Pokémon Go has not been the drive for my summer adventures. Learning the links golf management is the fuel getting me out and about. No disrespect to any Pokémon trainers out there, I grew up wishing Pokémon were real and now look; however, this summer is geared to training in real golf links of Ireland.

This weekend I made a trip to Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links. I met course manager Fintan Brennan and his son, Mike (who is also Fintan's assistant/deputy) after volunteering at the Irish Open. Fintan has been greenkeeping on the golf links at Portmarnock since it was constructed in 1994.

Mike and Fintan Brennan

Behind the Brennans in the photo you can see Portmarnock Hotel. What some people don't know is that the land is on John Jameson's (of Jameson whiskey fame) old estate. Jameson's house still stands but now as part of the hotel and restaurant.

This lounge bar was once Jameson's living room!.

John Jameson and family are buried in the cemetery along the first fairway at Pormarnock Links.

Another remarkable fact is the greenkeepers operation center was once John Jameson's horse stables. Much has been restored but in some rooms you can see exactly what they would have looked like.

Some of the greenkeeper's sheds that were once horse stables.

Fintan and Mike gave me a tour throughout each golf hole. They were very well informative but I could tell they were even more motivated to besting the links past its potential. Fintan got the trust of the owners early on after successful projects and renovations. Being fine golfers themselves, both Fintan and Mike continue renovation on the links looking from a golfer's perspective too.

Like other Irish golf courses, management-wise they only have the help from only a handful of guys. The Irish Links Initiative states courses should apply 'minimal intervention' which I have learned first-hand. However the crew at Portmarnock is anything but minimal work; if there is a problem, they fix it.

Continuous walking through the same path will wear any turf down let alone fescue. But keeping up with todays technology can solve almost any problem. Fintan has turned to hybrid grass for his solution. A netting of artificial turf which fescue seed can be thrown into the mix.

Topdress the hybrid grass plus fescue seed and you will have a good-looking, wear-resistant walkway. The netting protects the crown of the plant and only if you look extra close below will you see the artificial turf.

Just as uncle Ben first taught me, No problems, only solutions.

(Pathway renovation photos courtesy of Mike Brennan)

Touring the course they pointed to many projects put in. A lot of hard work but it was easy to see the pride from the father/son combo. In only a couple hours they taught me much on maintaining a links course, keeping up on improvements with today's technology, and also the importance of having a good eye in golf design.

Great work to these men and their crew at Portmarnock Links! I will be sure to take them up on their offer to play a round, definitely though after a week or two on the driving range.

Me in a pot bunker.

Portmarnocks crest reads "LUX, AMOR, PAX", which is Latin for "Light, Love, Peace".