The #TourSauce has been sprayed all over the place in 2016. Back in January of 2014, we brought you 

 have taken their turn in stirring the sauce.

All year long (with your help of course), we’ve been pointing out the best and most unique 

. Below, we highlighted some of the most unique and hilarious sauce moments of the year. Now it’s your turn to really weigh in and help us award some lucky unsuspecting tour pro the prize of the most ridiculous sauce move of the year, in the third annual #Saucies.

Below you will find all of the matchups for round 1. The winners will move on from this round of 16 until an ultimate winner is crowned.

 Phil at Torrey waving before he plays from the wrong side of a fence 





— Irwin Rosenrosen (@RealRosenRosen) 

Velcro rip into thumbs up. How saucy is that 

Good thing they’re the last match, because it’s going to take a while to clean up the sauce on the 2nd that Patrick Reed just dropped. 





— A Good Talk Spoiled (@AGoodTalkGolf) 

. One hand follow through, one hand club twirl. 

KJ’s Crowd Wave to No Crowd (there was no crowd allowed on the grounds that day)

 we've been waiting for. Waving to the crowd, when there is no crowd. 

Spencer Levin adding a little extra club toss to his 





— My Name Is Earl (@TheBossman102) 





— Michael Shamburger (@mshamburger1) 

The helicopter finish with the seamless transition into the crowd point. Top shelf 

The 2016 Saucies: Round 1

For most of us, watching the pros play on the PGA Tour is as close as we’ll ever get to playing the same courses as them.

Clubs such as Augusta National, East Lake, and Firestone shut their doors to the general public, with only rich members and their guests allowed to play.

However, it may come as a surprise that there are still multiple high profile courses that are happy to accept the general public through their gates.

Here are my top 15 PGA Tour courses you can play in America that have hosted an event in the last year.

15 – TPC San Antonio, AT&T Oaks Course (San Antonio, Tex.)

The AT&T Oaks Course closing hole as seen during the Valero Texas Open (Credit: Cohen/Getty)

The Valero Texas Open dates back to 1922, but it was only in 2010 that it moved to its current home at TPC Antonio.

The AT&T Oaks Course was designed by Greg Norman with help from Sergio Garcia, and it sprung to fame in 2011 when Kevin Na recorded a 16 on the ninth hole in the opening round of the tournament.

TPC Antonio also has another 18-hole course, the AT&T Canyons Course, which has hosted the San Antonio Championship on the Champions Tour since 2011.

Tee times on both courses are reserved for those who stay at the JW Marriott Resort & Spa, with packages including golf starting from $220 per person, per night.

14 – Golf Club of Houston, Tournament Course (Houston, Tex.)

The 17th hole during the 2012 Shell Houston Open (Credit: Getty)

2016 marked the 10-year anniversary of the Shell Houston Open moving from the Member Course to the Tournament. While the Member Course is, as the name suggests, for members only, the Tournament Course is open for public play.

Green fees start from $99 at certain times in midweek, while at weekends expect to pay anyway between $125 and $200 depending on the time of day.

Designed by Rees Jones and 2001 PGA championship winner David Toms, the par 72 course plays just over 7,400 yards from the back tees.

In recent years, the Shell Houston Open has been the last stop on the PGA Tour before the Masters. While many of us dream of being able to one day stroll up the 18th fairway at Augusta, the Golf Club of Houston is not a bad option to fall back on.

The 18th hole during the Zurich Classic of New Orleans (Credit: Getty)

TPC Louisiana was designed by Pete Dye in 2004 and began hosting the Zurich Classic of New Orleans a year later. The tournament had to be moved in 2006 due to the effects Hurricane Katrina had on the course, but it returned to the PGA Tour schedule in 2007 – where it has remained ever since.

Recent winners of the event include Justin Rose, Jason Dufner and Bubba Watson. The par-72 course plays just under 7,400 yards from the back tees, but scoring-wise it is one of the easier on the PGA Tour – with the average winning score being almost 17-under-par since 2005.

Current rates to play the course range between $99 and $179 for non-residents and $49-$89 for Louisianans.

12 – PGA West, TPC Stadium Course (La Quinta, Calif.)

The signature par-3 17th hole (Credit: Marilyn Chung/The Desert Sun)

The Stadium Course returned to the PGA Tour’s CareerBuilder Challenge rotation in January after a 19-year absence.

