Arrival in Ireland, golf and a new home for the summer...
As anyone who had traveled to Europe from the US knows, flights there are usually overnight affairs. Despite all the advice to get some sleep on the flight over, I only slept for an hour as the excitement of my upcoming adventure kept me awake. After clearing customs and a short ride to my airport hotel I headed immediately to Rush Golf Club for a round of golf with Course Superintendent Eddie Donlon.
Rush Golf Club is a nine-hole course, but has an alternate set of tees on each hole to allow for an 18 hole experience. I was very pleased with the course. Not only were the views of the Irish Sea and Lambay Island great, but the course was in very good condition.
Eddie has been the superintendent at Rush for over 40 years and he knows every hill and valley on the course. It was a real treat to play with someone who has such pride in his course and his profession. The wind was hard on my long game, but the round was the most enjoyable nine holes I've ever played. After we finished our round Eddie gave me a lift back to my hotel and I rested up for the next day of travel to my home for the next three months.
Thomastown was my destination the next day and all that stood between me and the small town in County Kilkenny was a three hour bus ride. Normally three hours would seem like a long time, but it passed very quickly! I couldn't stop looking around at the countryside, and looking at the map of our route.
I arrived in Thomastown early that evening, and couldn't have been more pleased. The town is straight out of a tour book of Ireland. Right on the River Nore, in a little valley, complete with a castle, an abbey, and few modern touches by way of a couple of chain grocery stores.
The kind woman Im renting a room from, Catherine, collected me at the bus stop, and I arrived at my home for the summer.
Work would start in a couple days, so I needed to move in, unpack and rest up for my first day at Mt Juliet.
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