Part 2 of Cascade Golfer’s UK GOLF EXPERIENCE
Ireland takes charm and challenge to a new level
By Dick Stephens, CG Publisher
The glory of Royal County Down.
One of my favorite movies is “Broadcast News”. Among many wonderfully written lines of chippy dialog showcasing the stress and rigors of producing a nightly, national news show is a memorable line between leading characters Aaron (Albert Brooks) and Tom (William Hurt).
“What do you do when your real life exceeds your dreams?” Tom asks.
Aaron replies coyly, “You keep it to yourself…”
As I look back on my recent journey to Ireland and Northern Ireland, I find myself asking that same question with regard to sharing with everyone what was truly an amazing golf and life experience. The golf, scenery and people FAR exceeded my wildest golfing dreams.
Before making my trip, I was told by many friends and colleagues who had visited both Scotland and Ireland, “Ireland has the sites and Scotland has the history.” My feeling, having now played both, is that it’s not fair to compare the two — the differences are subtle, and both will blow your hair back.
As you read this account of our Gaelic golf extravaganza, don’t compare to what I shared in the last Cascade Golfer about my Scottish golf pilgrimage with my father, or to what people may have shared about playing in Scotland. It’s like comparing New York to Boston – you just don’t go there. Irish golf and Scottish golf deserve to be separate, if not equal, in terms of what they can deliver. However, I can assure you that a Guinness is not a Guinness until you’ve taken that first long, foamy gulp after walking 18 at Royal County Down.
I embarked on this dream with my business partner Kirk Tourtillotte, with whom I have trekked across the U.S. on many a trip as sports and arts marketing agents and publishers for nearly 17 years. He’s a great friend, and the yin to my yang when it comes to running our business, Varsity Communications, here in Seattle. Our Irish experience together spanned 10 days, eight courses, six hotels and four countries and we are still catching our breath. Not because of the jet lag, but because I am not sure we could ever top what happened to us, both as golfers and journalists.
Real life exceeded our dreams.
As I do my best to share our journey, I’ll leave a few bread crumbs behind for you to follow on your own Irish golf adventure, or on the 2009 Cascade Golfer UK/Ireland Dream Trip we wish to take with the many readers who have pledged their interest from our last story.
We’ll have more on that at the end. For now, picture yourself strapping into the seat of a Boeing 747 widebody and prepare for what is, truly, the golf trip of a lifetime.
–Keep reading to find out how to have your very own UK Golf Experience!—