Designed by Pete Dye and opened in 1986, it shortly after played host to the formerly known Bob Hope Classic in 1987, but was removed the following year due to complaints from players that it was too hard.

However, the course returned to our TV screens in 2016, joining the La Quinta Country Club and PGA West Nicklaus Tournament Course, which can also be played by the public.

Green fees range from $89 on weekdays to $159 on weekends, with tee times available for resort guests and the general public.

The Copperhead Course is one of four courses at Innisbrook (Credit: Salamander Resorts)

The Copperhead Course at Innisbruck is the course of choice for the Valspar Championship – an event held in March as part of the PGA Tour’s ‘Florida swing’.

Located less than an hour’s drive outside downtown Tampa, Innisbruck has hosted a tour event since 2000, with recent winners including former Masters champions Jordan Spieth and Charl Schwartzel .

Being a resort, only guests can stay and play the four courses, although, with one night and a round of golf starting from $99-$189 per person depending on the season, it’s definitely worth it to play the Copperhead.

10 – PGA National, The Champion Course (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.)

The 17th hole marks the final test of the bear trap (Credit: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

The Champion Course at PGA National has played host to the Honda Classic on the PGA Tour every year since 2007. It is also home to the Bear Trap, which is made up of arguably the toughest three-hole stretch on tour – the par-3 15th, par-4 16th, and par-3 17th holes.

As with Innisbruck and San Antonio, PGA National is a resort, so access is restricted to guests only. A one-night stay and day of golf on a choice of four courses will cost between $165-$339 per person depending on the season, although the downside is that a surcharge of around $100 applies for the Champion Course.

If you are just looking for golf, the resort is currently offering a full day’s access to all five courses for $159 for the first player and $99 for each additional person. The Champion Course surcharge still applies, however.

The 16th hole during the 2012 John Deere Classic (Credit: Getty)

TPC Deere Run has had its fair share of action since it began hosting the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic in 2000.

The tournament gave wildcard exemptions to Michelle Wie in 2005 and 2006, saw Paul Goydos shoot 59 in the first round in 2010 and was the scene of Jordan Spieth’s breakout victory in 2013.

The John Deere Classic is also the last opportunity for many golfers to gain qualification for the Open Championship the following week, with the sponsor arranging a flight for players to the U.K. that departs following the conclusion of the event.

Green fees for the general public are the cheapest on the list, starting at just $69.

8 – Harbour Town Golf Links (Hilton Head Island, S.C.)

The famous 18th hole at Hilton Head (Credit: Golf Advisor)

Harbour Town Golf Links is one of the oldest stops on the PGA Tour, having hosted the RBC Heritage since 1969.

While Houston has often been the venue the week before the Masters, Hilton Head Island traditionally hosts the week after. Although this may deter some of the top players from competing, the course is very highly rated by those who do play, and the likes of Jim Furyk and Matt Kuchar have won here in recent years.

It is relatively short in yardage compared to most other PGA Tour courses, although most fairways are narrow and tree-lined. This Pete Dye and Jack Nicklaus designed classic will set you back anywhere between $150-$290 to play depending on the season.

The course is currently closed due to the effects of Hurricane Matthew but is expected to reopen in November.

7 – Plantation Course at Kapalua (Maui, Hawaii)

The Plantation Course is one of the most visually stunning venues on tour (Credit: Golf Advisor)

While many of us are huddled around the fire in January, a lucky few PGA Tour golfers who won an event in the previous season head to Hawaii to play in the Tournament of Champions.

Since 1999, the venue for this event has been the Plantation Course at Kapalua, on the northern shores of the island of Maui. Recent winners include Jordan Spieth, Patrick Reed, and Dustin Johnson.

The standard green fee is $299, although the rate is reduced to $239 around midday and $199 after 1pm. There is a discount for resort guests and the Bay Course is also open to the public.

6 – TPC Scottsdale, Stadium Course (Scottsdale, Ariz.)

Rickie Fowler tees off the 16th hole during the 2015 Phoenix Open (Credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty)

The Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale will host the Waste Management Phoenix Open for the 30th time in 2017. It will also mark the 20th anniversary of Tiger Woods’ famous hole in one at the 16th hole.

