How We Accidentally Ended Up Organising an Irish Golf Trip

Nish 0:35

Every good story is about the journey. And this is the story of our journey, trying to play the top 100 courses in the UK and Ireland in just 10 years. This is the Top 100 in 10 Golf Podcast. Episode 63. How we accidentally ended up organising an Irish golf trip. Now we’ve been trying to get a trip in Ireland sorted out for about six months now, and we’ve got to tell you we’ve had moderate to little success. Honestly, it’s given me a bit of a headache. But you know, there are 22 out of 100 courses in Ireland, so we kinda have to get to grips with this trip. That’s when I got a phone call. But before we carry on, could I ask you out there listening or watching to click like or subscribe or follow wherever you’re watching or listening to this podcast? All the growing numbers that we get enable us to get better content, create better links, and create better opportunities like we’ve got at the end of this episode today. Now back to this exciting episode. In come Josh and Jared from Irish Fairways. So Josh, he’s the man who can get you into places that they don’t even pick the phone up to you on. And Jared, he’s the one who called me out of absolutely nowhere because he’d been listening to the podcast. So either that’s flattering, Jared, or it’s a bit suspicious. Which one is it?

Jared 2:04

That’s flattering.

Nish 2:06

Are you talking me?

Jared 2:08

No, I want to help a friend.

Why Ireland Captivates Golfers

Nish 2:10

I love it. Well, look, Jared, Josh, you’re from Irish Fairways. Welcome to the podcast today. And you know, I’ve been talking for several weeks about the difficulties that we’ve been facing getting onto the golf courses in Ireland. You know, we’ve had um Raw County Down, like the the T’s went up for sale, and it was a case of two, three, four phones, and and James, who’s been on the podcast before, rang me up and said, you know, this is this is becoming a bit chaotic, all that kind of thing. Um, I’ve had loads of social media messages from people saying it is it’s pretty difficult. Like, how in 2026 is there not a better system in inverted commas? We talked in a couple of episodes ago about how me and Chris kind of like the ringing up kind of thing. It’s a bit old-fashioned, bit traditional, all that kind of thing. But you know, what what is it about golf in Ireland that captures the imagination so much?

Josh 3:14

Well, uh simple really for me being very biased opinion on it is you know, golf courses are very unique here. They’re they’re built into the into the coastline, they’re built into the landscape, and you know, it’s how golf originated, it’s how it started, and we have some of the best ones on the island of Ireland and in Scotland as well. The the courses are incredible. And we’re we’re a small country. Um, for guys coming over playing, they they try they travel two, three hours to play around the golf. You know, we can you can base yourself in a nice location in Ireland and travel less than an hour to five different world-class golf courses, so it just suits, it sets up well, the hospitality is great, and golf in Ireland is one of the best, in my opinion.

Nish 4:00

Um I mean, what is it that you primarily your market, so to speak, would be US golfers coming over. Okay. You know, what what is it they say as soon as they first get to an authentic Irish links golf course? Like it must be incredible to just to see the reaction.

Josh 4:23

Uh yeah, they well, firstly, they think they can play better than what they can on the golf courses, which is which is brilliant. And uh don’t we all? Oh yeah, and then they hit their T-shot and it goes so high, nearly comes back at them into the wind, and then they learn that you know this is a little bit more difficult than they thought, but they’re they’re blown away by the landscape uh in particular, as I mentioned that they were on. They’re blown away by what it looks like, the dunes, the sea, the ocean, you know, the the how sort of old school it can look, you know. The fact that the clubhouses are probably hundred years old, the golf courses you know haven’t really changed a lot over time and they look spectacular. So I think that’s what the big thing is for them.

Nish 4:59

Now you you’ve obviously played most of these golf courses that you organise the trips for, Josh. So I mean, what does it feel like to stand on that first T? I mean, uh, you know, do you still get first T nerves?

Josh 5:13

Oh yeah, I get first, second, third, four T nerves doesn’t matter, I get all the nerves. Um, but it’s you know what it’s there’s something that’s exciting about playing golf, especially on the Lynx golf course for me. Um, you know, I I’ll I’ll never get tired of playing some of the golf course around Ireland personally. Um I played a lot of golf in America as well. Played Valderama there a couple of weeks ago, that was brilliant. Um, but just walking on to some of Ireland’s best golf courses, I I still I love it. There’s no better feeling, especially going out with a couple of your pals, having good fun, a few bets, having a beer, whatever it may be. It’s great, crack. It’s there’s nothing better.

Links Golf Versus American Golf

Nish 5:48

You sort of mentioned there that you’ve played in the in the States as well previously. So you know what are the key differences between kind of Irish Lynx golf and golf in America?

Josh 6:01

Firm undulating fairways in Ireland uh doomed. You could hit a ball down the middle of the fairway in Ireland, and you know, you miss the you miss the uh a mound by a couple of feet and the ball scoots off into the rough, you know. It’s not about it’s not about how well you hit it, it’s about picking where the ball lands. In a in America, in the States in particular, you know, it’s it’s it’s fairways and greens, it’s hit a high, hit it as hard as you can. Generally, you’ll get it on the green meter second shot if you’re not in the water, I suppose, but yeah, it it’s high bombs and wedges in America. In Ireland, it’s it’s way different than that. You have to pick where the ball lands. You can’t necessarily hit a lot wedge. It’s I’m not saying it’s useless in links golf, but it’s not as helpful as it would be in America. Some you’ve got to chip and run them up the slope, know where the ball’s bouncing. You know, you might hit a 160-yard pitching wedge or a 75-yard pitching wedge, and vice versa, with a five-iron, they can go all different distances, there’s different styles, different play, different shots. So many different things can happen.

