Wednesday?"

Me: "No problem"

Padraic: "Departing Duffys at 8:45 am tomorrow.  Be present with your travelling partner, an overnight bag and, most importantly, your golf clubs."

Me: "Deal 😀"

Padraic: "Pack enough balls"

And that's all the information I had as we departed the Duffys' house on Kings Hill for a golf adventure.

The first clue appeared as we left town in a northeasterly direction.  That ruled out Connemara Links to the south in Ballyconneely, Co Galway or Carne Links to the northwest on the Belmullet Peninsula in Co Mayo.

The options going north were endless.  Would it be a return to Rosses Point (Co Sligo) where we had a grand time a few years ago?  Tom Coyne, author of A Course Called Ireland, ranked this course the #1 course for links purists in Ireland.  Gorgeous golf holes, meandering up and down the coastline of Sligo Bay with the constant presence of the mighty mountain, Belbulben dominating the skyline.

Could it be Strandhill, Rosses Point's poor little sister?  This lovely course is sited at the foot of Knocknarea mountain, mythologic burial place of Maeve, the beautiful warrior Queen of Connaught (one of the four provinces of Ireland).  The top of the mountain is capped with bare granite and Maeve is said to be buried upright in the cairn, sword in hand, facing her enemies in Ulster.  Strandhill is right on the Atlantic coastline - as you play you might admire the surfing techniques of its many devotees who travel to this beach for the well-shaped waves.  Although I am fond of Strandhill, it is not among Padraic's favorites.  Just didn't seem to suit his game when we were there a few years ago.  Too many blind shots and not a level stance to be had as you addressed your ball - craters and mounds dominated the fairways.

But as we drove through Sligo town, we passed the turnoffs for both these two tasty bits of linksland.

Still traveling north, Co. Donegal's course, referred to most commonly as Murvagh (the town in which it's located), came next to mind.  Located on a peninsula extending into the Atlantic, we had nothing but fond memories from our visit there last year.  It's a beautiful mix of high dunes and expansive views of land and sea - field and farm in the distance, whitecaps and a disappearing horizon out toward the ocean.

We had been given a remarkable day - hardly a cloud in the sky, the ambient temperature somewhere in the high sixties, a gentle breeze bringing in light scents of the grasses and the seaside.  Murvagh would be perfect...  And indeed, though waiting to the last minute, Padraic steered the car left onto the approach road - we had a teetime at half noon (12:30 to you Yanks), plenty of time to stretch out, have a cappuccino, and anticipate the coming adventure from the clubhouse.  A great day it was.  As always, one hopes for good fortune and a serviceable swing, but the beauty of the day and the setting - and most especially the great good company of our friends - overcame whatever regret arose over the poorly executed shot and the accurately aimed putt fallen short.  As is customary, Candee walked the front nine with us then peeled off to the clubhouse, finding a spot to read her book and enjoy a cider while we finished.

Click here for a drone video.  Oh, do it.

Click on the picture for a larger version

We finished our round, had a quick snack and review of our play, and prepared to move our adventure forward.  As we left Murvagh and approached the main road, Padraic queried "left or right?" - north or south?  Right would bring into consideration the aforementioned Rosses Point and perhaps even Enniscrone or Carne.  But Rosses Point would really be the only probable choice, the others immense golfing challenges with behemoth dunes, unforgiving rough, and very testing carries from the tee over terrain that an Army Ranger would find inhospitable.  We've enjoyed them in the past; our games are just not there at this point.  Padraic ended the suspense and headed north.  Oh, the head did spin.

Rosapenna?  Three courses including the much heralded re-design of the St. Patrick's Links by Tom Doak, one of the hottest course designers on the planet.  All three share space on the Atlantic Coast, all three rank high on the best courses in Ireland.   Narin & Portnoo? Also on the coast, also re-designed - this time by Gil Hanse, perhaps hotter than Doak, and a man chosen to re-do the venerable Pinehurst #2 in preparation for the US Open a few years ago.  Or Portsalon? On the Fanad Peninsula, near one of the most photographed spots in Ireland -  the Fanad Lighthouse.  A fine links hard by the sea.

Or...  Or, might it be Ballyliffin?  Padraic had played there a few times in recent years past with his "lads" - his regular fourball (we'd say foursome) group.  An exciting notion.  Clearly one that would be on my heartheld bucket list.  Close to the furthest northern point of Ireland - Malin Head.   Was this the "do something stupid?" part - to drive so far afield, at least four hours' driving time from Westport, and (perhaps more stupid) play 36 holes in two days?

As we passed each potential turn, the options narrowed.  We had come too far north to be Narin & Portnoo, too far east to be Rosapenna.  Would we go on the west side of Lough Swilly to Portsalon or easterly toward Ballyliffin...

Although Padraic was the master of suspense, I am not.  Yes, dear friends.  It was Ballyliffin.  Two world-class links courses and one of the most handsome clubhouses I've ever seen.

Pat Ruddy, a revered and iconoclastic Irish course developer and founder of The European Club on Ireland's east coast, does more justice describing Ballyliffin than my meager talents would allow.

"Golf arrived in Ballyliffin in 1947 when a links was established by the simple means of cutting grass and scraping some elementary shapes in the sand to create putting surfaces.  This is all that a tiny impecunious golf club could afford to do, but the result was the most amazing moonscape of a links: fairways wobbled and bobbled through acres of otherwise virgin dunesland and fairly exploded in the mind as the eye strove to make sense of the play of light and shadow on verdant hillocks and hollows.  Visually stunning it was, and is, and all the more so when one's white golf ball tosses and tumbles from mound to valley to mound and nobody knows where it goes - until it stops and invites another stroke full of challenge, promise, and uncertainty."    from Emerald Gems, a photo book by LC Lambrecht

Click here for a drone video

Following photos from Ballyliffin website

And Ballyliffin was all of that.  We started in fine weather and watched threatening clouds build behind the mountains.  A drenching downpour looked possible, but no such weather arrived.  All three of us had our moments - Padraic had a particularly discouraging front nine but rallied mightily on the back.  I seemed to alternate good and bad, but loved every opportunity to take another lash at the ball.  And, as always, Marion proved the superior golfer - not in her finest form, but certainly good enough to take the wager.  A tough course to play for the first time; course knowledge would've helped a bit.  If so blessed, I'd love another swipe at it.

Both courses were great value.  Murvagh was 40 Euro.  We played on an "Open Day," a time when Irish clubs allow members of other clubs to play at substantially reduced rates.  We're all members of Golf Ireland, the Irish equivalent of the USGA, and members of Westport Golf Club.  Membership in GI is only available to members of golf clubs and costs approximately 30 Euro for a year.  Playing 18 holes at Murvagh would generally cost 120 Euros this time of year.  Ballyliffin was 80 Euro to us, normally 180.  Having a Golf Ireland membership is obviously a very valuable aspect of having a club membership..

Although I've focused, as I so often do, on the golf, it was only the canvas upon which a lovely and memorable few days with dear friends was painted.  The sights, the food, the music, the company, and most importantly the conversation - the "chats" - were the brush strokes that completed a most cherished portrait of this time of our fortunate lives.