by Margaret Swaine | Feb 7, 2008
By Margaret Swaine
On my first trip to Ireland I chickened out on my pre-booked golf game. Travelling with a friend who was a beginner golfer, we both got cold feet and it wasn’t just because of the rain. Ireland is known for its famous golf courses and I’d heard players there seriously frown on hackers. At that stage in my life boasting neither a carded handicap nor a score below 100, I feared embarrassment.
In truth many golfers don’t break 100. While I’ve achieved that I’m still no Annika Sorenstam. Thus when a conference in Galway brought me to Ireland again, I went on a post meetings mission in search of Irish links for all skill levels. My side agenda was to locate spots so irresistible that even with my non-golfing husband would be happy.
The Emerald Isle’s a Mecca for golfers with over 440 golf courses. Some like Ballybunion and Portmarnock are on all serious golfers’ hit list but even the Irish have to have courses for the high handicapper. These laid back easier links often fall under the category of ‘hidden gems’.
The first stop in my quest was the beautiful Glenlo Abbey, an historic property on the outskirts of Galway which like many castle and abbey properties in Ireland came with its own private golf course. I’d toured a few pre-conference. Dromoland, close to Shannon airport, recently spent $8 million to redesign their golf course under acclaimed golf architects Ron Kirby and J.B. Carr. The championship course roams through shady woodlands and around feral lakes of the 16th century baronial castle. The practice area available to all guests has the latest in technology and fun challenges like a sand trap recreated to match the 17th “Road Hole” bunker of St. Andrews.
Sister castle, Ashford, has nine holes designed by renown Irish architect Eddie Hackett, set on a gorgeous 350 acre estate with lush gardens by the Lough Corrib lake (Ireland’s second largest). Falconry lessons, archery, clay-pigeon shooting, horseback riding through the countryside, fishing and touring in a jaunting car are other activities. Fine dining tops it off.
Glenlo is less haut monde but no less charming. Rooms look onto the golf course and Lough Corrib or the abbey ruins. The course is a double green nine holer that wouldn’t even intimidate a rank beginner. The twosome hacking in front of me gave credence to that. A 12 bay driving range and the low cost of 15 Euro (about $21) meant it attracted plenty of young local lads.
Dinner was a hoot in the authentic Pullman railcars that overlook the links. The 1927 built Leona, the older of the two cars, was part of the original Orient Express and featured in Agatha Christie’s classic murder movie. After dinner I discovered the Irish penchant for great hotel bathrooms (in the better hotels at least). My tub was so big I could do a breaststroke in it. The heated towel rack was invaluable as a place to dry out wet golfing gear. Fooled by earlier sunshine, I’d forgotten Irish weather is as fickle as fate.
I drove to Clifden the next morning through the rugged landscape of south Connemara. Even locals called the roads treacherous. Narrow and winding with blind corners they were often flanked with stonewalls that left no escape from oncoming buses. After an hour of heart stopping driving I passed Keogh’s pub and Bunowen castle to where the road narrowed to a single lane. This was Ireland’s Highlands of stony fields, barren soil, and in the past poverty and famine. It seemed impossible there was anything at end of this road but Connemara Championship Golf Links suddenly came into view.
The pro Gareth Anthony filled me in on the lay of the land. This was a links course unlike the “link type” ones I’ve played in Canada. True links are up against the ocean on barren sandy grounds that link the sea with more fertile growing fields. Nothing but tough grass grows making good grazing land for sheep (seen wandering onto the afore mentioned roads) and a real good challenge for golfers. This is where rough really is rough. If you should find your ball after landing in it, the grass will grab your swinging club stronger than a giant’s hand.
The roughs and the hard undulating fairways that follow the curves of sand dunes are child’s play compared to the winds howling off the Atlantic. “We call this mild,” said Anthony. “Windy are the days when the flags are blown out of the holes. At least your first time playing a links course you have sunshine. Most have to contend with wind and rain. It throws them off,” he added cheerily. “Imagine fifty mile an hour winds and try to hit a ball forward.”
Off I went. The fairways rose and fell such that the only way I could tell my ball landed was when the seagulls scattered. On one of the holes a crow stole my ball. Yet the scenery and in fact the whole experience while intimidating was awe-inspiring. The Eddie Hackett designed course opened in 1973, was nestled between Twelve Bens Mountain Range and the sea. It’s the most southern of a string of 11 links courses in northwest Ireland that run from Connemara to Royal Port Rush. Green fees are 60 Euros in summer (half that in winter) and you don’t need a handicap certificate. Despite the weather it’s open year round. Even if it rains for six weeks solid the water drains effectively through the sandy soils.
