Only 30 days to go and we’ll be playing golf on the island of Ireland.

For such a long time our golf trip to Ireland seemed so far off and pretty much only a distant event whose time would never come. But time does keep moving. And our trip is getting closer every day.

After a very long and cold winter here in the northeast, the weather is finally getting warmer and the sunshine and spring weather is settling in at last. Although a lot of golf courses here on Cape Cod have been open all year, only the hardiest of golfers were out playing golf in the cold raw winds that have swept across the tee boxes and fairways.

I’m ready to start practicing my golf game in earnest. Went to the practice range this morning and signed up for two rounds of golf in the coming week. If I can stay focused and slow down my swing I should be in good shape.

We have pretty much settled on the golf courses we will be playing in Ireland and I wanted to share those with you. If you’ve ever played any of these courses, I would really appreciate your input. Leave a comment in the space below this post and tell me what I can expect.

Here is our basic itinerary thanks to the RedTees.ie who are working with us to plan our adventure that begins in early May:

• Tuesday, we arrive, get our bearings, have lunch at the Powerscourt Estate (see previous post that describes the day) and get ready for travel to the southeast of Ireland.
• Wednesday, golf at Mount Juliet (read about this fabulous golf club, hotel and spa in a previous post) We are staying at the hotel and most likely will hit the spa! I need a massage!
• Thursday is a day to explore the area and to do a little geneological research. My primary motivation for this golf trip to Ireland was to celebrate my recently becoming an Irish citizen. So we’re going to visit my grandmother’s birthplace just north of Kilkenny in a little village called Jenkinstown. I’ve been there before and it is so small that if you blink when you drive through, you’ll miss it. But if they have a pub (and every Irish village does) we shall raise a glass to the family roots!
• Friday, we head off to one of these two golf courses: Bunclody or The Heritage. (still not decided)
• Saturday, we head back to Dublin and play tourist – hitting the shops and sites.
• Sunday, we play golf at Charlesland Golf Course.
• Monday, our last day of golf at Old Conna Golf Course and a grand final dinner party!
• Tuesday, Noreen, my traveling companion, is off to meet her husband Peter and fly to Paris and I’m off to a few days with friends north of Dublin.

That sums up the basic plan. There are a lot more details to fill in the blanks and bits and pieces as the day we travel gets closer. Stay tuned.