Ashley Mayo is not just a colleague, she's a close friend and co-leader of the social media strategy for Golf Digest and Golf World. Mayo just completed Columbia's Graduate School of Journalism, and among other things, she carries a 4 handicap and an infectious laugh. Which is to say: you'll have a good time with her on the golf course as she's taking your money, squishing your ego, and then tweeting out pictures and the results to her thousands of followers. (No, I'm not still bitter about a recent round at Bethpage Black.)
Anyway, Mayo is just back from a bucket-list trip to Ireland, and she's eager to share anecdotes and images to the readers of this blog. Enjoy. The first hole at County Sligo Golf Club is a straight par 4. Standing on the tee, I can see a narrow fairway guarded by three bunkers, a large, inviting green and, on a hill behind that green, a dozen sheep. The hole is out there for the taking, but it's not easy. A prevailing wind whipping off Sligo Bay makes it play more like a sharp dogleg right.
Deception defines golf on the northern coast of Ireland. What you see isn't what you get. And what you get are rounds of golf that are on seemingly untouched land, complete with ocean vistas, all four seasons of weather and sand dunes that have formed naturally over hundreds of years.
In one week at the end of June, I played six links courses on the northern coast of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Every one of them hugs either the Atlantic Ocean or the bays that feed into it, but they offer distinct personalities.
Here, I'll recap my experience in photos and captions.
I flew into Dublin (shown) and drove three hours west, to County Sligo.
And although I like Tiger’s selfless gesture, this post is not about Tiger the social savior; it’s about Kyle the courageous kid. And it’s about using a lot of golf in one day to raise money for a good cause.