The most beautiful I left for last. Doonbeg, a $150 million development, is the ultimate in lavish country manor style luxury. The five-star property which opened May 2006 includes White Horses spa, fantastic dining and a magnificent course by Greg Norman. Norman visited about 30 times to get the design right keeping the natural layout and the high 500-foot grass covered dunes.
Food was equal to the golf. Dishes created by James Beard award winning American chef Tom Colicchio and executed by top-notch Irish chef Aidan McGrath were light, modern and so refined. Dinner one night was fresh turbot decorated with vanilla foam, chanterelles and fresh broad beans. Vegetables came in their own little copper pots. Desserts such as a hot raspberry pudding with lemon curd and sorbet were masterful.
The rooms both in the main lodge and the outlying buildings were generously oversize with rain showers, fancy Irish linens and fully equipped kitchens. My two bedroom, two level Norman themed suite had both a garden terrace and an upper balcony that overlooked the huge horseshoe shaped beach.
My caddy, Oliver, helped me better my golf when I teed off the next morning with assistant pro Liam Duggan as my playing partner. In traditional fashion the first nine holes headed away from the clubhouse with the ocean crashing on the left while the back nine returned, ocean now to the right. The fairways had been widened since last year’s opening to improve the fun factor for Americans. (Too many were losing balls and doing a six hour round.) The seven-mile walk was invigorating and necessary – only those with a medical certificate can get a cart. The sun came and went with the requisite rain shower at one point. Oliver made the game a pleasure with his knowledge of the bounce of the fairways and the direction for the putts. (All the caddies at Doonbeg are extensively trained on the course before they are allowed to work.)
Surfing, horseback riding, cycling, sailing and other activities were available had I the time. Tiny Doonbeg village, the home of four pubs, was ten minutes away. On the cliffs loop I could have driven to the furthest western point in Ireland and found Keatings the last bar before New York. Within an hour were some of Ireland’s great link courses such as Lahinch and Ballybunion. However the place was so captivating I was loath to go anywhere else. In the dining room I watched the sun setting over the Atlantic while the wind roared and waves crashed on Doughmore Beach.
Doonbeg was such a high reaching project, on an isolated spit of land at the end of treacherous roads that locals thought it would never work. As a newly built American funded development I feared I would find it Disneyesque. Instead I had only a petty quibble or two – about the lack of oversize Irish bathtubs for example. Of course it costs to play here (green fees can top 150 Euro in summer) and to stay (accommodations start at over 400 Euro in summer) but what price nirvana?
In the end I was left salivating for more. For more of Doonbeg, more of Ireland and more golf. I’m bringing my husband next spring. He’d love the food, the ocean, the rooms in castles, inns and abbeys, the tubs and the walks. Driving the car will be his adventure. Battling wind and weather on the links can be mine – the easier of the two.
Pack Your Clubs
Ireland Golfing
Air
Air Canada offers direct flights to from Toronto to Shannon airport during the high season as does Air Transat. British Airways offers service via London Heathrow to Shannon.
General Information
Tourism Ireland office in Canada: 2 Bloor St. West, Suite 3403. Phone 1-800-223-6470 www.discoverireland.com
West Ireland Tourism: www.irelandwest.ie
Accommodations
Glenlo Abbey: Bushypark, Galway. 011-353-91-526666, info@glenloabbey.ie, www.glenlo.com
Dromoland Castle: Newmarket-on-Fergus, County Clare. 011-353-61-368144 or 1-800-346-7007, sales@dromoland.ie, www.ashfordcastle.com
Ashford Castle: Cong, County Mayo. Phone 011-353-94-954-6003, or 1-800-346-7007 reservations@ashford.ie, www.ashfordcastle.com
Doonbeg Golf Club: County Clare. Phone 011-353-65-905-5602, reservations@doonbeggolfclub.com, www.doonbeggolfclub.com
Golf Courses
North and West Coast Links represents 11 of Ireland’s finest championship links courses from Connemara to Royal Portrush along north west Ireland’s Atlantic seaboard. Their tee-time reservation service covers these 11 courses and others around the country. wclgolf@iol.ie, https://www.irelandnorthwest.ie/thingstodo/golf-courses/
Connemara Championship Links: www.connemaragolflinks.com Designed by Eddie Hackett, Connemara Golf Links is a 27 hole traditional links course situated between the Twelve Bens Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.
Reservations for golf at Dromoland, Ashford and Glenlo can be made through their central reservations systems.
A free Golfers Guide to Ireland 2007 can be obtained by calling the general Ireland tourism office.
Canadian tour operators offering Irish golf packages include: www.irishtravel.ca, www.merit.ca
by Margaret Swaine | Oct 1, 2007
By Margaret Swaine
Fall 2007 ClubLink NewsLink
Greg Norman continues to expand his vinous empire with ever more successful vintages. His first wine labels from Australia were launched back in the late nineties as a joint venture between Great White Shark Enterprises and Beringer Blass Wine Estates. Last year his California Estates wines debuted in Canada to great acclaim. And next?
