Adare Manor and a few more

Just got back from Ireland. We've been over several times in the past five years but got to play two new courses -- Adare Manor and Hogs Head. Both recently opened. Short story -- Adare was great.

We stayed in the new part of the castle and the accommodations were special. Our room overlooked the last few golf holes and the River Maigue.

The golf course was great. Aesthetically, nothing was out of place. Many, many trees were either brought in or reused from the previous course yet everything looked like the landscape had been that way for years and years. We were told they had a wet spring, yet the fairways were complete and immaculate. The course had roug, then sort of a mulched area under trees before you got to native areas.

The greens all have sub air systems but the fairways also have some sort of underground piping to do about the same thing for soil temperature and water percolation.

Lots of doglegs with trees that force you to shape a drive. Greens were large with undulations although they were not particularly fast the day we played. Backside was really good, especially 12, 13 and 14. 13 is just an amazingly beautiful hole in the trees. \

15 is a straight away par 4 with traps and rough left and the River Maigue all along the right.... 289 from the 2 tees. A playing partner hit his best drive of the day -- perfectly straight and it ended up about ten feet short of the hole. Any hint of sliding right and the ball would have been in the river.

Really good greens complex and the possibility of them shaving the right side of the green to the river, for any shot 10 yards offline right.

18 is an interesting par five back over the river with a green set just below the garden area of the castle. Obvious photo moment for our group, #18 flagstick, framed by a 100 yard wide green garden area and a gray castle looming in the background. An awfully nice way to end a round. A father son caddie team for our foursome and they were quite good.

7509 from the back. 6505 from the white tees and the fairways allowed a ball to run some.

I hear big bucks were spent but the course was great. Green fee was 200 euros and worth it. Locals say the Ryder Cup in a few years, especially if Italy can't get their act together for 2022.

Hogs Head.....hmmmmm. Sort of a parkland course that tries to have some irish in it. Lots of room off the tee with big greens. A couple of memorable holes but not very challenging.

Also played Waterville and it seemed harder than I remembered. Really good day weather wise and it still beat me up. Played Lahinch earlier in the trip and it was still as much fun as ever.