Nish 6:57

It’s interesting, isn’t it? I think there’s that kind of I mean, I I probably played two links courses before I started doing this challenge, and I didn’t really take in what that difference in golf was like, and then now you kind of go, there are a lot of shots you need to have in your armory before you go out and tackle a Lynx course, right?

Josh 7:21

Oh, 100%. Like and some of my American friends and our clients that we play with, they you know, I I I can’t hit the ball high at the minute, I genuinely can’t. And it looks great when I’m playing a Lynx course because you know it’s going chest height for 200 yards. But you put me hitting to an uphill green uh and I really struggle, like I nearly have to hit a chip and run from 170 yards that goes that low because if you don’t get the correct trajectory on it, you know, it’s gonna bounce off. So it’s um it’s so different, but it’s it’s so much more enjoyable. I really, really love the challenge of what you have to do around the Lynx golf course.

How Irish Fairways Started

Nish 7:54

So so I mean, obviously, you’ve got your company, Irish Fairways. I mean, maybe I’ll bring Jared in here. You know, what how did the company come about? What’s your origin story?

Jared 8:06

Oh yeah, myself and Josh are friends got 10 years. Josh actually teaches my kids golf, and I’ve run I’ve run a couple of businesses, and he’s a bit younger than me when I moved in house. He was the 12-year-old next door. Uh uh, and I said, Here, let’s help him settle a business. He has the connections, he’s a PGA pro. So, do you know all the golf courses down to hotels? Can we make some calls? I spun up a website and we have to get bookings next week, and it’s just taken off from there, and now we’re coming into year three.

Nish 8:32

Amazing. I mean, you’ve just been uh in Boston, like you know, promoting a couple of couple of trips. But you know, for you and and you run VIP golf trips to Ireland, right? So so I mean, what does that look like? What should people expect from you?

Josh 8:49

Uh well, you know, with with the our staff now, we have we have great great team here. It’s every everything managed, you know, barrier flight, but we’re we’re there to at every step of the way to make sure the the trip is seamless. You know, Ireland is is well known for its great hospitality. We we arrange the best drivers, the most uh you know, the the best hotel that you require. It doesn’t have to be five-star, it can be four-star, it can be location-based, it can be you might want to stay in the city. Uh, we our our special specialty is we we give you what you want and we make sure it goes the best possible way for you. We have a lovely relationship with some nice restaurants in in the country. We have um you know, obviously great relationship with the golf courses. Uh as I said, you can’t you can’t speak more highly of the drivers who take you around on a group trip. You know, they they make the trip, they’re they’re with you pretty much every step, as as we would be, but not to their extent. They’re they drive them from place to place, they make sure they make their tea times, and they you know, every every every time a trip finishes with us, they always speak so highly of how good the driver was, you know, how friendly he was, how knowledgeable he was, and you know, he did everything he could to make their trip great. So, you know, making sure everything is streamlined for you, giving you the best possible tea times. Um, that’s our our specialty, and we we adhere to you know, make making it as as fun and enjoyable as possible around here so you don’t have to think about a thing.

Guinness Stops And Local Experiences

Jared 10:11

Yeah, we also have a call with the plant before they book their trip and we try and add in if they’ve got family that might be from Monument, but go we’ll just arrange to stop in a local town, go to a local pub, they want to go kiss the Blarney Stone, want to Middleton tour distillery or do the perfect point door in Dublin. We put all that together into the trip. So it’s it’s not just a ready-made trip, it’s a bespoke trip to each of our customers.

Nish 10:35

Yeah, I mean, one of the things I’ve seen, and I’m I’m probably jumping in ahead a little bit here, but is that you know, a lot of times you’ve had this final farewell dinner and it’s at the Guinness storehouse, you know, it’s quite an iconic place to do it. You know, again, tell me how that’s received, because that must just be like the the the capping moment of this amazing trip that people have had.

Josh 10:58

Oh, well, listen, it’s uh it speaks for itself, you know, and uh it wouldn’t be just the Guinness Storehouse as well. For some of these guys, that’s obviously the top of the request, but but where we come in is uh Jared and I have plenty of experience in this to be fair. It’s finding the nicest point of Guinness around Dublin City for them. You know, uh Guinness Storehouse is great, but let’s let’s let’s take it to where the locals go. We have a lovely pint, a nice atmosphere. And um, you know, the per Jared mentioned the perfect pint tour. Those lads are fantastic. What a great service they provide. They’ll take you around Dublin, they’ll talk about a bit of history for you, um, and they’ll take you to you know the best pubs to have a Guinness, they’ll they’ll teach you how to pour a pint of Guinness, and you’ll be in in a nice local Irish pub having a great time. And you know, that they’re the they’re the small things that are remembered in their trips.