The hole has become world-famous for its unique atmosphere – surrounded by grandstands on all sides and able to hold 20,000 fans. The event itself also is one of the best attended on the PGA Tour, with over 550,000 spectators passing through the gates in 2016.

Green fees are currently as low as $123 in the afternoon during the week – but expect to pay as much as $237 on weekends.

5 – Trump National Doral Miami, The Blue Monster (Doral, Fla.)

The 18th green at the WGC-Cadillac Championship (Credit: Getty)

Although Doral won’t host a PGA Tour golf tournament in 2017 for the first year since 1961, it still earns its place on the list due to its notoriety and long-time association with the tour.

The Blue Monster course initially hosted the Doral Open from 1962-2006, before hosting the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship from 2007-2016. The tournament will be re-branded and moved to Mexico in 2017.

Donald Trump bought the Doral resort in 2012 and it underwent a $250million renovation earlier this year. Whatever your opinion is of the billionaire businessman and presidential candidate, at least he keeps his golf courses open to the public.

However, if you want to play the Blue Monster, it will currently set you back $390 during the day or $235 late afternoon.

4 – Bethpage State Park, Bethpage Black (Farmingdale, N.Y.)

The par-4 18th hole during the third round of the 2016 Barclays (Credit: David Cannon/Getty)

Bethpage Black is one of the best-known public golf courses in the U.S., and recently played host to the 2016 Barclays in August. It is also scheduled to host the 2019 PGA Championship and 2024 Ryder Cup.

Designed by A.W. Tillinghast and opened in 1936, the Black Course is considered one of the hardest in the world – a par 71 playing almost 7,500 yards off the back tees, with a course rating of 78.1 and slope rating of 152.

Green fees are a reasonable $130 weekdays ($78 twilight) and $150 weekends ($90 twilight), with New York State residents able to play for half price. There are also further discounts for seniors.

3 – Torrey Pines, South Course (La Jolla, Calif.)

An aerial view of Torrey Pines (Credit: Donald Miralle/Getty Images)

The South Course at Torrey Pines played host to Tiger Woods last major victory at the U.S. Open in 2008. It has also hosted the Farmers Insurance Open on the PGA Tour yearly since 1968, with the North Course also being used for the event. The U.S. Open will return to Torrey Pines in 2021.

Designed by William F. Bell and opened in 1957, it is still one of the longest courses on tour playing over 7,600 yards. Outside of the majors and WGC events in 2016, Brandt Snedeker’s total of 6-under-par was the worst winning score on the PGA Tour.

15 PGA Tour Courses You Can Play

“Offseason” months seem to be the only months I actually consistently do a mailbag year over year, and figured it was time for me to catch up. The overwhelming majority of my posts in the last month+ have been about an Ireland golf trip, and I haven’t talked much real life golf since the Ryder Cup, so let’s get it.

 who will make the cut for the SB2K17 roster?



— Eric Buenning (@ericbuenning) 

I think SB2K17 is already doomed before it begins. The beauty of SB2K16 was that we didn’t know what we were getting into, there was no anticipation, and no expectation. We were all so innocent back then. It was a performance that can’t be replicated without it feeling fabricated. Once something like this makes its way mainstream, and every golf website on the planet is covering it (and the PGA tour is pairing three of them together in subsequent events), it goes from being a trendy, funny surprise, to an overplayed top 40 hit. Golf Digest has an article about it in 

 month’s magazine! It’s kind of like the Beef thing. He’s been the flavor of the month for every magazine, twitter account, and television network to the point where we just get beaten over the head with it, and almost forced to reject it.

And there’s a direct crossover here, as Beef is specifically one of the dudes that invited himself to the sequel. As funny and entertaining as the 2016 version was, by day three or four, it had gotten a bit repetitive, and the law of diminishing always rules strong.

That being said, if they need a golf blogger down there to document it, I can clear some stuff from my schedule (damnit, I just invited myself).

 do you think Rory gets back to no.1 this year?



— michael murney (@themurn) 

I was begging for a Rory question. I’ve been dying to talk more McIlroy since Hazeltine, where he consumed my soul about six times over through the course of three days.

