Day four in Ireland brought us to Portmarnock Old Course—perhaps our favorite pairing of the trip so far, and certainly one of the most memorable days.

We had an 8:50 a.m. tee time, which meant boarding the bus at 7:00 for the short 15- to 20-minute drive. We were paired with Mark and Jody Cicci, whom we’d already gotten to know over card games and a few Guinnesses earlier in the trip. We knew we enjoyed their company; we just didn’t yet realize how much fun we would have playing alongside them.

Portmarnock Old was absolutely beautiful. Of all the courses we played, it may have carried the strongest sense of history. It was the kind of place where every hole felt established, intentional, and unmistakably Irish.

Beth was especially impressive. She had been understandably worried about playing six consecutive rounds of 18 holes, but by this point she was finding her stride. On the opening tee—with plenty of people watching—she piped one right down the middle, long and straight. It was a wonderful start.

Jody and Beth were similarly matched by handicap, as were Mark and I, which made for a very balanced round. Unfortunately, we came up short. I didn’t play quite as well as I could have, while Mark played exceptionally well. Beth and Jody were pretty even, so Mark ended up being the difference maker.

This was also our first experience playing with caddies. Beth had been hesitant beforehand—not because she didn’t appreciate the help, but because she felt strange about someone carrying clubs while we played. I kept telling her that caddying is a real profession, and that many caddies genuinely enjoy the work, the course knowledge, and meeting golfers from around the world.

Beth chose one of the automatic push trolleys. I took a caddy named Robbie.

Robbie was an exceptional lad, probably around 35 (the lad on the right above). He had spent the previous decade running nightclubs, but had caddied when he was younger. This was his second year back on the bag because, as I had told Beth, he missed it. He missed being outside, being around golf, and talking with people from Ireland and abroad. He was terrific company and made the round even better.

Afterward, we had a pint on the patio before realizing we needed to make our Thai massage appointment in nearby Malahide. Since the bus would not leave in time, we had the drivers unload our clubs in the hotel lobby later and grabbed a cab ourselves.

Neither of us had ever had a Thai massage before.

It was wild. At one point, a tiny Thai woman was on my back, working through pressure points with a level of force I was not expecting. There was stretching, slapping, pressure, and enough intensity that when I walked out, Beth looked at me and asked, “What just happened in there?”

I told her to walk in and find out.

She emerged feeling about the same way I did: refreshed, loosened up, and a little sore from one of the deepest massages either of us had experienced.

Naturally, we followed it with a pint.

We sat outside at a pub patio while a light sprinkle began. Then we watched the locals quickly head indoors. Beth and I looked at each other and decided that if the locals were moving, we should probably follow. We made it to the door just in time. About 15 seconds later, the sky opened up, and it poured for the next 45 minutes.

We settled in with a couple more Guinnesses, replayed the day, and then went to Siam Thai for dinner. The meal was excellent, and afterward we sat outside waiting for our ride—Free Now, Ireland’s version of Lyft—while watching college-aged kids play soccer in the park across the street as the sun went down.

Eventually, we made it back to the hotel. Our clubs were waiting in the lobby, and by then it was close to 10:00 p.m. After a 6:00 a.m. start, 18 holes at Portmarnock Old, and a truly rigorous massage, we were completely spent.

A wonderful day four. Portmarnock Old was one of the most beautiful courses I have ever played, and Ireland continues to deliver.

Jeff & Beth ☺️

On to day 5