Day 4, Ardglass Golf Club. Driving to Londonderry.

July 20th..
Ardglass sits right on the water well above the coast. The Clubhouse is a former castle that has been renovated. I almost had to duck in the entranceway leading to the toilets... and I'm a tall 5'4". Quit laughing.

Went off at 11:40 as a Single following a 4-ball. Told them not to worry. I didn't mind because from what I could see, the course was not as flat as St. Andrews and I wasn't about to set any speed records.

#1 was uphill to a green set in a bowl. The course flattened out at the top. Sorta... except for about 4-5 holes. The hike from #11 (real near the shore) to #12 (back at the top) was brutal. I'd say #12 was the most impressive hole. Par 3 down towards the shore. #14 to #17 was all climbing.. not bad, but a steady climb. #18 was all downhill back to the clubhouse. Kept up with the 4-ball all day although never felt rushed or upset with pace of play.. finished in 4:15.

Beautiful day. No rain. A strong breeze, though.

Ardglass has some stunning views of the village of Ardglass and the coast along the Irish Sea. See http://www.ardglassgolf.com/.

I liked Ardglass. A lot. Small fast greens. I had chosen it because it was reasonably close to Dublin, was on my way North and highly recommended. I also recommend Ardglass. Neat golf course.

After a snack/Dinner, I started my trek North towards Londonderry. Ballyliffin beckoned for Day 5.

Did I say GPS was a saver? It is if you follow it and don't miss a turn as I did in downtown Belfast. It kept "recalculating". I finally got on the Expressway west towards Londonderry. Almost 30 minutes lost.

I stopped to refuel and (apparently) pressed the wrong button. Returned to the petrol station 2x and (finally) got sorted out. Another 20 minutes lost. Then, sat in traffic in a town (where?) because of an accident. Another 20 minutes or so lost.

Finally got to the B&B in Londonderry (Groarty House) after almost 4 hours of driving. The Groarty House is in the middle of the farming country outside of Londonderry. Very nice owners. Quiet.

Next - Ballyliffin.