Hosts And Guests Golf Backgrounds

Nish 11:42

Yeah, I mean I suppose that’s the thing, isn’t it? You know, you’ve got the golf, of course, and the golf is magnificent. You know, we we can’t understate that, but yeah, those little things, yeah. I I mean I love that. I absolutely love it. You know, this is great. So, I mean, let’s talk a little bit about you two. Talk about your golf. So, Josh, what’s your golfing background?

Josh 12:06

Uh I’m I’m currently a member of the PGA in Ireland. Um, it’s not I won’t go too much into my past as playing golf because there’s not a whole lot of it. I never I didn’t I didn’t have much of an amateur career. I was um I I initially circumstantial at the time, I turned, I joined the PGA to get into you know a job that I might like. And uh I joined the PGA just solely to be a golf instructor and that sort of led us to here now. And I I’ve been doing that for for for 10 years as well. I wouldn’t change it for the world. The people you meet, it’s brought me to you know, I’ve good friends in America, you know. I’ve been friendly with Martin Chook and Tour Striker, who’s a great guy. I go over to him once a year uh when I can, and I spend time in his golf schools. Um, it’s led me to my role in the in the school in Ireland to to teach golf to plenty of great, great juniors. That’s the network of that alone sort of led to the reason I’ve setting up the golf tourism business because I was back and forth to America twice a year as it was, and just kept getting asked, you know, we’d love to go play golf in Ireland, and it was like this we have we have to do something with this, so that led us to this.

Jared 13:14

Amazing, amazing golf skills, he’s amazing at golf, people love to watch him play, and sometimes when he gets out with a group, that’s the memory of the trip.

Nish 13:23

Yeah, I mean that’s amazing, isn’t it?

Jared 13:26

I wouldn’t be as good as golf. I am new to golf, even though I’ve been doing it five years. I have three kids, so I just have don’t have time to get out. Another reason for setting up the company was for just to get me out to play some golf. So I’m like a low 20s handicap. I played some lovely courses, far too good for me, but I find like it’s it’s just so much fun and getting out and to play. Like he I’ve been playing Mauritius last year. I played Ryder Cup venue in Camaral. He had me out in Turnbury last uh July, 30 degree heat. Amazing. It wasn’t up to my level, but and then I wasn’t up to its level, but I still have some amazing photos from it. And uh one probably I started at the top, so it’s downhill from here for me.

Nish 14:06

I love it. Jared, me and you are the same, right? Chris. He’s the pat ring crime, he’s he’s he’s like Josh. Yeah. We’re we’re just like hanging on, aren’t we?

Josh 14:16

We’re just like, oh, just we’ll have to do a competition. I’m gonna stop you right there. We played a pro am together and in in Rafarnham in Ireland there, and Jared started par birdie, and I started par Bowie. He was two shots ahead of me after two holes. Now he didn’t show up for the rest of the round. The wheels came off then. He hits his approach out to the first hole to eight feet, misses the birdie put, and then hits an approach out of the par three second hole to 20 feet and holds the birdie put. I’m like, what man hasn’t taken golf?

Nish 14:44

Yeah, for two holes. That was the greatest round in the world. I love it. Absolutely love it. Jared, I’d be dining out on that for years and years now. So so me and you are kindred spirits, kindred spirits. I love it.

Josh 15:03

He is dining out on that, by the way. 100%.

Why Tee Times Feel Impossible

The Five-Course Trip Line-Up

Nish 15:08

Oh, I love it. So, right, okay, well, let’s get to why we ended up speaking. So, we have a difficulty getting to play courses in Ireland, which I have to admit, when we first started doing this, I didn’t think that would be the case. There’s a couple of reasons for that. Chris’s family’s all from Ireland, so he was just like, Yeah, it’s easy, people are dead friendly, like it’ll be fine, we’ll get on, no problem. Also, I had underestimated how much it actually costs to play golf in Ireland, so it’s not just a case of oh yeah, we’ll just book, which we’ve proven with the roll county down tea booking system, you know, that’s that’s difficult. But yeah, suddenly you’re looking at the thick end of a 500 euro green fee that you need to sort of pay in advance. So that’s why we ended up chatting, and we’ve put together a bit of a trip. There’s five courses on that. So I thought before we kind of give everyone a bit of a flavour as to what the trip’s gonna look like, and spoiler alert, it’s a trip you can get involved in, so you know that’s that’s all quite good. So I’m gonna chuck out the name to these five courses. Now, uh Josh, you’ve obviously played these, so be honest, but don’t be brutally honest. Don’t don’t put anybody off from how these courses are. But I mean, you know, I have been pouring over these golf courses, and I have to say I’m a visuals person, right? As soon as I get onto a T, if I can just this is a stunning view that just does it for me every time. I I don’t know how you’re gonna separate these courses out because I’m gonna ask you for like a one-line review from all of these, but they all look amazing, like absolutely amazing. So, number one, how lucky are you to have these courses on your doorstep? Number two, let’s go into it. So we’ll start with it’s ranked 15 on our list, so it’s right up there, and that is Port Marnock. Tell us about that.

Josh 17:17

Yeah, like Port Marnock, you know, speaks for itself. It’s it’s one of the top of the top of the list for when we have clients that are want to come in, they mention Port Marnock, and sort of you know, the secret of well, worth kept secret of it’s gonna host an open championship venue in a couple of years, sort of thing, right?

Nish 17:39

Okay.

