Irish Jig is Huge Success

Recently, forty golfers from St. Louis, representing six of the Gateway PGA clubs, embarked upon Irish soil for the first St. Louis Irish Jig Pro/Am.

To summarize the event: it was a well-planned trip, good weather for Ireland and very tough golf.

Golf:

The view at Old Head.

For those who haven't been to Ireland, the golf is as demanding as you have heard. You not only experience undulating greens, but you have undulating fairways. From the minute your ball leaves the tee, you might as well strap an AAA TripTik to your drive. Hopefully you conquer the blustery wind and horizontal rain to remain in play. Then, firing approach shots to rock-hard greens that are elevated, blind or hanging on the side of a hill makes for an interesting approach shot.

Once on the green, you need to bring a carpenter's level with you. Anything downhill is like rolling off a desktop. Uphill, the ball doesn't stop either. Many golfers rolled the ball 10' and 12' past the cup, only to face a downhill Screaming Eagle.

We began the trip at Killarney Golf and Fishing Club, established in 1893, after an eight-hour plane ride from Chicago to Dublin and another hour to Shannon. The day was mild and the scores weren't too bad. The next morning, we took a two-hour bus ride to Old Head Golf Links - a spectacular 18-hole venue on top of a rock hard peninsula that jets into the ocean. Although the day was fairly mild, the winds would gust often enough to have your caddy allow for a 30-mile cross wind that sometimes didn't happen. What did happen were a few errant balls driven into the ocean or down one of the 100-foot cliffs. Old Head is the only course we've ever heard of that warns you to "Sit down on the course if the fog moves in and we'll find you. Do not attempt to come in on your own!" I suppose they've either lost someone or they're trying to keep insurance premiums down.

Typically, nine holes inland, nine holes along the Atlantic.

Day three was at Waterville, which definitely lived up to its name. As we departed the bus, the weather changed and all forty golfers dawned their rain suits, stocking caps and rain gloves. It was warm with 20-30 mph winds and horizontal rain. However, the weather in Ireland is like that of St. Louis - it changes in a matter of minutes. We played most of the round in the rainy conditions until the sun came out on hole 17.

On day four we played Greg Norman-designed Doonbeg. Most felt the greens were too severe and in some cases, even unfair. The course was nice, but you could hit two or three great shots only to struggle later on his greens. Rumor has it that the course is ready to undergo some changes eventhough it's only a few years old.

Sunsets are dramatic over Doonbeg.

The final two courses were very impressive. Traylee, an Arnold Palmer design, was a favorite of many. The course is typical Arnold - give a little and take a little. We played a fair test with good link conditions and mild weather. Our final round was at Ballebunion Cashen Course, again, a great course with tough conditions.

By the time we headed back to the airport, most players were getting the hang of Irish golf and the scores started to come down. In fact, many said they wished we could have played all the courses twice because of the number of blind shots and position shots that were guessed wrong.

Overall, the golf was great, the scenery spectacular and the weather decent.

Lodging:
We stayed at the Killarney Inn in Killarney, which featured excellent accommodations and a delicious breakfast. Later, we moved to the Woodstock Hotel in Ennis. Again, the accommodations were excellent with good service and a great pub.

Dining:

Defying the Atlantic at Old Head!

Since Ireland is big into beef and seafood, it's hard to get a bad meal. We started with a Pro-Am opening banquet, featuring a steak and seafood medley entrée, at the Killarney Hotel. Throughout the week, we ate at several courses, including Old Head and Waterville, prior to the drives back to the hotel. In Ennis, we ate at Hal Pino's Restaurant. The final night featured a closing banquet at the Woodstock Hotel.

Cost:
The Pro/Am trip allowed us to experience special aspects that an individually planned trip could not supply. My guess is that you could do the trip, with driver, for $2,500 and up. For inquiries, contact Jerry Quinlin, of Jerry Quinlin's Celtic Golf at 353-(0)87-237-3351 or jquinlan@jqcelticgolf.com.

Final Thought:
As director of public relations for the PGA Gateway Section, Bill Burton, bburton@pgahq.com, did an excellent job of coordinating this event. His hard work and dedication helped create a golf trip we'll never forget!

Finally, it's a shame all golfers cannot experience Irish golf. It was a fantastic time, full of great stories and memories. If you do take a golf trip to Ireland, one suggestion is to play fewer courses so you can play them twice. You really never know how good or bad you are performing because of the endless number of blind shots and bad bounces. Regardless of your scheduling, you'll have a great time and, if you prepare for the Irish weather, it becomes a non-factor for the trip.

Review provided by Mike Drone.