Wednesday, February 20: I am enjoying a week in Ireland in between the Portuguese and Spanish Amateur tournaments, and I've been able to practice at the Carton House Academy, home base of the GUI. The golf facilities are simply top of the line, from a beautiful short game area to a grass-cut teeing ground where I am able to hit anything in the bag! I've also been able to play both courses: The Montgomerie, where the European Amateur was last year and Irish Open Championship will be this year, and the Omera, which is just as good! Both are parkland courses and are equally tough and a great test of golf!
Today, Wednesday, I was able to play Portmornock Links. Which was a bear! Today was the first day I felt like I was in Ireland! The last two days it has been flat calm and about 50 degrees, but today was a different story. It was 46 degrees blowing sideways. I wore four layers of clothing and was still cold! The conditions resulted in me hitting the ball only 10 feet off the ground! The driver into the wind went 220, and downwind 380! The highlight of my day was on the par-three 11th hole, where from 135 yards I hit a good 7-iron and it never left the flag and came to rest about 7 feet from the hole. Of course, then my playing companion Paul (a player from the GUI squad) decided he would ruin my party and knock it in the hole! It was a scene out of a movie! He hit a great shot...it landed about 5 feet left of the hole and rolled slowly down a slope, along the wind and sat on the lip and then fell in! Myself and Gavin Moynihan who was also playing with us, went crazy!! On just a miserable day to play it gave us something to laugh and smile about!!
Tomorrow I am gearing up for a nice round at the European Club and then Friday playing Killeen Castle before heading to a Killers concert that night with Pat.
Thanks again to everyone and looking forward to getting to a nice warm Spain!
