Hooked An Amateur S Guide To The Golf Courses Of Ireland

What makes playing a golf course a great experience? Kevin Markham travelled 6,800 miles in a 20-year-old camper van, walked 2,100 miles, lost countless balls, and wore out three pairs of golf shoes to find out. He played and rated every 18-hole course - all 350 of them. The result is the most comprehensive, best-researched guide to Irish golfs, from expensive, well-known courses to affordable little gems. Kevin assesses each course in a detailed review and from a novel perspective, rating the golfing experience using the same criteria for all courses. Courses are ranked out of 100, across 8 criteria, such as design, appeal and value for money. This concise, detailed book is for golfing tourists looking for great value courses; for golfing societies that want to go beyond their local area; and for Irish golfers searching for excellent but unsung courses in Ireland. Written from an amateur's perspective, reviews focus on the energy and excitement of playing each course to give a true representation of the golf experience, and provides all the information necessary to book your round.

Mark Twain had it all wrong: golf is not a good walk spoiled, golf is a journey. And when Ireland provides the map it becomes an 11,000km odyssey for one man in a camper van. Kevin plays every 18-hole golf course in Ireland in all kinds of weather and with all kinds of golfers. He deals with a leaky roof, potholes, born-again Christians and even an Irish mammy. IrelandOCOs beauty shines through but the people encountered along the way, the golf clubs visited and the idiosyncrasies of a twenty-year-old camper van form the fairways on which this story plays. From tee-off to putting the final hole, this is a true Irish golfing adventure. OCo Also available: Hooked: An Amateur's Guide to the Golf Courses of Ireland"

For anyone planning a dream golfing vacation to Ireland, Trolleys and Squibs is the most comprehensive guidebook in the market. Frustrated by sketchy guidebooks while on a golfing tour, authors Louise and Rick Miracle decided to compile their own definitive guide to Irish links. In addition to its practical travel tips, this book offers insightful essays -- including several by leading figures in Irish golf -- that explain the history and particular character of golfing in Ireland. Vacation planners will especially love the book's extensive, geographically balanced coverage of individual golf courses, presented by way of two whimsically named lists. The Trolleys List contains thorough summaries of 153 courses, including small maps and directions for getting there, scorecard data, descriptions of each course's layout and club facilities, and recommendations on local restaurants and hotels. The Squibs List offers basic information -- addresses, phone numbers, brief descriptions -- about 138 additional golf courses. With Trolleys and Squibs, you can plan a detailed itinerary and make your reservations, even before landing on Irish shores (though armchair travelers as well will gain immense enjoyment from the colorful portraits of the courses and countryside).

Mark Twain had it all wrong: golf is not a good walk spoiled, golf is a journey. And when Ireland provides the map it becomes an 11,000km odyssey for one man in a camper van. Kevin plays every 18-hole golf course in Ireland in all kinds of weather and with all kinds of golfers. He deals with a leaky roof, potholes, born-again Christians and even an Irish mammy. Ireland's beauty shines through but the people encountered along the way, the golf clubs visited and the idiosyncrasies of a twenty-year-old camper van form the fairways on which this story plays. From tee-off to putting the final hole, this is a true Irish golfing adventure.

The past decade has seen the development of many world-class golf courses in Ireland. John Redmond's superbly designed and illustrated new book celebrates these as well as the top, truly great established courses.

This text is part practical guide to Ireland's finest golf courses and part travel guide. The chapters on individual courses, their histories and characteristics are interspersed with anecdotes that bring Ireland and its golfers to life. Information on food and drink, and accomodation is also included.

Now in a fully updated and expanded edition, this book presents detailed portraits of Ireland's greatest and lesser-known links. ""Award-winning journalist Phinney and sports broadcaster Whitley have teamed up to create a golf-lover's dream book. Extensively researched, this guide details the history and creation of Ireland's renowned golf courses. Geographically arranged, each course includes information on its design, designers, unique features, green and hole characteristics, and notable golfers and tournaments. Pertinent information--location, green fee, address, and phone--is listed for each course. Brief listings of 100 additional, not so famous courses, the country's best 18 holes, tournaments for visitors, and helpful trip-planning tips follow the discussion of the famous links. Sure to be enjoyed by golfers everywhere."" --Library Journal

The worldwide golf boom, fueled by international television coverage and the rise of young stars such as Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia, continues unabated. With golfers everywhere eager to play the famous courses and discover hidden gems, Globetrotter Golfer's Guides provide selective visitor guides to the world's top golfing destinations. It is said that once golfers have played golf in Ireland they are hooked for life, and this superbly illustrated guide selects over 120 of the best and most scenic courses from Royal county in the north to Ballybunion in the south. The Golfers Guide to Ireland caters to all levels of players. *Over 150,000 visitors from abroad take golfing vacations in Ireland each year, including 20,000 from North America.