I am lucky enough to have married a woman who, on our honeymoon in Ireland, gifted me a round of…read moregolf at Loughrea Golf Course. For a visitor to the club, finding where to go to pay for my greens fee was a bit of a challenge (I found myself in the men's locker room), but the friendly members showed me to the bar/restaurant/pro shop upstairs. Immediately I was asked if I needed help, by a very outgoing man named Tom. I told him my wife had booked me a tee time, rental clubs, and buggy, and he quickly jumped to find me a nice set of used clubs, a bag, and helped me map out a somewhat confusing layout of the first few holes. Total cost for everything: €25.
Loughrea is a classic Irish Parkland course, with little to identify rough and fairway, but the holes are designed beautifully and challengingly. As an American playing overseas for the first time, a little knowledge of math goes a long way, as the holes are measured in meters, not yards. The course is straddled by farmland, home to cows and sheep, and I even caught the glimpse of the occasional Irish Hare.
Poor weather throughout the day dampered what could have been a perfect day, as heavy rain and hail pelted the few of us out there on a rather brisk morning, and the downpours actually flooded some of the greens (which helped slow down a few long iron shots from rolling off the green). The greens, prior to the rain, were very fast and difficult to read, and the bunkers always seemed to be in the right (or wrong) spot.
After my round, I headed into the clubhouse for a pint and to thank Tom for his and the club's hospitality. We struck up a nice conversation, and I was left with a hearty handshake and a "Thank you very much."
I really enjoyed my day there, and recommend this course to anyone in the area. And at that cost, you can't go wrong, even if its hailing.