“Given our success in Australia and California, we might be poised to develop a range in another country, which is groundbreaking as very few wine businesses have transported their brand from one region to another,” Norman commented recently.
Norman’s interest in wine started in the 70s when he was playing professional golf in Europe. “I made it a point to absorb the fine food and wine culture in the many counties I had the opportunity to visit,” he said. Now an avid collector, when he’s at home he opens a bottle most nights with dinner.
“I have 25-40 different varietals and not a real preference to red or white, but like most people tend to match wines with my meals….I’m especially fond of California chardonnays, but nearest to my heart and palate are the wines of Australia,” he said.
Therefore, it is considered as one of the best effective cialis 25mg natural herbs for Aphrodisiac. 6. Website resources as supplements In addition to the known endocrine glands, there are cells spread throughout the body that secrete minute peptides that have instantaneous distal effects in many other areas. cialis for cheap price Kamagra is basically an inhibitor that icks.org viagra soft tab acts on PDE-5 (phosphodiesterase), an enzyme which causes erectile dysfunction. Make sure you take this medicine buy tadalafil mastercard as and when recommended.
However, publicity pictures aside, Norman’s not out picking grapes or topping up barrels. The Greg Norman Estate collections in both countries are in the hands of full-time winemakers. He does give stylistic direction for the wines under his shark logo label which is to make them approachable, food-friendly and good value.
As any golfer knows Norman is actively involving in course design. On a trip this spring to Ireland I was greatly impressed by his links course at Doonbeg. Locals told me Norman visited over 30 times to get it perfect. I asked him about this.
“I have been visiting Ireland for nearly 30 years,” said Norman. “I would always plan my summer schedule around a trip to the British Isles, usually traveling to Ireland or Scotland at the beginning of July, in the weeks before the Open Championship….Yes, I was working on my game, but at the same time I got to see Ireland’s and Scotland’s most famous retreats. These trips prompted me to explore the idea of creating my own course in the region, and I was fortunate to be given the opportunity at Doonbeg. And yes, I did make more than 30 trips to Doonbeg.”
Greg Norman Estates wines benefit from the same devotion to perfection. Now connected with Foster’s Wine Estates (a combo of the former Beringer Blass and Southcorp Wines) the enterprise has access to the over 15,000 hectares of vineyards in around the world. We can expect to see much from this fruitful collaboration. Currently available Greg Norman Estates Australian wines that I heartily recommend include The Limestone Coast Shiraz 2005 ($24.15) which is full flavoured, well balanced with smoky, spicy fruit and a smooth opulence. From California the North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 ($24.95) has a ripe berry character that’s velvety with oak nuances and good intensity.
by Margaret Swaine | Aug 1, 2007
ClubLink NewsLink
For this winter California reds get warm reviews
By Margaret Swaine
Every spring when the Wine Institute of California holds their annual Wine Fair tour that crosses Canada golf club managers came out in force. Wine agents in the know say California wines are big on the golf courses. They are the “go to” wine.
Private golf club members may have a beer or two to refresh right after a game but when they sit down to dinner it is wine that’s the beverage of choice. However in summertime few want the tannic old world reds that demand attention, veneration and long cellar aging. People opt for the more ripe grape character offered by wines from warmer climates. California, Australian, or South American reds are gentler on the palate and often the pocket book.
The Golden State tops the chart in popularity. Golf club managers I talked to all spoke of Cali cabs. With over 1,000 Californian wineries as members of the Wine Institute, choice is never a problem. Or perhaps it is. There is not only a myriad of cabernets but also almost 100 other grape varieties grown in nearly 100 viticultural regions. It’s the world’s fourth largest wine producer after Italy, France and Spain. It’s a blessing then that our clubs do some tasting and selection for us.
They imagine that their credit card will be stolen while you’re attempting to order cheap levitra buy your cologne or perfume. Well, undoubtedly the success rate of IVF technology depends on the kinds of practices used for obtaining the results and the experience of having missed cialis without prescriptions mastercard a few of cycles in the regular breathing or a sensation of being choked Nausea, bloating in the belly, indigestion or stomach pains (in spasms sometimes) Lightheadedness and also dizziness or unsteadiness Hot sensations or chills Dreamlike sensations or perceptual distortions (derealization) Strange sensation of being out of. You can look for more trustworthy supplier on buy cialis http://appalachianmagazine.com/category/news-headlines/page/26/ reviews. 2. Research on rat aging has discovered that the use tadalafil online in uk of herbs can definitely help lessen chronic diarrhea.