Josh 17:41

Local councillors were trying to figure out how to get a road into the golf course, but I suppose Port Marnock is steeped in history, it’s the golf club in Ireland. Uh it doesn’t need any introduction. Irish opens, you know, some of the best there have won. You know, it’s for years it was just a go-to place, and it just gets better and better. It’s the one place you could walk into at any time of the year, and the condition would be immaculate in Ireland. Um, how they do it, I don’t know. It’s absolutely spectacular, and it’s it’s up there. It’s to be honest, it’s up there, one of the best in Ireland. Now, it’s it’s hard to separate. You put me under here, like it’s poor man.

Nish 18:17

Oh, I know. Well, yeah, I I can’t let you not have any pressure here, Josh. You know, come on, he does you’ve got to you’ve got to stick your neck on the line here a little bit.

Josh 18:26

Yeah, I think it’s it’s absolutely incredible. The greens are always spectacular. Um, I suppose the one tip you’re saying is if if you’re well, if you’re coming over here to play, everybody wants to feel like they can play off the back tees or the best tees. You know, play off, play off your appropriate tees, yeah, and uh enjoy the golf course. You know, you if you hit the ball well, you’ll be rewarded. Some of the best holes are there. The you know, the part three, sort of 13th is spectacular. Coming up the 18th towards the clubhouse, what what a great golf hole that is. I got I could talk about poor Marik all day.

Nish 18:58

Well, uh I have to say, you you said something there in the middle that uh kind of does resonate with me, and that is picking the appropriate T to play from. So you know, we we we’ve been blessed so far. We played 18 of the best golf courses in the United Kingdom kind of thing, and it we there are a couple of places where we played from slightly more forward tees than we would normally have chosen to play, and that’s been on the recommendation of the the starter who just said, you know, what do you normally what’s your what’s your handicap? What do you normally play off? So um I have to say, every time they’ve put us off a forward tee, we’ve had a much more fun round. We really have. Because you’re playing a great golf course, and suddenly you’re like, oh, I’ve got a chance at a birdie here, or I’ve got a chance at par or or whatever, and it it really does change your experience. I I get being wanting to be beaten up by a golf course and be right at the back and play off the tips and all that kind of thing, but yeah, for me, picking an appropriate one, what was it, Bryson said, play off the the red T’s and try and score. You know, I th I I I I’m I’m all for that. It’s great.

Josh 20:05

Parker Harrington, the first time I met Park Harrington when I was somewhat trying to play competitive golf, the best thing he said to me was when he was starting and playing terms, he played off the forward T-boxes and got comfortable making a lot of birdies. First time I did it, I didn’t make a lot of birdies, so that was an IO for me.

Nish 20:59

It doesn’t always work, yeah.

Josh 21:01

Absolutely. I felt even worse when I went back in.

Nish 21:06

I love that, absolutely love it. Um, okay, right. Well, put okay, Port Marnock. You know, I think we all expected what you were gonna say there, Josh. But um how about the island?

Josh 21:18

So the island is I’ve a I’m a real soft spot for the island. It it is like Port Mark is the place, but the island is actually up there in my in my top five in Ireland. Um, just for what for one simple yeah, for one simple fact is when I when you walk onto the T-box, especially the last time I played it, the first tea in the island, you’re looking down the fairway, there’s big dunes on the left and the right hand side, the sun was coming in. I was like, this is absolutely spectacular. And again, whatever this is the spoiler, some of my favourite holes you’ll play are in the island. Um, some absolutely spectacular places. A nice story behind it. It was actually an island, you had to get a boat to it from Malahyde. You know, it’s just a real cool place to go and play.

Nish 22:01

Amazing. I love that. Oh, so hang on a minute. So you don’t you still don’t you don’t have to get a boat now? Oh I I have not got sea legs, so yeah, that’s fine. That’s all good for me. Um, then we’ve got the Jameson Lynx. So tell us a little bit about that because that you know might not be it’s not on our list, but it’s part of the the tour that we’re gonna do. Um, and that was because we’re staying we’re gonna stay there, right?

Josh 22:27

Uh yeah, exactly. And you know what, it the but the hotel is on side of the golf course. And well, firstly, before you go into the golf course, the hotel is actually you’re within our you know, Baltray, um, you’re within sort of 30 minutes of golf courses and Dublin City, like it’s a perfect location, and the hospitality there is fantastic, you know. Um, but the golf course itself, uh the best thing they did, in my opinion, is they changed the name. You know, it used to be Port Marno Golf, golf links, Port Marnock Hotel and Golf Links. Connecting it with the Jameson family was a really good idea because um you know they’re from there, they built it there, and uh the new renovations they did on the golf. Course are brilliant. They’ve made it a lot more fair. They’ve there’s some cool part trees where you can now see the sea. Um, great again, great, great dunes, great undulations. Uh, I’ve been beaten up there plenty of times. So used to be um there used to be a the Tuesday winter series on during and uh you know winters in Ireland can be harsh. The place held up great for conditions, but uh I always remember the third and fourth hole used to turn into the wind, and it’s a winter series for pros, and you rub off the back tees. The par I know, yeah. Um sorry, the fourth and fifth hole, the fourth hole was uh it was must have been oh 600 yards into the wind. It was and then you turn onto the next hole, it was like a 490 par four into the wind, and by the time you turn around, you’re like, Jesus Christ, can’t do this anymore.

