July 22nd...
Day 6 started with blazing sunshine through my window at Ballyliffin Hotel at 5am-ish. Not good. The (too many) Smithwick's from the previous evening combined with a light (almost non-) dinner hurt my head. A lot. I crawled out of bed wishing I could throw up. Yes, you've been there too.
By the time I got ready to leave, almost 2 hours later than I had planned, the weather turned nasty with rain and wind. Oh joy, a 2+hour drive on the wrong side of the road from the passenger seat.. with rain. What fun.
The drive wasn't so bad after all. The rain cleared after about 45 minutes or so. The GPS took me through Glenveagh National Park.. beautiful scenery. I stopped and took some pictures of a castle/cathedral on a lake at an overlook.
Got to Cruit Island Golf Club late morning. The road to the course was... well, let me say, I've driven on cart paths wider than the road in. When I got there, the weather was outstanding - almost-clear skies with high clouds and warm temps.
I had heard about Cruit Island on the HiddenLinksGolf.com Website. To the West of Cruit Island is land.. about 3,000 miles away! Cruit Island is a 9-hole course. It truly is one of the neatest places I've ever played. The view from the #1 tee alone is worth the trip.
Some of my favorite holes at Cruit Island - #5, Par 4 - only 256m, the green is on a cliff. Go over and bye-bye; #6, Par 3 - only 137m, across a huge (I mean HUGE) gully, don't be short and don't be long into the ocean... thank goodness there was no wind; #8, Par 3 - 195m brute.
Only played 9-holes as the Smithwick's effect from the night before was rearing its ugly head.
Since this was the only night I hadn't made lodging arrangements in advance I asked the course owner for recommendations. He recommended a B&B that was located at the turn-off to Cruit Island (Logue's B&B). The owners, Dermont and Mary Logue, were some of the nicest people I have ever met. The accomodations were outstanding. They recommended Danny Minnie's in Annagary for Dinner.. I had the lamp chops (baaaaaaa!!).. outstanding. A good dinner helped with the Smithwick OD. :)
Tomorrow? Narin and Portnoo. Just down the road.
