The Only Thatch-Roofed Clubhouse in Ireland

Connemara Isles is a throwback. Motor vehicles must traverse an extremely narrow driveway to enter the course, recently rated #64 in Ireland. The thatched-roof clubhouse is undoubtedly unique and is managed by a gregarious and quite loquacious fellow who is the grandson of the builder. He corralled Chuck and regaled him with several stories, in English AND in Gaelic, about his family and the history of the golf club. His great-grandfather was one of 13 survivors of the St. John Brig disaster off the coast of Massachusetts in 1849, recently commemorated in 1999 in Cohasset with a monument. Chuck was lucky to survive the conversation. Word of the day: Lynch, the name of the ebullient, effusive, talkative owner of Connemara Isles -- a living testament to Irish sociability. The course itself wends itself around a bog with scenic views over coastal bogs. The quirky design had us yearning for local knowledge as Bino particularly was victimized by overclubbing some holes. We finished the round quickly in order to make our tee time at Connemara and begin our quest for Stableford competence in competition.