Nish 23:56

Yeah, I mean oh Jared, what did you just say then? Halfway house? Yeah, that’s it. I’m winning. I’m winning with that.

Jared 24:06

It’s like a Jameson Jameson team whiskey bar. Yeah.

Nish 24:10

Right. Yeah, that’s it. Tour finishes there, we’re done. We’re stopping.

Josh 24:15

It is, yeah, it’s really cool, and it’s a it’s actually they’ve they’ve located it well because you can you can get like two or three points as you play. It’s not just stuck on the sort of 10 T. So you actually hit it two or three times, so have a great time around there.

Nish 24:28

Well, i if you did, then you probably don’t remember it, right? So it’s fine, it’s good, good way to do it. Good way to do it. Um, and then we’ve got Royal Dublin. So Royal Royal Dublin actually follow us on Instagram. So, you know, big to them guys. But uh yeah, tell us tell us about Royal Dublin.

Josh 24:47

It’s brilliant, and it’s uh it’s uh they’re actually great with the the PGA. There’s uh more on Cup is there every year. Um it’s a really it’s a really cool course. Nine holes out, nine holes back. And what I mean, nine holes out, nine holes back. You go you go straight out for nine holes, and then you turn around for nine holes.

Nish 25:02

Uh it’s just unique in that way.

Josh 25:06

So if you’re if you’re downwind the front nine, you’re feeling good, you’re gonna turn around straight back into the win. And uh it’s it’s such a such a cool course. Um, again, steeped to steeped in history. The the you know, the novelty of that going out and back is really cool. And then when you come into 18, it’s such a great finishing hole. You’re hitting towards the clubhouse, you know, it’s sort of a it’s a it’s a strange angle of a t-shot, and then you hit sort of over and out out of bounds towards the clubhouse, it’s it’s a really great golf hole and a really enjoyable golf course as well. You’ll you’ll be you’ll be welcomed there and you’ll have a lovely experience.

Nish 25:40

Wonderful. And then it’s by no means least here at all, but the last one on the trip is going to be County Louth. So how does that how does that compare to the four previous courses?

Josh 25:54

It’s the most probably one of the most spoken golf courses of our trips when when guys played them, uh they couldn’t speak more highly of it. They go in, I don’t know, their expectations are not as high as they should be, and they always leave, you know, having a great time. Uh, firstly, the the hospitality in the clubhouse, you know, it’s a there’s members, there’s local members there, you’re you’re feeling welcome, you’ll have a conversation with the members. Uh Open Championship uh uh qualifying is there, or the first qualifier. Um, obviously the East of Ireland’s there. And uh Shane Larry won the Irish Open there in 2009. So as an amateur, it’s just such a great place to go. Your your the golf course is is is unbelievable. I’ll always remember the 18th hole, Larry hitting. No, we won’t talk about missing the putt, but he hit it into it a couple of feet, got into a playoff and went on and won. So every time you go there, you’ll have a great time. Some great, great uh golf holes. And uh no, no, no. I I’ll I’ll I’ll die in the sword. I I haven’t found anybody who does not like playing uh Candy Lells.

Nish 26:56

That’s amazing. That’s amazing to hear. I’m gonna bring Jared in just really quickly here because this is obviously coming from somebody who’s good at golf. Jared, me and you are the same, right? We’re not potentially not very good at golf. Go on, what what what where have you played there on that list?

Jared 27:13

Well, early in my golf career, yeah, Josh brought me to James and Lynx. Yep, and it was a rainy, windy, foggy day, and I nearly started and gave up golf in the same day. I might have picked up four times, and he parred the course.

Nish 27:30

Amazing, amazing. It’s one of those days where you’re just like, what is it about this game that people love? I don’t get it.

Jared 27:38

The win brings it back in. It was crazy.

Nish 27:42

Wow, wow. I mean, I think that in itself is you know, that’s the bit of the experience that I think you know, you can talk about all the the majesty of the course and all that kind of stuff, but even experiencing that, you know, and you’ve seen it all, you’ve seen the memes on Instagram and all that kind of stuff, but it’s like, yeah, actually, I’m doing it now. I think that’s the bit that holds the the allure, I suppose.

Jared 28:06

I I needed the halfway house a few times in that trip.

Nish 28:09

Yeah, just carrying a bottle of Jameson’s round with you, that’s fine. Um now, Josh, you’re allowed to pick one hole from all of those five magnificent golf courses where you want one of our listeners to be stood on and they’re gonna go, Oh my goodness, uh golf in Ireland is just I need to come back. Well, which hole is it gonna be?

Josh 28:32

It’s like I’m I’m strong since it’s gone quiet. It’s such a difficult one, but personally for me, it’s like you know, you could like you know are you talking par three?

Nish 28:49

Is that is it a par three for you? Is it where’s that? Sorry.