Tiger Woods I’ve heard is a sophisticated consumer who favours the pricy Far Niente wines of Napa Valley. I’m told that when he wins the green jacket at Augusta, Far Niente cabernet and chardonnay are his dinner picks.
Of course you can’t go wrong with those big boys of California including Cakebread, Phelps, Chateau St. Jean, and Etude if you have the bucks. For the best from their cellars you generally need at least a C-note per bottle at retail. Chateau St. Jean’s Cinq Cépages Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 (Ontario Classics Catalogue $99.) is an amazingly lush yet elegant red from the best Bordeaux variety vineyards in Sonoma County. (Predominantly cabernet sauvignon it’s blend has four other classic Bordeaux varietals.) Its trademark chocolate cherry bouquet is enhanced by its gripping yet plump tannins and great intensity. Chateau St. Jean also has a lovely Sonoma County Fumé Blanc 2005 ($19.95) that’s a perfect balance of tangy citrus fruit and ripe melon, crisp yet well rounded on the palate.
Etude Merlot 2002 from Napa Valley ($99.99) is an iconic red with big bold ripe flavours, sweet with alcohol (14.8%), plump and plummy in the mouth.
Beringer Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is such a fine wine at a tremendous value ($39.95) that it is a Vintages Essential at the LCBO. The 2004 vintage has a pure ripe brambleberry character and layers of sweet oak and smokiness that is open-knit yummy enjoyment. Stag’s Leap has a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 that’s also well-priced ($55) for its quality offering a nicely structured firm berry oak character with polished elegance. What a perfect day. Swing on the course then swig Californian on the 19th hole.
by Margaret Swaine | Apr 1, 2007
Courtney Billing Joins ClubLink as a Senior Teaching Professional
By Margaret Swaine
Spring 2007 ClubLink NewsLink
Courtney Billing calculates she has given over 3,000 golf lessons but hasn’t yet met a person she couldn’t help improve their game. The thirty-year-old Billing who recently joined ClubLink as a senior teaching professional seems too young to have taught so much. Her auburn hair, freckles and perky demeanour belie a burning ambition.
“I’ve always been ambitious. I have very high expectations of myself and my career,” said Billing. “My goal is to become the best teacher I can be.” Billing who started playing golf at eight, turned pro in 2000 and took her game to the SBC Futures Tour and LPGA Tour. She got into teaching while married to a golf pro at a South Carolina course. There on Pawleys Island in 2002 she started up the “Direct Approach Golf School”.
It grew to become one of the top golf school’s in the southeast. Billing, recognized in both Golf Digest and Golf For Women for her teaching accomplishments, was able to recruit leading PGA and LPGA professionals to join her school. With this elite teaching staff around her, she continued her quest to be among the best in her field.
This includes the circulation systems of men that are younger than 60 22% of men that are younger than 60 22% of men that are present in their 60s 30% of men that are 70 or older The issue of impotence enhances purchase viagra in australia along the increase in age. They have been sildenafil tablets without prescription servicing US customers for decades. Kamagra Effervescent This medicine by the cheapest cialis http://appalachianmagazine.com/2017/10/24/deer-disease-affecting-southwest-virginia/ Ajanta pharmacy lets the ED sufferers to regain their erection power. The best cialis 5mg natural way to resist this serious problem is to maintain a healthy and impressive lifestyle and live a stress-free life. Now divorced the Mississauga born Canadian has returned home to teach. Her approach is encapsuled in the name of her former golf school which she sold before moving back to Ontario. “Our theory is to get from point A to point B as fast as possible.” She majored in Kinesiology and Health Science at York University and says that the biomechanics and physiology courses she took have made her big into muscle memory.
“The key is to keep the learning fun and simple,” she noted. “When you leave a lesson you need to have a clear and precise understanding of what you did and how it improved your game.” She always writes up notes for her clients with a lesson goal, key thoughts and drills to follow after. The student gets a copy and she keeps one so when a client returns she knows what’s been accomplished so far.
“Regular instruction is important,” said Billing. “You have to find an instructor you mesh well with.” She started at ClubLink in the middle of February in the indoor facility at Glen Abbey. Now she divides her time between Glen Abbey and Rattlesnake working three days a week at each.
Better players appreciate her extensive background in clubfitting. When she ran her school she had a division devoted exclusively to the fitting and building of custom golf clubs. She applies her knowledge of lie/loft/shaft flexes and various manufacturers’ products to help ensure her students have the equipment to take them to the next level.
What she’s discovered in her many hours of teaching is very positive for us hackers. “I’ve seen a lot of swings and spoken with lots of people who don’t realize the potential they have. They just need some tweaking. I don’t reinvent the wheel.” It’s not a gender thing. Half the people Billing teaches are men, half women. It’s just good news that we all may have a hidden tiger in our game.