I’m going to say yes. The Rory we saw the final month of the season looked a lot like that baaaaad man from 2014. Day’s health is too big of a question mark, and Rory is going to rattle off some wins, and probably a major. I feel like he’s adequately addressed the putting issue, and there’s no other issues with the rest of his game. I hate the “whose ‘A’ game is best” charade more than anyone, but I just feel like we still don’t give enough respect to how great Rory’s peak was. As ridiculous as Day’s run has been over the last 15 months or so, he got one major out of that. People still don’t understand how many majors four majors is! It’s taken Phil an entire career to get five, and Rory’s got four at the age of 27. And I see nothing to make me think he’s dropped off from being that player.

I think his biggest threat isn’t Day, but it’s DJ. He’s the only guy I’m confident we can say that we don’t know what his ceiling is. 2015 was the DJ Shock and Awe campaign, with the main difference being that he’s not hunting for weapons of mass destruction, he 

 the weapon of mass destruction. An arms race between Rory and DJ can only end in Mutually Assured Destruction for my loins, and will probably be the end of my existence on this planet.

 Why is Spieth so popular? He's slow, not exciting, caddy reliant/whiny. Appreciate talent, but gimme Rory. Not trolling I swear



— Jake Borton (@jsb1872) 

I don’t take this as trolling at all. It’s understandable if you don’t like Spieth, and I’m actually not seeing him as being as popular as maybe you’re implying.

2016 was certainly a bit of a disappointment for Spieth, but it was pretty easy to predict. There was just nowhere to go but down after one of the greatest single seasons in PGA Tour history. The surprising shift to me was how quickly I felt the public jumped off his bandwagon. All of the things mentioned here (pace of play, not exciting, caddy reliant/whiny) all existed in 2015, but our focus was on his meteoric rise to the top of the game. I think in general we just kind of brushed them aside, identified them as “passion,” and didn’t think too much about them because we weren’t that exposed to him.

Now, he enters 2016 as the defending Masters, US Open, and FedExCup champion, and nearly every shot is going to be shown on television. Along with that, the pre-shot routine. Don’t forget, that two months before he won the Masters, he bogeyed the 72nd hole of the Northern Trust at Riviera to miss a playoff by a shot, and 

didn’t have a shot of his shown until the 17th hole

. That’s how little exposure he was getting at this point (

which Big Randy had noted even a year prior

). Now, that’s more of an indictment of the abomination that is CBS golf broadcasts, but it’s a great example of how much our window into Jordan Spieth shifted from one year to the next.

In my mind, the pendulum swung too far, and by reading my timeline, it seems like people are mostly out on Spieth (that, or Tron is just speaking for the entire country). Strolling the fairways at Hazeltine, I swear there were more American fans cheering out for Rory than there were for Spieth. He kind of seems like the forgotten man, but I can see a huge bounce back in 2017. I’m gonna assume that he’s going to lighten up his schedule, not wear himself out early in the year, and focus on what made him the best player in the world in 2015, which was his iron play. I’m going to pick him to win the Masters probably every year for the next ten years, and that’s the only major pick I’m ready to lock in at this point.

 What is the biggest thing being inside the ropes that we don't get to see on TV?



— David Kateeb (@DKateeb) 

The best thing about it obviously is the vantage points. It’s kind of shocking how close they let you get to the players while they’re hitting. There is a certain amount of trust that’s implied with the access, in that you are expected to be unseen and unheard. This can be challenging, but I do my best to just err on the furthest side of caution imaginable.

But one of the things I love about it is that it just humanizes these guys so much more. I’ve always been curious to hear what players talk about, and in my mind picturing it being the most riveting conversation imaginable. 

If we could just get a mic in there, it would be gold

. Then you hear it, and realize it’s just two people talking, and the conversation sounds exactly what it would be like if you and I chatted. A football game, how a putt broke, a fan that yelled something, etc. They don’t seem to be secretive at all about what they’re saying, and most of it is not even remotely interesting enough to report back on. TV makes this guys look like and seem larger than life, but walking near them in person, they just seem so much smaller in the huge sea of people, and the fact that they’re just playing a golf tournament becomes more evident. It feels less dramatic than television, and just much more raw. I’m not sure if that answers the question, but that’s the best way I can describe it.

