As previously mentioned before, my last two weeks in Ireland are dedicated to golfing. My journey has begun with a ‘bang’ this week with many stories to tell! This past weekend, I just went up to the driving range Saturday and Sunday in order to swing my golf clubs for the first time since last summer. Monday, I went up to Galway Golf Club on Salthill- a tourist pier near Galway, for the first time to check out the scene. Galway Golf Club is very historic and was designed by the same person who designed Augusta National- where the Masters is. It has a beautiful layout right next to the ocean which was something I really love! Despite the beautiful views, the golf course however is right on the ocean which means it rains frequently and is extremely windy, and when I say extremely windy I mean EXTREMELY windy. Never in my life have I experience conditions on the golf course like those of Ireland. I have played in hundreds of tournaments, all kinds of weather, and until now I have never experience winds and rain with such force!

                Monday, I was delighted to be paired up to golf with two ladies of Galway Golf Club, Jean and Sheelah, who have been members for a long time. They were both middle aged, Jean being a chemistry professor at the university in Galway and Sheelah- an ex-hockey player! How funny. They really enjoyed my company and I appreciated them letting me join their usual round of golf. The ladies only played 9 holes, and I went on to finish the last 9 by myself. After the round, I was noticed by 2 younger looking golfers who asked me to join them for lunch afterword. The guys offered to play with me throughout the week! One of the golfers, Damien, was very nice and offered me a ride home. Before taking me home, he mentioned he needed to pick up something from his house which was close by. As it turned out, his family welcomed me with open arms and ended up making dinner for me! How funny!!!! Only in Ireland you can meet a total stranger and end up sitting at their kitchen table eating dinner with them that night.

Damien and his friends offered me to join then at Connemara Links Course in Connemara, which is one of the mountainous areas I traveled to with mom and Yiayia. The Connemara links course was my first ‘links golf’ experience in Ireland which means that the style of course was one that I had never played before. Links style golf usually means no trees and no traditional atmosphere like you would expect at home. Here, the holes are aligned beautifully on the ocean and it is fantastic! I could not believe how beautiful the golf course was surrounded by mountains and oceans on all sides. However, do not forget again the effects of the WIND! The wind makes for an interesting challenge because it is constantly blowing. Constant 50 mph minds make for an endurance test out there. This is the only downside to golfing in Ireland. Luckily, it only rained for a couple of holes, but the wind and rain were not a good combination.

Despite the rain and wind, we actually did have a fairly good day for golf. When the sun is out, it’s a bonus! I tried to take some pictures, however the pictures cannot do the course justice for how unique it is. Today I am cleaning and doing laundry in my apartment which has been lonely! I cannot wait for my family to come, we’re down to under a week!

Tonight is one of the girl’s birthdays in our program. There are about 6 of us left that I am friends with and tonight is our last night going out together. Tomorrow I am excited because my good friend Katie, who has been traveling with her parents for a week, is coming back to Galway with her parents. We are going to all go to the Aran Islands, which is a final tourist destination in Galway I have been meaning to do. You get there by ferry, so we are going to make it a day trip followed by a nice dinner and Irish pubs at night. I am very excited to meet her family! My next blog will be about the Aran Islands and getting ready for my golf trip with the boys J Here are some pictures from my first golf experience in Ireland!

Location: Galway, Ireland