June 20, 2015
DAY 5 PICTURES: HERE
Day 5: Ireland Golf Trip
By Kendall Martindale, Morgan Ransom, Alexandra Farnsworth and Irina Gabasa
Today we departed Killarney and made the hour long trek North to Tralee Golf Links. When we arrived at the course, we quickly saw that it would be nothing short of a great walk. We were in awe of the miraculous ocean views, beaches, and ruins of an old castle throughout the round. This course, which was designed by the King himself, Arnold Palmer, was the epitome of what you imagine when you think of Irish golf. Tralee was a favorite for many of us because of the traditional links style and spectacular scenery.
The coaches had set up an opportunity for us to compete with the local club team. The matches today consisted of five four-ball matches. This format is often used in team tournaments like the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup. We especially enjoy this format because of the team camaraderie. In these matches, we were paired with girls, boys, and older ladies who are part of the Tralee Club Team.
Playing with the locals gave us the opportunity to learn more about Irish culture and a deeper insight on the history of the golf course. Kendall and Irina had the pleasure of playing with one of Ireland’s crown jewels, Rory. Although he may not be the first Rory you think about, he is on the Irish National team and hopes to travel to the U.S. for college in a few years. Each one of us walked off the course with a smile on our face, excited to share of our experiences that day.
After the matches ended, we made a quick turnaround to get dinner in time to make the last ferry to Doonbeg. Dinner was at the Oyster House where we got to choose from a menu of starters, entrees, and deserts. After experiencing one of the best meals of the trip, we piled back onto the bus for the trip to Doonbeg. The drive included a twenty-minute ferry ride, which was a first for many of us on the bus.
We arrived at the Trump International in Doonbeg just in time to shower and fall into bed. Here, we get to share a small cottage with different team members (six of us in one house and four in the other). As we settled in for the night, we could not wait to see the views tomorrow as we travel to the Cliff of Mohers.
