true statement . The opening hole is a short par 4 , but it has a cemetery bordering the right side of the landing zone . A bit of a slice or strong left to right wind , which we faced that day , and the dead receive a souvenir . Our caddie mentioned that the current cemetery was built in the late 1880s on top of another cemetery that washed away in the 1850s . The back 9 is a fun , but challenging test for all . A par 35 , with the total yardage under 3,000 yards sounds tempting for golfers to score on . It is far from that with three uniquely different par 3s that test your skill to hold the green , and of course wind played a factor . Couple that with two short par 5s that require precise placement of all shots and suddenly a chance to fire a good 9-hole score can blow up into a train wreck . The weather for our round was windy , but the group did not have to battle rain showers or mist . This was a welcome sight . The greens were beautiful , green , and rolled true . Once the group completed its round , we loaded up on the coach and headed north to Lahinch in the county Clare for the final two nights of the trip .
Day 7 ( Tuesday , August 28th ): The final day of this week-long excursion brought the LGA Member Trip group to Lahinch Golf Club . The group was met with overcast skies and the threat of rain at the end of our round . Luckily , the rain held off and all 15 golfers completed their round in time . Before the golfers teed it up , the whole group visited the Cliffs of Moher , just north of Lahinch . The cliffs stand 702 feet at their highest point and stretch 5 miles . They are named after a promontory fort that was destroyed during the Napoleonic Wars . The views , both along the walkway and at the observation point , were stunning . Despite it being an overcast day , you could still see the wonders of these cliffs and the waves crashing below .
Lahinch Golf Club ( Old Course ) tested the mental fortitude of everyone throughout the round , more so than any other course on the trip . Holes # 3 – 7 were daunting . On each hole , at least one shot was partially or completely blind for all golfers . The two blind shots that stood out in that stretch were the second shot into Hole # 4 , a short par 5 and the tee shot on the short par 3 , 5th Hole . On Hole # 4 the golfer must hit their second shot through a “ V ” in the “ klondyke hill ” that blocks your view at the green . A result of the blocked view of the green , you also must rely on the flag man on the hill to indicate if it is safe to hit your approach toward the green . The approach landing zone for Hole # 4 is in the direct crossing line of golfers playing Hole # 18 . The flag man plays traffic cop all day . Follow up the uniqueness of Hole # 4 with a par 3 , 5th where the caddie instructions are “ aim at the white rock on the side of the hill ” and you can see how this was a memorable day . The white rock indicates the general hole location , which was visible on this day . I can only imagine the challenge faced when the hole location is tucked beyond the sand dune with the white stone .
Lahinch GC will host the Irish Open next year , and it was a cool experience for amateurs to play . I believe the European Tour professional golfers will be given a stern test next July in the county Clare .
The group closed out its final evening with a cocktail hour and dinner thanks to our trip partner , Sullivan Golf Travel . We were entertained during the cocktail hour by an Irish music trio . The trio did a fantastic job and set the mood for our bon voyage the next day . I was pleasantly surprised by the dinner served in our hotel restaurant , the Vaughan Lodge . The fine dining cuisine and presentation were a welcome surprise given the hotel ’ s remote location . The Vaughan family and their staff , much like the Randles Hotel ( Killarney ) staff made our group feel at home and welcomed every step of the way .
Overall , I felt this initial LGA Members Golf Trip was a great success and wonderful experience for the 25 people that attended . Both golfers and non-golfers received firstclass hospitality from the staffs of Sullivan Golf Travel , the bus driver – John , both hotels staffs , and the golf course staff at each facility . It was a seamless process for participants from the moment we received reservation agreements through the flight back home . Cathal O ’ Sullivan , Sullivan Golf Travel , was willing to go the extra mile for LGA Members .
Based on this years ’ experience , we plan to conduct another trip to Ireland next August . The final details are being finalized . Check your e-mails and social media in the coming weeks for promotional materials on our 2019 LGA Members Trip .
Courtesy of the Louisiana Golf Association .
32