Accommodation in Lahinch is hard to come by in the summer, as the town comes to life from June to August when the weather heats up to a sizzling 70 degrees F. Native Irishmen and tourists swarm the beach and pubs for a summer getaway.

This quickly became an issue for me, as finding a room or apartment to rent was proving difficult. The club put me up in the Sancta Maria Hotel, just a city block away from the course. This turned out to be the best thing that could have happened to me.

The Sancta Maria Hotel

The Sancta Maria is run by the McIlnery family, who are some of the nicest people I've ever come across. They go above and beyond to look after me, but it seems to be business as usual from their perspective. It feels more like staying with extended family than at a hotel. 

Breakfast is normally served from 8:30 to 10 every morning, but the McIlnerys set out breakfast and a few sandwiches for lunch for me every morning, as work starts at 6:30 am. I feel like I'm back in grade school with my mother looking after me, and it's lovely.

My breakfast for the weekdays, with sandwiches made for lunch.

On any day off I am able to catch breakfast at the regular time. A full Irish breakfast is not to be taken lightly, as it includes orange juice, bacon, sausage, eggs, toast, tea and brown bread that is not of this world. I don't know if the McIlnerys have a special recipe or the brown bread is like this all over Ireland, but it is unreal.

The "Full Irish" breakfast... not to be taken lightly!

In addition, I am asked almost daily if everything is suitable and am reminded to ask if I need anything at all. The hospitality shown to is not isolated to just where I sleep. The same sentiment has been expressed by everyone, from the maintenance crew to club management and everywhere in between.

Although I am almost immediately asked what part of America I am from after merely exchanging "hellos", I still am treated as one of their own.