Josh 28:52

No, the 14th in the island has to be um like there’s so many you could pick. There’s great holes, and you know, I I love the first hole in Port Marnock, by the way, the t-shot there. I love the first hole in the island. Um it’s a such a great T-shot. Um, you know, the is it the 12th or 13th in ball trade’s a short part four? I love playing the 18th in ball trade just because you’re coming up towards, you know, you know, just memories. I that was some of my early memories playing golf as watching Larry winning that. Um but the 14th in the island for me. Um just it’s such a as I talked about with the boat coming in, that’s the closest part to where that boat used to land, where the old clubhouse was, is the 14th now. Amazing. But when I talk about it’s the narrowest fairway you’re ever going to hit towards, it’s not not an exaggeration. This fairway, when you’re standing on that T-box, looks 10 yards wide, even less. And to the left is loaded, yeah, to the left is all the all the sand dunes, and to the right is uh is water, um just just the sea. So and yeah, yeah, you you probably don’t have to hit a driver, but it’s just such a you stand on this this this this whole thing and there’s actually nowhere to hit this goal shot, and it’s just brilliant, just real cool experience.

Nish 30:03

Do you know uh uh yeah, I I used to be very um you know, I used to be like, oh no, no, come on, let you know, play safe and all that kind of thing. But do you know what? You’re gonna do it once. Live a little, just play the game, give it a go, get another ball out.

Josh 30:20

It’s fine, it’s fine. They’ll leave the boat there for you to go get your golf balls back in.

October Group Trip Details Revealed

Nish 30:25

Yeah, yeah. Well, we we do a great feature on our podcast, you know. I I’ve got um uh logo balls. So if there’s a there’s a link on there, you can win a sleeve of of golf balls. So if I do spray one, it’s deliberate. You know, I’m I’m I’m just trying to help people to win a sleeve of golf balls. That’s what it is. Yeah, that’s the way to do it. Well, well, look, what a wonderful itinerary you’ve put together for us. And um, you know, let’s talk about why Jared called me in the first place. And Jared called me to say, we’ve had a look at your Irish itineraries, and we think we can put this together for you. Which when you come from a place of real frustration of like how are we gonna get on, like where are we gonna stay, how are we gonna get two places, all that kind of thing. For somebody to contact you and say, We can get you on, like we can do this. And I hasten to add here, by the way, we’re doing this in October, we’re doing it so it’s the 4th to the 10th of October, and I suppose the big reveal is that you guys out there in listener and viewer land and and whatever, you can come and join us. So we have uh reserved 16 spaces, which one belongs to me, one belongs to Chris. There’s 14 places up for grabs, which uh that’s not not many, is it? But uh Jared has had to call in a lot of favours to get us on some tea times that this year you cannot get now. They’re all fully booked, right? You just can’t get on and play in October in Ireland, which in itself is I’m like pinching myself. I’m like, this is incredible that this is gonna happen. On top of that, uh the whole itinerary is just organised for us. You know, we just you’ve just gone like these are the dates we can get you in, come over. You mentioned the driver before, he’s gonna pick you up, he’s gonna take you everywhere, he’s gonna be your guide and your eyes and ears in you know, on the land. We don’t have to worry about it, we can just go and play golf, pretend we’re pros, you know, and just rock backwards and forwards from the hotel, which is uh the Port Marnett Resort, which is incredible in itself, right? I mean, how good is that of a trip? How good is that of a trip? So that is basically what the guys are gonna do for us. Um now uh you’ve obviously had people over and they’ve done these sorts of trips and things like that before. You know, let us live a little in their shoes and and imagine what it was like, you know, what are the kind of comments that you’re getting from people?

Josh 33:04

Listen, they’re they’re they’re all blown away. Um you know, hospitality is a big one in Ireland. Um, you know, you go to the right spots, you you’re gonna have a great time. You’re you’re welcomed in. No one has a bad word to say about Irish people on their trips in particular. You haven’t had it.

Jared 33:20

If you check out our triple provider reviews, um a lot of the early ones were from nearly that exact trip. Oh, was it right? Okay, I’ll send them on to the after the fact you could you can share them on. But um, yeah, no, so like one that that trip actually spurred on that was 20 June last year, and three of them are coming back this year for do other trips, and two have booked for next year. One including one soon to ride a cup, but it’s next September. So that one trip of eight people it’s turned into seven trips already.

Nish 33:49

Amazing. So I mean let’s let’s not gloss over this. So next year, which is you know, 20 we’re just just in 26, but 27 next year, it’s Ryder Cup year. That’s a big one for you guys. You know, tell me a little bit about how much of a logistical nightmare that is at the moment.

Josh 34:07

Uh yeah, that’s all of it. Um and with Port Rush having the open last year, um, you know, and Royal County down, being consistently ranked up with the top courses in the world, you know, it’s just demand is just so high. Golf and Ireland is so there, it’s it’s so easy to get to Ireland now. We used to no one used to know how to get here. Like we got home from Boston in five and a half hours there during the you know, it’s it’s easy to get here, it’s easy to put together a good trip in you know, good locations, and yeah, it’s been it was a bit of a logistical nightmare, but you know, we were prepared, we had our we had our our book our names on booking, so we were ready to go when the tea times became live, and uh we we got all we needed for for our clients, so it was uh it was just preparation um and then we’re ready to go for for next year.

Nish 34:55

I mean what what I love about this is that generally speaking, I’m the guy that does the organizing, right? So so Chris just kind of I have to tell him how the bookings came about and what’s happened. So there’s a lovely dynamic for Chris, it’s great, he just like turns up and he’s got to play golf and I do all the sorting, but for once I’ve just kind of gone, Jared, just sort us out.

