Irish Golf Vacations

The 10th hole at the European Club

Day 9: The European Club

The background to this post is about a single golfer accompanied by a PGA Golf Pro & driver for his Irish golf vacation. This was a 12 days Irish Golf Tour and we played golf courses such as Lahinch, Ballybunion, Waterville, Old Head, Portmarnock, Royal County Down, The European Club, Royal Portrush and a few other courses. He stayed in 4* accommodation and he was chauffeured for the duration of his trip. This single golfer kept a daily dairy of the golf courses he played, where he stayed and what he did for fun in the evening. His goal was to make his buddies jealous of where he was playing golf and where he had fun on his Irish golf vacation.

This is a copy of his updated daily itinerary he received each morning before breakfast.

Day 9 Itinerary; A single golfer’s Irish Golf Vacation with Concierge Golf

Accommodation tonight: 4* O’Callaghan Hotel, Stephen’s Green Dublin City Centre and departing tomorrow.

A brief note about The European Club: http://www.theeuropeanclub.com

The links of The European Club was designed by Pat Ruddy and is owned and operated by the Ruddy family. Pat Ruddy is a golf-writer and golf course designer whose work will be found also at such highly regarded venues as Ballyliffin, Druids Glen, Druids Heath, Rosapenna, Portsalon, St. Margaret’s, Donegal (Murvagh) and Montreal Island Golf Club. Ruddy discovered the property when he surveyed Ireland’s coastline by helicopter in search for a classic golf location. The result is a magnificent addition to the world’s short supply of approximately 160 true links (51 of these are in Ireland). Champions from all over the world have discovered The European Club and Tiger Woods currently holds the course record of 67. The European Club hosted the Irish PGA Championship in 2007 and 2008 specifically to prepare Padraig Harrington for the British Open in the following weeks. It worked so well he won both the Irish and British titles both years!

Ref: Single player Irish Golf Vacations with Concierge Golf

Transport: 9.00am picked up at the hotel, followed by a 40 minute drive trip to the European Club

Tee time: 11am tee time at the European Club with PGA Pro John Dooley. (golf swing coach & playing partner)

Weather: – mid to low 60s, clam day, started off sunny, windy, then overcast, then sunny to finish, but perfect for golf and no rain! (a perfect Irish day)

Dinner: 8pm: Pichet, Dublin city centre and visit a favourite pub, Bruxcelles just off Grafton Street. Temple Bar area also.

Golf lesson notes: Keeping it simple; but working the main part of the golf swing sequence and a warm routine before play. Overall goal, to improve the golf strike with Irions.

A snippet from Roger’s daily golfing diary

“This course was quite tough and I found the rough very difficult to manage for my 13 handicap. I found hitting the ball from the golf links turf very different to what I am use to back home in the USA. The turf is firm and I find the club is bouncing off the turf. But I do like the challenge and I need to keep going.

I did figure out midway through this golf course; that the best way for me to play was to hit my tee ball into the bigger landing areas, which tended to leave me a 150 – 170 yard shot to some of the par 4s. Play from around the 100 yard mark for my 3rd shot on the par 5s and just use my putter mainly to hot the ball onto the green for the greens I missed. The hotel is great and good location to the centre of Dublin town and there is plenty of action around St Stephen’s green. I am looking forward to tomorrow’s round at Portmarnock as we are playing with a member of Portmarnock Golf Club that played on a GB&I winning walker cup team.” @ RH Irish Golf Tour, 2015.