Ann Liguori Gives Me Golf Lessons in Ireland & the 'Shillelagh Shinnecock'

The invitation was intimidating. Five days, five courses, all in Northern Ireland. Golfing guru Ann Liguori was going over for the Open in July. After that she would meet us in Ballyliffin where Rory McIlroy played as a kid. It’s at the northernmost point of the country. But I’m a 22 handicap and there are seven other legitimate and seasoned golf journalists.

“You’ll be fine,” Liguori assures me. “Everyone loses balls in Ireland. We’re just there to have fun.” Her encouragement and whiskey distillery visits sealed the deal. That and the fact that I’m Irish (and “a fifth Scotch” I like to say) but had never set foot in the country.

The Tourism Ireland folks want to get the word out about world-class links. They’re footing the bill for all of us. I land in Dublin and another charming Rory, this one Rory Mathews (McIlroy was busy) greets me along with some of the others. Each of the towns we visit are small and in the dictionary under “quaint.” The first night we all gather in the hotel pub to watch the final round of the Open in nearby Royal Portrush. Everyone is encouraging. But they’ve played a lot more golf than me. I’m nervous.

The next morning we’re teeing off at Ballyliffin. All the courses this week are links style and take advantage of the natural surroundings. Giant boulders are good for the occasional ricochet shot, though that’s discouraged. They’re having something called an ‘Irish Mist’ that morning. It’s rain. Not hard, but requiring a knit cap in July and rain gloves. There could have been a tsunami and the people who came to play would still tee up. Whether they were from the U.S. or just down the road. The temperature is in the 60s. My score not in the 60s. Miraculously though, I turn in a 94, my best round of the week. “You’re not a 22,” Liguori announces. I’m proud for a second. “We’re making you an 18 for the rest of week,” she adds. Everyone else cheers. I just gulp.

Ann has been promoting golf in Ireland for 30 years. She’s an Honorary Member of Ardglass Golf Club in Northern Ireland and Carne Golf Club in Belmullet, Ireland. This past May, Carne named her President of their Golf Club Int’l Members Association. She knows the hood.

Over the next four days we play at some of the greatest courses of my life. Correction: THE greatest. We are at Donegal, County Sligo, Narin Portnoo and Standhill. They all have two things in common. Incredible Atlantic ocean views. And a lot of walking. Uphill. Ireland isn’t a country, it’s a StairMaster. You have to break your leg in front of them to get a golf cart. It’s a kind of national pride thing. And it’s a sensational feeling of accomplishment.

I break 100 two more times. And maybe lose that many balls (I’m kidding, it was 200), but it really is a bucket list trip, and while I haven’t played in Scotland or England, I can’t imagine anything could be any better. At Narin and Portnoo we started in a sheep field (okay, next to it) and when we rounded a corner on the fifth hole, you’d think you were at Pebble Beach. With one exception. Not a house or hotel or commercial building of any kind. Just green Irish pastures and lots of water. In Standhill, add wild horses running along the inlet to the natural surroundings.

Catherine Martin, Minister for Tourism says “what really sets Ireland apart from other golf destinations are the people.” And it’s true. We are welcomed everywhere we go. Bartenders–and I met a few–all want to know where you played and how you liked it. The distillery experts are at the clubs.

The local Redbreast Irish Whiskey (I had a “wee dram”) also helped sponsor this year’s Hamptons International Film Festival. I’m pretty sure that was a coincidence, but the Irish are so friendly they could have been following me.

“They want you here,” George Seagraves of Fort Worth, Texas tells me over lunch. He’s a regular golfer who comes every year and has played “between 4 to 500 rounds in Ireland.” They aren’t naming a hole after him, but he does have something called  a “Summer Membership.” Depending on the club, you pay 12,000 to 20,000 euros and you can play there for a lifetime. Imagine an Irish golfer walking into Maidstone and asking, “How much is it for a foreign lifetime membership?” They’d still be laughing.

Of the five rounds, County Sligo Golf Club at Rosses Point where Seagraves plays feels the longest at 6,818 yards. On average I walked between 25 and 30,000 steps a day. I dub this one “The Shillelagh Shinnecock.” The most important piece of equipment I brought wasn’t a club, it was a TheraGun massager. The second most valuable thing was my 60 degree wedge for the five-story sand traps they call “pot holes.” I could have parachuted into one of them.

But I have to say as an amateur golfer, the courses aren’t mean. Yes, you’ll lose a few balls, but what a way to go! The intimidating feeling evaporates after just one good shot. I had two. The point is, you don’t have to be afraid. If I can play there, anyone can.

While all the accommodations and meals were terrific, one was downright swanky. The Lough Eske Castle in Donegal looks like Harry Potter’s summer retreat. There’s a giant dragon sculpture out front. Their house bread is made with Guinness. Events Manager Stephen Bell says there’s more than just golf ’round these parts. “The area has so much to offer for families up here in Donegal,” he tells me, adding “We are just at the beginning of our tourism journey.”

And that’s really the point of everything up here. It’s undiscovered. For now. I’ll be back. With a 64 degree pitching wedge. And a lot more balls.

Bill McCuddy is a frequent Dan’s Contributor whose most recent golf article was about the Noyac Retreat fundraiser. Ann Liguori is also a frequent Dan’s contributor, has a weekly radio show on WFAN and is the author of Life On The Green: Lessons and Wisdom from the Legends of Golf. Needless to say, Mr. McCuddy is not mentioned in the book.