Jared 35:20

I just when I reached out here, our initial plan was let’s plan 2027, 2028, because this is top 110 years, not not 10 months. And uh you suggested maybe could we do something this year? And I thought I was gonna read ringing Josh and he’s gonna go, not a chance.

Nish 35:38

Yeah, I’m gonna have to let him down.

Jared 35:40

Sorry. The team pulled me out of the bag because some of those tea times are are no to anyone else, and we got the as I said, we got the last 16 and two of those. Um 2027 would still not be hard enough. 2028 is easy. So we’re talking to a lot of people like 2028 now. You want draw the county down, put your name down, and in March we’ll be booking 2028 for you. But um, yeah, team pulls it together and then it goes well. We’ll probably look at one of your other trips for 2027 and get again into 2028.

Nish 36:08

Absolutely. I mean, I don’t need to do anything else, I just you know call my guys. Yeah, Josh Jared sorts out.

Josh 36:16

Get on your plane, land in Dublin Airport. Uh we’ve got you from there. Um as I said, drivers are fantastic. We’re gonna be there waiting for you. We’re we’re gonna, you know, whatever you want to do, whatever you guys want to do, uh, with our recommendation, I’ll be lined up. You can enjoy this trip, you don’t have to worry about anything.

What Links Golf Teaches Fast

Nish 36:33

I mean, how good is that? It’s it’s it is just amazing. So, you know, we’ll let we’re gonna pop a link in our descriptions um that you can we can learn about the trip and and sign up and register and get some more information, whatever you like to do. You can DM us on Instagram, you can DM us on TikTok, YouTube, you know, wherever you like. Because I suppose the the key thing for us was once we’d figured out with you guys that we can do this trip, and when we’d had that whole chat and discussion about how difficult it is to actually get to play golf in Ireland, and and you know, you know, I’m not I really don’t feel I’m overstating that. The more people that I’ve spoken to who are trying to play top 100 courses or just generally who just like I want to sort out a trip, it’s been so hard for them to coordinate all the various different courses and do it in a snapshot of time, and I think the second that that became apparent, and then this opportunity came up for us, we were like, it has to happen where we can offer people a chance to come and play with us. So, listen, you know, and everybody listening will know I am not very good at golf, so if you want to feel good about your game, come and play with me, uh, and just you know, kind of we’re we’re there for the banter, really, I think, rather than anything else. But we will make sure that you have a good time. But you know, Jared, if somebody was really right now just going, Oh, you know, yeah, it sounds alright, you know, but is this kind of the trip for me? You know, what is gonna make them go actually, apart from our bubbly personalities and our uh magnetic charisma that we’ve got, what’s gonna make them want to come?

Jared 38:22

Uh for many it’ll be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But even if you have people like just not everyone’s great at golf, but everyone can have one great hole or one great shot and bring home a memory of like forever to tell their kids about that. They’re in Ireland playing golf, playing at the sea, drinking some Guinness or Jameson, if you want, or Irish coffee, and uh yeah, they’ll just they’ll get they’ll get the hook and want to do it again.

Nish 38:45

Yeah, I think it yeah, I mean that’s the thing, isn’t it? You know, it is it does feel like it’s a once-in-a-lifetime. Well, it shouldn’t be for us because we’ve got to do 22 courses in Ireland, so it shouldn’t be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for us, but you know, certainly there is that whole you know, you might not get a chance to do this ever again, really. But you know, I’ve got I’ve got one final proper question before we ramble a little bit more. But so Josh, I’m 17.3 handicap, okay? I play golf for the odd shot that goes really, really well as I planned. And I actually turn around to Chris and go. That actually went exactly how I planned it to go. I didn’t tell you what it was, but that’s how I planned it to go. Um, what should I expect from a week’s golfing in in Ireland?

Josh 39:36

Oof. Um you’ll learn a lot about your golf. Um, firstly, uh I love that. You will, yeah, you’ll learn a lot. You will uh you’ll you will see how how different you can play the game. You know, how you know you don’t always have to hit something high and soft, you don’t always have to hit the perfect golf shot, but if you prepare well, you pick the right shot, you know, you can do okay. Uh it’s not about the perfect shot. Lynx golf is certainly not about the perfect shot, it’s um it’s about better strategy, more than anything. Pick where you want the ball to land, try have that, try leave yourself a club you want in, and you know you’ll limit the damage, and you’ll realize that golf is played a far different way than you know the generic parkland golf courses, you know, that you can run them up the green, you don’t have to land them past the pin and spin them back. You can you know you can chip and run it up the green, that’s no problem at all. Um and you’ll learn that there’s different elements of this game, and you’ll have a great time doing it. That’s the more important thing. You’re gonna be walking on golf courses where the best in the world have played and spoke so highly of. You know, the everybody loves playing Lynx Golf when they’re over here. Justin Thomas, Jordan Speed playing Link Sco, having points with Guinness after the open a couple of years ago, you know. Guys like doing it, it’s a it’s a great experience. The caddies look after you, they tell you stories about the history and culture of the golf courses. You know, you’ll you will you’ll learn so much about your game, but you’ll also have a great time doing it.

