ONE LAST ROUND

And it comes to this……our last round of golf in Ireland this year……..it will be played at the links of Portmarnock GC, not surprisingly in the town of Portmarnock, County Dublin. Famous mostly for its golf course, Portmarnock also boast the Velvet Strand beach which we have already seen and it is amazing, probably 5-10km long, and adjoins Malahide beach to the north…….if there was a pair of goats here I’m sure they would be walking home to Malahide along the Velvet Strand. Solo goat, I think, is happy for the ride home. We are scheduled at 1pm, but ready to go by 12:30 even after a trip to the driving range ……..members seem to have a lot of pull around here, so we can go anytime we like, following a member threesome out onto the red/blue/championship combo once more. Jerry the caddie has been called and arrives early also…….he just lives a few minutes up the road…….so we are set to go with another perfect day laid before us……light wind…….the Irish wouldn’t even call this a wind…….acchhh, that wouldn’t even blow oot a match……not warm , but comfortable temp, no rain, sunny/patchy cloud sky……what more could you ask for. Everyone starts strong……Jutta especially after a mind meld coaching session on the range…..shoots 42 on the front……….legit…….I’m thinking I rule the World shooting 40, but she beats me by probably 6 or 7 strokes net. M&V are both playing well also. The wind is totally backwards to what we played a couple of days ago, so this is like a brand new round, like we never saw this course before. Some holes with a good drive two days ago I might be standing there with an eight iron approach……..today, much shorter drive into the wind, and I am trying to decide between utility club and three wood. So cool how it has changed like that…….it is like a new course. The round goes very well, and everyone blows up a little on the back, but it has been a great run. Jutta and I figure we have played 10.5 rounds in 11 days with a travel day at either end for flying back and forth. Sightseeing……..naahh……relaxing day off…..naahh…..squeeze in an extra round…..yaahh. I think the only day we didn’t play was the day we arrived and drove over to Rossapenna……….Vivian has apparently questioned Mike……”You mean we play every day?”

Dinner tonight is booked at Kajjal, a Pakistani restaurant with a great menu we checked out last night on the way home from Old Street. Again I am sounding like golf, drink, eat, sleep, repeat, but that just happens to be the truth. Kajjal is fantastic, and we order a combination of dishes, biryani, chicken jumbaloo or something, rice, nan bread, etc., etc., etc., and are totally stuffed at the end of it all. Highly recommend this place if you are in town. Last stop is the hotel bar for a traditional drink that Jutta and I share often when on holiday……the White Russian……..really no idea why we started with them, but they have been our “It’s a wrap” drink for over twenty years now. Could be I had just rewatched the Big Lebowski before one of our earlier trips sometime ago and it just stuck…….(not all of you will get that reference Dude), they sure are good.

We fly home tomorrow with an afternoon flight out of Dublin that gets us into Toronto in the late afternoon. If all goes well we will be back in Collingwood to watch the sunset. I have to unpack my clubs for Men’s Opening at Oslerbrook tomorrow……..buffet breakfast at 8am…….wonder if they will have sausage, black pudding, brown sauce………oh my heart be still.

I have forgotten many things that should have been included in the blog…….notably, leaving dinner at the Slieve Donard one night and who walks up to me but Steve Bennett……yes……and Marina is right behind him…….what a great surprise. More things will come to mind, and I know Jutta will remind me of a few also, but just happy to share all I could remember at the time with all of you. Thanks for the likes, comments, and suggestions along the way. This has been a good one.

Just for the record……..at an average of three sausages and black puddings/day, I think the count is somewhere around 40 each for the trip……….wonderful…….same goes for pints of Guinness…….crap, now its back to the canned stuff. I have been doing some self examination over the past couple of weeks, and as I mentioned in one of the first posts, I was avoiding the baked beans at breakfast for obvious reasons………..however………there still appeared to be a slight issue with my internals, and I have been wondering what might be the cause. You know looking back at all the advertising Guinness (the black stuff, Irish Champagne, ebony nectar, black custard, a pint of plain) has done over the years, and the many great slogans they have used………. Good things come to those who wait, there’s nothing like a Guinness, Guinness Time Have one with me, My goodness My Guinness, Lovely day for a Guinness, and of course the ever popular Guinness is good for you……….I would like to offer just one more…….Guinness Gives you Gas……….Slainte