I've been a member of one golf course or another for a long time now. I joined my first club in my 20s in Dublin called Deer Park Golf course and it's where I got my first handicap of 18. I've no idea where they pulled 18 from, as I was more like a 32 handicap golfer at the time, but it was before the new handicap system.
Then when we bought a house in County Meath, I joined another club there and started improving and winning the odd competition.
Around four years ago, we moved home to Galway and I joined my current course and I've done well and won a few competitions and represented the club a few times in inter club competitions. My handicap is down to 14 now and I'm loving my golf.
This past month has been a bit of a disaster though. I was sick at the start of January and couldn't play and then heavy rain closed the course, then icy green closed the course and finally storm Éowyn wreaked havoc and the course has been closed since, which is over two weeks ago.
The photos below show the extensive damage.
Trees are an integral part of any golf course worth it's salt and ours is no different. We lost 100 trees to the storm, which will change the very fabric of the course.
Bad and all as it was though, other courses were hit worse than us. I know Athenry golf club lost upwards of 500 trees and is in terrible shape and Galway golf club in Salthill lost 100s of trees, and suffered damage to greens and tee boxes too.
It was the worst storm to hit Ireland since the 1940s, so here's hoping it was a hundred year storm, and I'll be long gone before the next bad one lands around 2120, although I sincerely doubt that will be the case. Us humans are reaping the 'rewards' of over consumption and global warming. You reap what you sow. What excuses will we give our Grandchildren who have to inherite our mess??
These photos are all my own taken on my Samsung Smartphone.
