Old Boys at Old Head

Tuesday the boys played Old Head, and Michael reports that their nice weather has definitely left them. The rain and wind could not dampen their thrill of playing this oh-so-famous golf course, however. Located some 8 miles west of Kinsale, Old Head GolfLinks sits on a 220-acre promontory high above the Atlantic. Looking like a swollen thumb jutting out to sea, the promontory is connected to the mainland by a very narrow strip of land that is primarily farmland. I have read often about the mystique and history of Old Head, and was so anxious to hear about their visit there. Michael writes:

I have never seen such a spectacular setting as Old Head. I couldn't begin to describe it in a ten thousand word essay! The day started beautifully, but the weather went downhill quickly. Downhill does not adequately describe it. Wind of 50 knots and rain. We had to finish just to say we did! Barry asked his caddie what he thought when he saw the squall coming across the ocean. His caddie said, "Laddies, in about 10 minutes we are going to receive a severe thrashing". And a thrashing we did indeed receive! I have never seen and certainly never played in anything like that. But that is, after all, part of golf in Ireland.

Pictured here is a great shot of the guys at the historic Stone of Accord at Old Head. Back to them in a minute, but first you all must indulge me while I relate a little history here: The course site at Old Head has so much historical significance, I guess the teacher in me feels compelled to tell you some of it. Old Head of Kinsale is a National Monument and was once a stronghold of the ancient Eireann Celts who gave their name to the country. (Eireann/Ireland--get it?) Remnants of castles and stone circles, as well as churches and dwellings built on the site by monks during Medieval times, are visible throughout the course. Perhaps the most famous relic of note is the afore-mentioned Stone of Accord or Wedding Stone, an upright circular stone with a small hole in the center used for centuries by tradesmen and married couples who would link fingers through the hole signifying the renewal of their contracts.

For years prior to the development of the golf course, the site was usable for little more than sheep and cattle grazing and even then it was scarcely suitable. At the tip of the headland is the lighthouse that presides over the course and lit the way for many seafarers. (I don't know what hole Michael was playing when he shot that photo, but you can see the lighthouse in the distance.) The waters just off shore bear witness to the Battle of Kinsale in 1601 when the Spanish Armada sailed in to help the Irish fight off the invading British warships. Here also was where a German U-Boat sank the Lusitania in 1915, bringing the United States into the first World War. I would love to walk among the many ghosts haunting those rocky ledges and cliffs.

Ok, so you've all had your History lesson for the day! Back to the Golf. Michael reports that Wednesday they played Dooks, and it is the first negative thing I have heard from them. ...

We played Dooks yesterday...a very nice golf course and once again the weather was horrible. Strong winds and lots of rain. The bad part was that our caddies were terrible and the folks in the bar wouldn't wait on us. Knowing how this group likes their Guinness and good wine, I was reminded of Julia Roberts' line from "Pretty woman": 'Big Mistake, Huge!' Not being satisfied there, when we got back to the hotel the boys ran up a pretty good bill at the bar! Big mistake (huge!) by the bartenders at Dooks!

The Arnold Palmer-designed Tralee that they played Thursday and I described in yesterday's blog ...was our best overall experience yet. The golf course is fantastic. The views are breathtaking and the caddies were all world class...a gentleman named Donald Dugen caddied for Pete and me. His card reads "Donald Dugan: Wind and Distance Consultant". He was great fun. Today is Nelson's 74th birthday. Rickey asked Donald if he knew a lady who might jump out of a cake for him (Nelson). He paused and said his wife would probably do it, but he better wait to tell her about the cake at the last minute!...The weather was much better today. Most of the guys played in stocking caps and rain suits. It was windy, maybe 25-30, but everyone is pretty much used to that now. The sun did come out occasionally and we had a marvelous day...Our last day is tomorrow at Waterville. The weather is supposed to be quite nice.

So that is the (rather lengthy) report for today's blog. I am hoping that when he gets back, Michael will write a better account of their adventures. The pictures he sends are so beautiful--I must urge him to compile an album for you all to see. Saturday they wing their way back across the Atlantic. Let's hope they have better luck with their connections coming home than they did going! Few of them slept much on the flight over, but I'm betting they will all snooze quite well on the way back to South Carolina.