Getting Ready

Not that we haven’t packed for activity related/extended trips in the past, but this 3 week golfing jaunt around Ireland is proving to be a challenge. Checking the weather reports has been less than helpful, predicting temperatures in the low/mid, to high fifties (this bog is old school F not C), with rain almost daily for the first 10 days, and some moderate to gale force winds. The obvious response is to pack every cold weather piece of golf wear we own, and double down on rain gloves and tocques. No matter what happens, we have VISA………whatever we need to get us through the night will be purchased abroad, and we are doing this baby!!!!!

I can’t tell you how many times in the past week that Jutta has asked me “Do you think I should bring this?”, holding up some merino wool sweater or a down filled jacket………I always say yes, because I know that is the right answer……..god help me if I said NO and it would have been the perfect item for one day or another. Our only limitation is the size of the rental vehicle and just how much luggage we can load into that sucker……….I think we have a Renault Megane (or similar), but might end up with a larger vehicle if the golf bags don’t fit…….remains to be seen. The good news is that we will be staying overnight in only 5 locations on the trip, limiting hotel changes and traveling daily to golf or hike/sight see, but will still log a lot of miles before all is said and done. Our itinerary calls for a start in Dublin, moving initially north from there, then northwest for a long stint, before heading south down the west coast for an extended stay, and then returning to Dublin for the ride home. We won’t see everything, and won’t play every iconic course, but Jutta, Sibylle, and I, will have a blast.

I hope to NOT make the blog sound like a blow by blow of one course after another, although you will get a review of every place we play……….we are planning to round out the trip by visiting places of interest (pubs), historic locations (old pubs), and examples of modern Ireland (new pubs). As in the past, I hope you ride along with us and share the experience………knowing that so many of you have been here before us, your comments and suggestions would be most helpful.

Here we go again………