The St. Bonaventure University golf team, coaches, parents and alumni travelled across the Atlantic Ocean to Ireland during midterm break. Being on the golf team, I was able to experience this first hand. It was the trip of a lifetime.
We left for the Toronto airport at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2, arrived in Toronto and took the seven-hour flight to Dublin, where we arrived at 5:30 a.m. Dublin time. We arrived at the hotel at around 6:30 a.m. and were off to the golf course by 11:00 a.m. The excitement of getting there and going to play golf made all of us forget about the jet lag and limited sleep. That would hit us in the evening after the round.
The first course we got to play was Portmarnock Golf Club, which sat 15 minutes away from Dublin on the Irish Sea. We played a match against Trinity College of Dublin. The remnants of Hurricane Lorenzo were striking the island that day and the weather was not ideal for golf. The wind was sustained at 20 to 30 miles per hour with it gusting to near 50 miles an hour at some points. The rain began to pick up right as we teed off. On the 5th hole, I asked the Trinity College player I was playing with how these conditions matched up with the normal playing conditions in Ireland. He said, “these are the most difficult conditions I have ever played in. If we weren’t playing a match with you (Bonnies), there is no way I would be playing golf today.”
Once we got through nine holes of play, the Trinity College players said that it was enough and that conditions were too difficult to play in, and the match got suspended. Even though they walked off the course, most of the Bonnies players, including myself, continued on into the back nine, braving the conditions.
It was sophomore Andrew Lemay’s first time in Ireland and experiencing what it was like to play golf over there.
“It was the toughest conditions I’ve ever played in due to the high winds and constant rain,” he said.
The second course we played was the Island Golf Club. The reverend caddy master at the golf course told of the history of the course and how the only way you used to be able to get to the course was by rowboat since it was on an island. Players would take a rowboat over, and when they were done with the round, they would flag down the boat rower on the mainland and go back across. Some of the views on this course were phenomenal, with a plethora of holes being played right along the Irish Sea. Once the round was completed, we all hopped in the van and took a four-hour van ride across the island to Killarny.
Our third course was a team favorite from the trip. We played Tralee Golf Links, which sat right along the Atlantic Ocean in southwest Ireland. The course designer was Arnold Palmer. A quote that was reiterated over and over again by the locals was that “Palmer designed the front nine and God designed the back nine.” The back nine at Tralee was considered by many the greatest nine holes in the world. It certainly did not disappisappoint, and junior Christian Chapman agreed, saying,“I’d rank Tralee higher than any course we played over here (in Ireland) and higher than any other course that I’ve ever played.” It was a lot more enjoyable because for the first time since we arrived, the sun peaked out, as you can see in the picture, and the wind wasn’t too strong.
The last two courses were also on the southwest part of the country: Waterville Golf Links and Trump International Doonbeg. Waterville was one of the oldest courses in the country with it being established in 1889. The weather was good all day until we got to the last three holes. All of a sudden, the sky opened up, and it started pouring, and the wind picked up right in our face. The 17th hole was a 200-yard par 3, and all four of us in the group were forced to hit driver.
Trump International Doonbeg was my personal favorite. I thought the views on this course were unreal with each hole having its own unique characteristics. The front nine was all down wind going in the same direction along the Atlantic Ocean coast, and the back nine came straight back into the wind also along the coast. The sun was out, but the wind was unbelievably strong throughout the day. Right after the round, we went to see the Cliffs of Moher, which was one of the best parts of the trip. The cliffs stood 800 feet above the Atlantic, and with no railing or restriction, you could get as close to the edge as you dared to get.
It was certainly a trip of a lifetime for myself and all who went. The two seniors on the team, Zach Chaddock and Nolan Ditcher, had high praise for the trip. Chaddock said, “In my four years with the St. Bonaventure golf program, I have been fortunate to play and travel to some amazing places, but none as special to Ireland this fall.” Ditcher agreed, saying, “The trip was truly a once in a lifetime experience. Everything from the views, to the golf courses were incredible.”
We got the full experience from playing some of the best courses in the country to experiencing the Ireland wind and rainy conditions, the nightlife and the trips through the mountains and valleys. It was much more than just a golf trip. St Bonaventure head coach Ryan Swanson stated, “The goals of the trip were simple. We wanted the guys to experience the trip of a lifetime and play some of the worlds best courses, while meeting and spending time with our incredible alumni. Trips like these bring everyone closer together. We had an amazing time and I think we grew as individuals and as a team.”
Erik Stauderman, Contributing Columnist
staudee18@bonaventure.edu
