Ireland, Day Five: Seapoint, the Mixer, and One Very Close $10,000 Shot
Day five at Seapoint was a little different from the rounds that came before it.
In the previous two rounds, Beth and I had played as a pair against another pair. Up to that point, we had been matched with other couples, but that was not always the format for the trip. Later, we would play alongside two men a few times as well.
Seapoint was what the Chasing Scratch crew called a “mixer.”
For the mixer, they broke up most of the pairings—unless you were a couple, father and son, mother and daughter, or another family unit that made sense to keep together. Beth and I stayed together, then were paired with two golfers from other groups: Matt from the Atlanta area and Scott from Oakland.
Scott quickly became “Bizarro Scott.”
We have a close friend named Scott back home, and this Scott was his near-perfect counterpart: similar mannerisms, personality, sense of humor, and general presence. If you know Seinfeld’s Bizarro World concept, you understand exactly what we mean. Bizarro Scott was fantastic, and Matt was equally great. We had a wonderful time with both of them.
The format was also different. It was not Beth and me against Matt and Scott. Instead, the four of us formed one team competing against the other foursomes in the field. It did not affect the overall tournament standings, but there were still prizes and bragging rights on the line.
Seapoint may have been my favorite course of the entire trip.
The only caveat: unlike the sunny photos you may see, this was our one truly Irish weather day. The wind was howling—steady around 50 to 60 kilometers per hour, with even stronger gusts. We constantly put rain gear on, took it off, walked for 20 minutes, played a few holes, and repeated the whole process. Every few holes, the weather seemed to change its mind.
It was exactly the kind of Irish golf you hear about, and it was fantastic.
Our caddy was Joshua, a 24-year-old science teacher and one of my favorites of the trip purely on personality. He might not have been the most technical golf caddy we had, but he was an exceptional person and great company all day. He loved using the word “tidy,” and at one point he told me that everything in my game—other than getting off the tee—was quite tidy.
I’ll take it.
We had a blast with Matt and Scott, then headed back to the Portmarnock Resort for the usual post-round routine: Guinness, food, and swapping stories at the pub.
That evening was also the barbecue mixer, which felt a little like opening ceremonies for the trip. Everyone gathered together, relaxed, and got to know one another better. We had a chance to sit and talk with Mike and Eli, the two Chasing Scratch hosts, and the whole group was in great spirits.
One final moment from the round: there was a $10,000 hole-in-one contest on what I believe was the 15th hole.
I hit a shot that had everyone on the tee box—probably 10 to 15 people—saying, “Oh my God, that’s going in.”
The ball landed three or four feet short of the pin, tracking straight at it. For a moment, it looked like we might pay for the entire trip and then some. But the slope and backspin took over; it rolled back and eventually came off the green, finishing around 10 or 12 feet away.
So close.
Beth was convinced we had just won $10,000. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be—but it made for one of the more exciting shots of the trip.
