Wednesday afternoon at the Lucan Golf Club...

With the Irish Open Pro-Am in full swing at the K Club, we were given the afternoon off before returning to fill divots on the course. We were invited to play the Lucan Golf Club (adjacent to the Lucan Spa Hotel our headquarters hotel for the week) by course manager Richie Doyle and sponsor on the day, Frank Byrne.

Lucan Golf Club was established in 1897 and is a fairly typical parkland course in Ireland except for some of the elevation changes on the front nine. Gerry Byrne arranged a few sets of hired ('rented' in American English) clubs from the K Club pro shop and we were on our way.

We had nine golfers so we set out as a fivesome and foursome. Your first tee shot is over the road to the clubhouse and the seventh hole requires someone to be a lookout to ensure of the all clear from passing cars.

A motion activated recording plays and doesnt turn off until someone is in the road lookout position pressing a button. Hole No. 7 at Lucan Golf Club

It is definitely a members club with a few blind tee shots, which are hard to get your arms around as a first time visiting golfer. Richie had the course and especially the greens in outstanding shape.

Those of us on the bunker raking and divoting crews at the K Club, however, had to avoid the instinct to fix every divot and smooth out every line on the bunkers we passed. To add to the Irish golf experience we played about three holes of the nine in the rain. Irish rain is described (in order of severity) as spitting spilling or lashing and we experienced all three. It is easy to see why every serious Irish golfer carries their waterproofs around all the time. Youd never get a full round in if you only played when the weather was fit.

The members we met were all very gracious and welcoming us to their club. If there were an award for best outside golf outing Richie, Frank and Lucan Golf Club would win hands down.

Golf at Lucan Golf Club (all from Ireland unless otherwise noted): (l-r): Josh Dunn (UK), John Fleck (US), James Brennan, Jon Kiger (US), Frank Byrne, Mike OKeeffe, Nate McKinniss (US),  Seamus Walsh, Brian Coyne (US), and Richie Doyle (host superintendent.)

Mike OKeefe, Lucan GC host superintendent Richie Doyle, and Brian Coyne

Walking the golf course with "trolleys". Golf as it was meant to be played.