Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2010 - 17

» The Craic
Old Head's No. 16, a 120-186 yard par 3.
spectively). Take care with the layup and
approach to the green, as the fairway narrows
to bowling-alley dimensions around
the 100-yard mark and the left side of the
green drops off the cliff's edge.
Is Old Head lacking because it's not a
true links course? Severson, Berger and
Hayes don't think so. Old Head's location
and thrilling beauty set it apart.
TRALEE
The King-Arnold Palmer-waited as we
disembarked at Tralee GC, located 20 minutes
outside of the town of Tralee. At least,
Palmer's life-sized bronze likeness glistened
wetly, a tribute to the great American
golfer and designer of Tralee.
Excepting holes 2 and 8, Tralee's front
nine is fairly forgettable. Two is a brawny
par 5 (506-596 yards) that doglegs toward
the right between a low stone wall and the
rugged beach. There are only three bunkers
on the hole, but they menace the timid.
Eight turns left with the beach (OB) along
the inside of the dogleg par 4 (300-399
yards). The fairway slants sharply toward
www.mngolf.org
the beach, as does the green. Take aim favoring
the right and watch your ball run
itself out on the green toward the left side.
Like a golf course laid out over an abandoned
ski hill, the back nine at Tralee belongs
in the Hall of Fame of Links Golf, if
there were such a thing. Holes 10 through
17 pack more thrills than the midway at the
Minnesota State Fair. The 12th, a 373-461
yard par 4, demands a straight drive over
the saddle in the fairway and a nerveless
approach shot that's all carry (from 175 to
200 yards). Into the wind, add 20 to 30
yards and hit it on a rope to get to
the elevated green guarded by a
deep hollow. Hayes, who was
worried about his handicap,
made a solid birdie 3 at Tralee's
No. 1 Index hole.
The 17th is a short-but-dramatic
305-361 yards. A driver
may be needed if the wind blows
in from the beach. The steep approach to
the green requires two or three extra clubs
to get to the elevated, deep green. A caddie
told us Michael Jordan drove this green.
The Irish know how to make a stranger feel welcome.
Order a pint in most pubs and you'll be chatting
with a new friend in no time. " It's a big reason
why people go to Ireland, " says Tom Kozlak, partner
with Remarkable Travel's Golf Group.
Yet, fi nding " the craic " (pronounced crack)
takes initiative.
At Old Head, one of our caddies, Neil, proclaimed
that " decent pubs in Ireland are a dying breed. "
However, at Robertino's in Killarney, our waitress,
a pretty green-eyed colleen (Cail`in, or colleen, is
an Irish term for woman or girl) named Hazel, mentioned
" the good craic " at O'Connor's Traditional
Pub, just down the street from our hotel, the Killarney
Plaza. The Pub, more like a walk-in closet with
a bench, was elbow-to-elbow with locals, mostly
young and tattooed, having a " session, " the Irish
tradition of musicians performing informally.
Over pints of Guinness and a few gingerand-Jamesons,
we met another striking
beauty, a real Colleen from California,
a dedicated golfer, 5 handicap, who
was traveling solo and playing the
courses of Ireland.
For fi rst-time golf travelers to Ireland,
Kozlak advises against 36 holes of golf per
day. " It's more fun to enjoy the craic than it is
to play a second round of golf, " he says, noting that
the craic is one of the reasons why many American
golfers love to return to Ireland.
Fall 2010 MINNESOTAGOLFER
15
PHOTO COURTESY OF OLD HEAD
http://www.mngolf.org
Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Minnesota Golfer - Fall 2010
