Already at the entrance to the airport we stand with our ambassadors and practise low shots and think “no backspin.” The Emerald Isle will test our links skills. We land over a waiting fairway. We head for Dublin’s finest – Portmarnock. Surrounded by water in three directions we decide to count the number of balls in the bag twice. The clubhouse provides an atmosphere that raises our expectations. The 1st makes us realise the point with links golf – the sea, the clubhouse, the turf. We start promisingly. The holes follow the contours of the landscape. The areas around the greens vary – some classically flat, others modern with run-off – so we fail to get any idea of what is coming next. The 2nd – another par 4 – is a wonderful, narrow dogleg to the left, which curves along the waterline. A third of newer holes from 1971, worms itself into our round. The 5th – a par 4 – tests our knowlege of classic links play. Aim for the chimney!! The weather is on our side and the sun is warm on this late September day. At the 9th in towards the clubhouse the course makes a U-turn and immediately heads out again. Now we pick up the pace. Some initial par 4s, par 3s and par 5s prepare us for what shall come. Then we get there. The last five holes. Described by Bernard Darwin as the best finishing stretch of all. The 14th – par 4 – is a slight dogleg with cross-bunkers and an elevated green that if you hit you don’t have to look hard to see your ball. Henry Cotton described it as the best par 4 in the world!
No 14, Portmarnock
We climb up to the next tee box – the 15th. Met by a beach, elephant grass, strong winds and a fairy-tale par 3 we shout for joy. A hole definitely of high Links75-class. All the bag’s tools are used as our balls find sand, elephant grass and finally the green. Ben Crenshaw could not have said it better, “the shortest par 5 in the world!”
15th green, Portmarnock
Strengthened by euphoria we head for the finishing holes with renewed energy. The 16th is a difficult par 5 followed by two long par 4s straight into the wind, with the September sun on the way over the horizon and an expectant finish at Medinah. Mr L wins 1 up.
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