Book Review: A Course Called Ireland

 
As I write, the January snow is falling softly, and the first round of spring seems distressingly distant. That makes it the perfect time to settle down before the fire with a tumbler of Bushmills and Tom Coyne's delightful, inspiring, hilarious account of his tour of Ireland's links courses.
 
In the spring of 2007, Coyne set out from his home in Philadelphia with the goal of playing all of Ireland's more than 40 links, layouts hard by the ocean and distinctive for their rolling turf, mountainous dunes and ever-present wind. Links golf, in contrast to its tamer inland cousin is, as Coyne describes it, "unapologetic, unpretentious, and wonderfully unrefined." What makes his story remarkable was his decision to cover the entire itinerary on foot, walking up to 20 miles a day with a backpack and partial set of clubs slung over his shoulder. Four months, 963 holes, 196 pubs and 1,118 miles later he completed his odyssey.
 
There's ample golf and even a bit of philosophy in A Course Called Ireland. Coyne offers well-informed impressions of must-play courses like Ballybunion (Old Course) and Old Head, as well as his take on hidden gems, some of which he planned to play and others he serendipitously encountered. Blessedly, he shuns the vice, endemic to books of this genre, of straining our patience with accounts of interminable (to us) rounds or cosmic (to him) insights. He's adept at communicating a sense of Ireland's frequently tragic history and a perspective on the country it's impossible to gain from the comfort of an air-conditioned tour bus. Inspired by his own Irish roots, he possesses a deep appreciation not only for the rich feast of golf Ireland presents but also for its distinctive people and their ruggedly beautiful land.

Coyne tops off the book with a helpful, if admittedly idiosyncratic, selection of "bests"--courses, pubs and bed and breakfasts. Although it's doubtful many people, after reading this book, will have the audacity to attempt to duplicate his trek, he provides the more conventional Irish golf traveler with an indispensable list of suggestions about everything from the attitude to bring ("If you don't go expecting Florida, the place will blow you away.") to his blunt recommendation about what to leave at home ("Golf. Pub. Food. Pub. Bed. Golf. Don't screw it up with your BlackBerry.").

It would be easy to envy Tom Coyne for this trip despite all the painful blisters, speeding drivers and lonely hours he had to endure. But he's such a good-natured traveling companion that by the time he's done we're more likely to offer him a hearty Sláinte for his skill at bringing his unusual experience so vividly to life.--Harvey Freedenberg

Shelf Talker: A delightful, inspiring and hilarious account of one man's determination to play all of Ireland's more than 40 links courses--and to cover the entire enterprise on foot.