Every golfer dreams of making a pilgrimage to the
British Isles, to play the exhilarating game to be found
on the ground that links land and sea. Increasingly,
golfers on this side of the Atlantic have discovered
that some of the most magnificent courses in the world
-- and some of the most beautiful countryside -- are to
be found not in Scotland, but in its near neighbor,
Ireland. From the opening drive at Lahinch, just thirty
miles from your arrival point at Shannon International
Airport, to the spectacular dune-framed holes at
Ballybunion, Ireland boasts an extraordinary collection
of seaside links. Royal Country Down, Royal Portrush,
Portmarnock, Portstewart, Waterville and the Island, the
European Club and Baltry -- any one of these would be
reason to cross an ocean, and the concentration of all
of them on a land mass smaller than the state of Maine
makes for a golfer's paradise limited only by your
budget and your time. For the tourist or the dreamer,
there can be no better guide than James W. Finegan. A
passionate advocate and a charming storyteller, Finegan
combines a writer's eye, a historian's knowledge, and a
golfer's sense of wonder and apprehension to provide an
impossibly ambitious grand tour of this beautiful land.
In a loop that begins in the West at Lahinch and
continues clockwise through both the Republic and
Northern Ireland, Finegan covers more than fifty
courses, visiting those that have become true shrines of
the game, the courses that are well known and respected,
and the little-known gems you might otherwise pass right
by. He shares the history of the courses, and writes
marvelously about the scenic and strategic charms to be
found as you play them yourself. And he provides all the
information you need to make your arrangements to do
just that -- because unlike most championship courses in
the United States, the great courses of Ireland are
available to the public. In addition to his delightful
descriptions of the golf to be found there, Finegan
gives us his recommendations for places to stay, ranging
from the most modest bed and breakfast to the most
magnificent palace -- some thirty accommodations in all.
He describes the pleasures to be found off the beaten
track: the spectacular views from a country road, or the
ancient cathedral that's worth a stop on the way to the
first tee. And because all the travel within the country
is done by car, he spells out the actual route from town
to town and course to course, as he lays out an
itinerary that will surely encounter almost all of the
fabled "40 shades of green." Emerald Fairways and
Foam-Flecked Seas is a book to be read, to be savored,
and to be tucked away in your suitcase when you finally
undertake the journey of your dreams.
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