It’s our first day of golf in Ireland, and we are having a total hoot of a good time.

As I write this post I am sitting just beyond the Hunter’s Bar in the Mount Juliet Golf Course Club House, in Thomastown, slowly  sipping a glass of single malt scotch, my feet free of my golf shoes and my spirits high from the great time we are having, — and a bit low from the foul round of golf I just played. I could not find a fairway no matter how I tried. I have the distance, but am almost always in trouble. Thankfully I know how to get out of it most of the time. My best shot seemed to be my pitches and chips. My putts were awful… of course I could blame the fact that the greens had recently been aerated, so it was hard to gauge speed and I was often a bit short of the hole.

My two golf partners, Liz (left in this photo from the first tee) and Noreen,  however, both played most brilliantly! Especially Noreen. On a championship course she didn’t know, with golf clubs she had never played with before (we each rented a new set of Pings) and on a day when the weather went from warm sunshine to torrential downpours, she beat us both with a great game of golf. She has to buy the drinks tonight as just payment, of course.

The course is beautiful and in spectacular condition. It’s been the scene of many tournaments including the American Express, the Irish Open and has hosted top golfers from around the world.

What I enjoyed most was the wonderful scenery. The Wicklow mountains are just off in the distance and the entire course is covered with ancient trees that stand and witness the best and the worst shots of every golfer who plays the course. Now that I’ve played it once, I would love to play Mount Juliet again. But we are off to Bunclody Golf Course next.