June 18, 2015
DAY THREE PHOTO GALLERY: HERE
Day 3: Ireland Golf Trip
By Cindy Ha and Katie Rose Higgins
“In the United States all we do is play the ball in the air.” — Payne Stewart
Today, we were forced to deviate from our American style of golf at one of Payne Stewart’s frequent haunts–Waterville Golf Links. For some of us, it was our first time playing a true links style course, and what an exciting experience it turned out to be. We quickly adapted to playing more bump and run shots and learned to control our trajectory in the tough Irish wind and rain.
Upon our arrival at the golf course, we were treated to an Irish lunch at the Waterville clubhouse with a panoramic view of the golf course. From there we could see the finishing holes adjacent to the Irish coast, dune-lined fairways with fescue grass, and a Payne Stewart statue positioned prominently in front of the practice facilities. Before the British Open, Stewart would play Irish golf courses in preparation for the terrains and the conditions of links-style golf. Waterville was one of his most frequented stops. After his tragic accident in 1999, Waterville raised a statue in his honor, not only for his affiliation with this golf course, but for the kindness and friendliness he showed to the locals.
We found the course to be a great test of golf, a sentiment shared by many considering Waterville is frequently ranked near the top of golf courses in the world. Part of its appeal is its rich history; the course was founded in 1889 and its past is fully embraced by the membership. Each hole has been given a name and many plaques throughout the course explain historical events that occurred on site. For example, in 18th century Ireland, attending mass was punishable death. This forced many of the locals to worship in secluded places, one of which is the current site of the 12th hole (named “Mass Hole”). Waterville was a true test for all of us. We had to negotiate winds blowing in different directions, rain misting, narrow fairways, and tall grass. However, the breathtaking views made any frustrations with our games quickly subside.
We not only experienced breathtaking views on the golf course, but also on the hour and half commute from our hotel in Killarney to the course in Kerry. We went from literally counting sheep on the Irish countryside and seeing what colors their owners painted them (for identification purposes), to taking in some of the most majestic views on the Ring of Kerry. The juxtaposition of these two – the mundane and majestic – seem to be a theme in Ireland. Much of the country is agrarian and undeveloped, but this simplistic lifestyle has preserved some of the most beautiful landscape in all of the world.
After taking in these sites on the return trip, we headed to downtown Killarney to grab dinner at a local restaurant called Laurel’s. We retired to our rooms after a busy day with anticipation for Ballybunion on Wednesday.