Final Day - Lahinch

We woke up once again to hard rain and howling wind. The weather has been relentless this week. The golf has been consistently challenging, both physically and mentally. Keeping the ball in the fairway in 40-50 mph winds is extremely difficult. Try putting in these conditions... Absolutely futile at times.
Besides the wet weather, the television informed us of possible future flight cancellations or delays arising out of the latest volcanic eruption in Iceland. So we checked out of The Carrig and headed north - first to Shannon Airport (no earlier flights were available to us) and then to our final destination: wonderful Lahinch in County Clare. We have been fortunate to play many golf courses in the world, and this is one of our favorites. Lahinch is a true championship test of links golf. #1 leaves the clubhouse and flows uphill to a green sitting on an exposed dune and each shot is moved left to right by the prevailing wind off the water. #2 is a par five which is parallel to the first hole. Then the course moves to the water with a strategic par four and the eccentric par five Klondyke hole. The Klondyke features a tall mound which blocks views of the green. A white rock on the mound provides direction to the hidden green. The fifth hole is a par three called The Dell which is a one shotter with a green sitting between two dunes----the tee shot is blind and normally played against the prevailing wind. Lahinch progresses from one great golf hole to another and tests the skills
of golfers who travel to play the links.
BIG NEWS of the day: HEALY EAGLES #1.
This was the most amazing and astounding golf shot of the week. Healy hits a hybrid 165 yard shot to a plateau green in rain and (no kidding) 50 mph wind. We lose track of the ball as
it scurries up the left side of the green and seemingly disappears over a drumlin. We search
for the ball for four minutes and fifty-nine seconds. Finally, Farrell peers into the hole
and asks Buff what ball he is playing. Titleist 3 with the logo: "Go Jeffs" - in the jar in the opening hole. You can't make this stuff up.
That was the initial stunning strike against the 4-ball team of Considine-Farrell who went on
to lose hole #2 as well.
But then the C-F rally began...
Farrell's birdie on the fabled Klondyke and Considine's par on The Dell brought them even.
Haggerty's sterling sandy on #11 brought H-H to even. Healy's pars on #12 & #16 kept the
match close. (The legend of the Healy magical putting wand continues...). Haggerty shows some
magic of his own with several bunker saves. Considine birdies #14 when his knockdown shot
uses the green backboard to roll close to the pin. On #16 Farrell matched Healy's par with a terrific
scrambling par of his own. All golfers stripe their drives down the fairway on the par
five 18th. C-F convert two-putt pars to hold off the game H-H.
Game over. C-F win 1-up. Farrell notches his second victory in two days. A dynasty
begins....
The tour can't be over, can it? First the Queen of England visits Eire. Then Obama. And
finally the four Blogging Jeffs...
SPECIAL THANKS to Shawnie, our ace techie assistant and blogsite manager!
Lucky indeed....Slainte!!!!!!