The trip was simple wonderful – and certainly exceeded all my expectations.
The courses were even better than I’d ever imagined. Despite being wet and very windy at times, we’d have certainly settled for the weather we ended up with – it wasn’t cold at all and we did have some beautiful sunshine at times. It would be pretty straightforward outlining a long list of golfing highlights but my own personal memories related to the non-golf stuff:
1. Some of the inventive team names: “Teama Maria” (named after one of the waitresses at the Smoke House restaurant in Killarney) and “Team Taches” (Simon+Christian shaving off their beards so they join Barry as a team of moustached golfers – see photograph!).
2. Ken’s new golf umbrella disintegrating in the gales at Waterville within a mere 2 seconds.
3. Simon+Christian dancing an Irish jig beside the 18th green at Lahinch in the pouring rain – we’d agreed this would be the forfeit for the losing team!
4. The idiosyncrasies of the “Sat-Navs” in each of the three cars and how Ken’s mapreader sent us all along a single track road (complete with grass running along its middle) for several miles after the Shannon ferry crossing.
5. Driving along the headland road as we approached Old Head Golf Course and being “blown away” at its improbable location and stunning scenery.
6. SteveE’s collection of Irish CDs which kept us happy on a various journeys and which will now forever be associated with the tour (eg. The Pogues, The Chieftains, The Corrs, Enya and U2).
7. Playing pool in a Lahinch bar and being entertained by Christain issuing instructions/team tactics to Ken.
8. The stunning beauty of south-west Ireland.
1. Some of the inventive team names: “Teama Maria” (named after one of the waitresses at the Smoke House restaurant in Killarney) and “Team Taches” (Simon+Christian shaving off their beards so they join Barry as a team of moustached golfers – see photograph!).
2. Ken’s new golf umbrella disintegrating in the gales at Waterville within a mere 2 seconds.
3. Simon+Christian dancing an Irish jig beside the 18th green at Lahinch in the pouring rain – we’d agreed this would be the forfeit for the losing team!
4. The idiosyncrasies of the “Sat-Navs” in each of the three cars and how Ken’s mapreader sent us all along a single track road (complete with grass running along its middle) for several miles after the Shannon ferry crossing.
5. Driving along the headland road as we approached Old Head Golf Course and being “blown away” at its improbable location and stunning scenery.
6. SteveE’s collection of Irish CDs which kept us happy on a various journeys and which will now forever be associated with the tour (eg. The Pogues, The Chieftains, The Corrs, Enya and U2).
7. Playing pool in a Lahinch bar and being entertained by Christain issuing instructions/team tactics to Ken.
8. The stunning beauty of south-west Ireland.
9. The excellent glasses of Guinness and the BushMills whiskey!
10. The really wonderful company of SteveE, Ken, Simon, Barry and Christian and the various incidents that kept us all entertained.
10. The really wonderful company of SteveE, Ken, Simon, Barry and Christian and the various incidents that kept us all entertained.
Just wonderful times.
I love this list! Especially the music!
ReplyDeleteI should have told you to get some dairymilk chocolate - it's totally different and utterly gorgeous. Maybe you need to go back! X