LIFFIN THE LIFE

The massive fish and chips from last night has barely settled and I am having an internal debate as to whether or not I should have another MFI (Modified Full Irish) in play this morning……..our tee time at Ballyliffin is 11:00am, so that means missing lunch and playing through the afternoon before we can tie on the feedbag again………no question, MFI it is. I decided to incorporate the beans into the mix…….a little extra gas for the day can’t hurt, could it?

The Ballyliffin Lodge and Spa is a little dated, and advertises itself as a 4 Star luxury resort……..might be overstepping a little…….but it is well done, clean, and the staff are most friendly, like everyone else in Ireland! The pool/spa/workout facility appear to be used a lot by the locals who are arriving steadily this morning and heading downstairs………I was going to go down and pump some iron, do a few reps, bust it on the Peleton, but wisely decided to save my strength for the course.

Two 18’s at Ballyliffin……..the “Old Links”……although golf was played on and off at this location since probably the 1920’s, it wasn’t until the 40’s that a 9 hole course was established and eventually expanded to a full 18, with the current layout being fully redesigned and established in the early 70’s………..and the Glashedy Links, the new course and prior host to the Irish Open, and this years R&A Amateur Championship, opened for play in 1995. Funny thing……..we meet our caddie for the day, Sadie, a local gal, golfer, member of the club, mother to four and grandmother to ten, and she will be primarily Vivian’s caddie for the day, but will provide some forecaddie duties for the rest of us. Her accent is pretty thick, and I am sure she slows her speech down a little so we can understand all she says……….Vivian comes over to confirm that we are playing Old Links this morning, and is concerned that Sadie has said tomorrow we play the shitty course……..think about that one with a quick Irish accent “shitty” – “Glashedy”. An honest mistake I guess……good laugh had by all.

Immediately the Old Links serves up the flavour of the day. Undulating, bumpy, sloping fairways, bordered by unfriendly hairy mounds/dunes, all mixed in with gusty changing winds, while not being shy at all on length. The greens had been recently top dressed so putting was a bit of a challenge, and they were still playing winter rules in the fairways, so rolling your ball over was ok and helpful most of the time. We kept Sadie busy, but she had a good eye and always knew where your ball should be, but sometimes it was just impossible to find in the deep grasses and spongy moss in the off fairway areas. The course turned towards the ocean on #14, and it seemed like the temperature dropped about ten degrees with the wind whipping in right off the water. It was important to have a “links” game in your bag when playing here……….putting from 20-30 yards away was not only ok, it was smart………landing on a green with an approach shot often meant your ball would end up off the back of the green……..pitch and run was the play. Nobody lit it up, although there were sparks of brilliance from time to time, but mostly it was just a great round of golf, great scenery, and great friends, on an old, old, old school links course.

The clubhouse is well appointed with a cosy bar/restaurant on the second floor with big view windows looking out on both courses………..time for the traditional post round Guinness and fries………Vivian ordered her first Adult Sized pint of Guinness, while Mike downed a Smithwicks first to quench his thirst, before joining the rest of us with a dark brew. We know there is a small restaurant on the way back to town called Nancy’s Barn where it is said you can get the “Best Chowder in the World”……..we decide to stop in there for an early dinner as everyone is starved, and after ordering the chowder we top it off with a stuffed baked potato, oh yeah, and a few more Guinness…….why not. Much like the Best Par 3 in the World at Cruit Island yesterday, the chowder was very good, but nowhere near the Worlds best. Tanks full we head back the hotel and have to park around the back because there are cars everywhere……….weddin’ here in the ballroom tonight don’t ya know. Weddin’s appear to be a big business in this part of the country, or at least one weddin’ organizer has spent a shitload on roadside signs, advertising his all inclusive special……….200 Guests for 8,895 Euro………sounds like a meal, cake, flowers, sparkling wine toast, wedding singer, preacher, party favours (below), and a special overnight room rate at the Ballyliffin Lodge and Spa.

We meet in the bar, and break out the cards for a continuation of a never ending euchre tournament that the four of us started online during COVID. Obviously Mike playing with Jutta, and I played with Vivian (we are undefeated). To say that up to this point it has been an absolute slaughter would be an understatement, but tonight after loosing the first game in usual fashion 10-4, the underdogs came back strong with some excellent cards and good Irish luck to take the next two for the win. OMG they were overcome with joy. During the game a whole squad of young girls made their way through the bar and out to the patio room……..found out they were an Irish dancing group who would be performing at the weddin’………we though……….we would like to see some of that! Leaving the bar, tail tucked between my legs, the dancers were making their way to the ballroom, so Jutta and Vivian went down to check it out and were invited into the ballroom by a couple of Irish lads to watch the performance……..as Mike said, “Everyone is welcome at an Irish wedding”,…….I thought yeah, especially if you are a couple of good looking blondes. The dancers were great, and the party was just heating up, but bedtime was closer than we all wanted to believe, and it was time to go……….have to get some shut eye before playing the Shitty Course tomorrow.