Nish 40:57

Oh, I love that. I mean, I’m there, I’m there already. Like, what is it? There’s still another six, seven months to go, but it just there is something uh magical, I think. You know, there are 22 golf courses on our list currently. Um you know, so there’s a big chunk of of the courses that we’re gonna be playing, and everybody you talk to, they go over to Ireland and they just say, it’s just a thing you have to do. Like it’s on your bucket list, it’s it’s something you’re gonna look back on and you’ll be like, I’m glad as a golfer I did that. And I have to say, the way you guys have explained it and you know, sort of uh you know, told us about it and um God filled me with so much expectation, and you know, now if it disappoints, I’m coming for you, is is basically what I’m gonna say. So, you know, but it won’t. That’s the thing. I already know it’s not gonna disappoint because I’m listening to you, Josh, saying, Oh god, there’s so many holes from the island, even that I would pick as my favourite hole. You know, that for me is you know, that’s better than any brochure.

Josh 42:10

It’s it do you know what it’s I can’t sell it. Like, I think the bet the best thing we can say is, you know, well, we’re well when we meet people like you’ve been on the show there last weekend. Granted, we’re there as our company, but you know, that everyone starts with oh yeah, I played golf in Ireland, had a great time. I that just comes up so many. No one no one says I’ll play golf in Ireland, no, it’s terrible, I’m never going back. It just doesn’t happen. Everybody has a great time when they come here. You see what golf, you see how golf was played, and you try and adapt to play like that, and you know you’ll you’ll hit good and bad shots while doing it. You’ll you’ll see, oh my god, that ball ran 70 yards. How did that happen? Balls don’t run 70 yards, whatever. And you’ll get a bit of wind, you know, you’ll have a point of Guinness, everything will be brilliant, and you no one regrets coming over to play golf in Ireland.

Camaraderie And How To Join

Nish 42:52

I think there’s there’s probably another thing that you know we probably have glossed over a little bit in that you know, well, maybe haven’t, but you know, we said there’s 16 spaces of which there are 14 for people to come and join us. But you know, you you become a bit of a a band of brothers, don’t you? You know, it’s 16 of you against the course, against the elements, against the challenge that you’re facing, and you’re gonna talk about it, you’re gonna finish, you’re gonna be in the clubhouse afterwards, and it’s like, oh, what did you do on eight? You know, all that kind of thing, and that kind of camaraderie is just is wonderful. And we we’ve not, I must admit, we’ve not experienced that yet because we’ve generally kind of been playing just a two-ball, or you know, we’ve gone and played with a member or a or a friend or whatever, and I have to say, I’m excited by that. I’m really excited by the prospect of just sharing that experience with people. So, you know, we’re hoping and we’ve got it open, you know. Again, all the links are available. Um head in, drop us a message, find out a little bit more about this trip. We would love to be your guides around golf in Ireland, and you know, let’s let’s make this a trip that is just unforgettable. I think that’s that’s the main thing we want to do.

Josh 44:09

I on the point that you said there, uh Nish was I go on golf trips like as a I suppose for want to be better with a civilian, just to go and play golf all the time. As I said, I was in Spain last week or two weeks ago playing some of the courses down there. Golf trips are the best thing you can do, you know. You’re with the lads having a good time, you know, playing golf, banters everywhere, hit a bad shot, you know, we’re laughing about it. You’re playing, you know, competitively for, you know, you might be playing for a ten or a five or whatever it may be, but everyone’s just having a great time. You’re sitting down at the halfway hook talking about how great those few holes were, or you’re talking about afterwards, you said I’d love to play that course again. Everything is just good spirits, and then you get to go go back to the hotel, you might do a bit of dinner together, and then you get to think about the next great course you’re going to play the next day. And it just the the the end, it doesn’t end. You’re just you’re just having a good time all the time, you’re excited all the time.

Nish 45:02

Well, there’s that, isn’t it? You forget that that you know you you you play a great course and then you go, actually, do you know what I’ve got another four of these to go, or another three of these to go, or two of these to go. to go and it’s just yeah I mean thank you for for for sorting the trip out for us and um you know let’s uh look forward excitedly to October. So that’s 4th to the 10th of October guys please check out the link um and yeah drop us a message you know just just just chat with us about uh you know what you think is involved or what you’d want to know about it um I will try my best to answer it there might be times when I need to defer to Josh I think his uh yeah his knowledge and expertise but um but yeah I’m absolutely wonderful so excited about this trip um and you know to do it with two guys who can guide us so well through the landscape and tell us about it and you know I mean that’s only what five out of 22 courses so we’ve still got much more to go I mean that it’s just gonna I think we’ll be rebooking straight away if I’m honest yeah well it always happens repeat custom it’s just it’s bigger bears as Jared said we’ll have one trip has has sprung into you know seven or eight different trips off that so it golf here is fantastic you’re gonna have a great time over here so that was Jared and Josh two absolute life savers they are organising this amazing trip to Ireland for us and the fact that they can open us up to listeners of ours to join us and join us on the journey and you know get into Ireland at a time and a year that’s particularly inaccessible at the minute you know most tea times have already gone it’s incredible so look I appreciate it might not be for absolutely anybody and it might not be for everybody but if there is anybody out there that wants to take advantage of this opportunity like I said we’ve put all the links in the descriptions just head there and give it a look and if it is something that you fancy doing drop us a message we’ll explain a little bit more about it we’re so excited about it we are just you know champing at the bit it’s six seven months away it can’t come soon enough check it out check out the description and next time we will tell you about our first round of 2026 which is at Hillside Golf Club