Ireland, Day Three: Our First Round of Irish Links Golf
Day Three brought our first official round of golf—and our first experience with true Irish links golf—at Jameson Golf Links.
We were paired with Drake and Paulette, a couple from Alabama whom we had met at dinner the previous evening. They had been together for five years and were celebrating their anniversary on August 5, the day after ours.
Before the round, the starter told us some of the fascinating history behind the property. It once belonged to the Jameson whiskey family, and the hotel began as one of their country residences. The family’s connection to golf eventually helped inspire the course that now carries the Jameson name. You can actually see the Jameson burial ground just to the right of the fairway on the first hole!
Because we had one of the earliest tee times of the day—I believe we were the third group to go out—there were plenty of people around to watch us begin. Needless to say, we were fairly nervous. It was our first attempt at genuine Irish links golf, and it felt as though we had a lot of eyes on us.
Once we got started, however, the nerves began to settle. The course was utterly beautiful. We hit some good shots, hit some bad shots and had a wonderful time playing alongside Drake and Paulette.
The round ultimately took approximately six and a half hours. For the nongolfers reading this, that is roughly two and a half hours longer than a typical round! I think everyone was still learning how to play Irish links golf, which is quite different from the golf most of us were accustomed to. We were also moving a little more slowly because it was nearly impossible not to stop and admire the scenery.
Most importantly, Beth and I won our match against Drake and Paulette. Day One of golf: success. Victory was ours!
After the round, we returned to our room for an hour or two of rest. We changed clothes, took a bit of a nap and watched an episode or two of Dutton Ranch—a much-needed opportunity to relax after such a long day on the course.
That evening, we met Drake and Paulette for dinner at the same pub we had visited the night before. We once again thoroughly enjoyed their company. I brought a deck of cards and introduced them to a game known simply as “the worst card game ever.”
If you aren’t familiar with it, I will hopefully have an opportunity to introduce you the next time Beth and I see you. More on that another day.
Drake and Paulette were initially taken aback by the game, but they quickly came to love it. A few other people joined us as the evening continued, and we spent several hours after dinner playing cards, consuming Guinness—as one does in Ireland—and genuinely enjoying everyone’s company.
Eventually, we returned to our room for another relatively early night. Round Two awaited us the following day, and this time we wouldn’t be able to simply walk out the hotel door and onto the course. We had a bus to catch and a 30- to 45-minute ride ahead of us before our next tee time.