 Ideally all of us working stiffs would go (not quite full) Joey D, but realistically what do you as a better player do 1/



— Lou Brown (@Lou_TireWorld) 

 either physically or otherwise to stay as golf ready as possible between infrequent opportunities to peg it? 2/2



— Lou Brown (@Lou_TireWorld) 

I’ve touched on this in a previous mailbag, but it’s that time of year to start thinking about it again.

For myself, I try to view the time off as an advantage, and not a hindrance. Do you have any major changes you’d like to make? If so, what better time to make them and drill them than an offseason where you have nothing but time to hammer it into your muscle memory. About four years ago, I completely re-routed my backswing in the offseason. I was coming back so shut and to the inside, so I spent 10-15 minutes a day in front of a mirror in my room just practicing taking the club back with my arms extended out. Come spring time, it was second nature to me, and not something I had to even think about, and it really helped me turn a corner in my game. I had no confusing rounds in between in the middle of the swing change, and didn’t beat tons of balls trying to work my way through the change. Just some simple drilling. This year, I think I’m going to focus on a grip change. I grip the club horribly, and have known it for a long time, but have never been able to commit to changing it.

Pick something, maybe it’s a putting grip, maybe it’s a slower takeaway, maybe it’s a shorter backswing, a change in your weight distribution, etc., and just drill it home until it’s a strength. That’s the extent of my advice.

 what's in your bag?



— Ryan Johnson (@RJyeezy) 

Yikes, this one’s ugly. My best buddy back home once told me “you have the worst looking bag of any good player I know” (humblebrag). I use Titleist 714 AP2 irons, a Titleist driver and three wood, and an uuuuuugly Odyssey White Hot Blade Dart putter. Seriously, this putter was on clearance at Golfsmith because they had so many of them in stock. Because no one was buying them. Because they’re embarassingly ugly. For some reason I liked the way it lined me up, and so I’m still playing it.

I was playing a mix match of wedges from a bin until I was provided with some PXG wedges this summer. I’m obsessed with them. They’ve completely changed my confidence from 120 yards and in, and it’s making me wonder how much a full on, through the bag gear change would help me. Speaking of equipment…

 So when are you getting a PGA Tour credential so you can give us equipment insight from week to week?



— Zack (@zkupper_bsg) 

 I had received regarding Tiger’s equipment for the Safeway, and I was exposed to an entire world of equipment worshippers that I did not know existed. There are 25 page threads on message boards attacking this information, speculating on it, etc. I was a couple of glasses of red wine deep on a transatlantic flight, and had zero clue it was going to be that shocking of information. But in the future, I’m gonna leave the equipment stuff to Jonathan Wall.

We still have to wait to see if these changes ring true, but I certainly heard plenty about it when he showed up at a clinic with his same Nike clubs. I don’t put any stock in this, because if he makes an equipment change, it’s not going to be at a clinic. And he may have changed his mind come December regarding some of the gear, so who knows. But the information I had was good, and I stand by it.

The funny thing was, the negative blowback from that info caused me to not want to even remotely dip my toe in the water when I heard on Sunday night that Tiger was going to WD from the Safeway the next day. I didn’t personally believe the info myself when I heard it, and no one else could confirm it, so I sat on it. Which I don’t regret. I still can’t believe he committed to the tournament on Friday to withdraw three days later.

 recommendations on planning a european golf trip.



— BORW (@the_real_borw) 

Well, BORW, I’m glad you asked this. We’ve recently added a tab at the top of the No Laying Up site that details golf trips I’ve done in Ireland and Scotland, with all sorts of recommendations on courses I’ve played, how to plan these trips, what the experiences have been like, and anything else that I thought might be helpful to readers. Also, I just 

 on my experience playing throughout Ireland. Take a spin through those, and if you (or anyone else) has any specific questions, I’d be more than happy to answer them.

 best candidate for ROY in 2017?



— jlapp ♍️ (@jordanlapp17) 

I’m all in on Brandon Hagy as the new NLU obsession. The dude can absolutely move it, and his downswing looks like a guy swinging a wiffle ball bat. Check this Golf World feature on him:

Kyle Porter and I have a joint venture with a sole investment in Hagy enterprises, and it was reinforced when he said out loud that 

Dustin Johnson is the only guy that can keep up with him in driving distance

. This is quote that we put on the cover of our prospectus. Hoping to have him on the podcast soon.

Trey Mullinax is another guy that I’m on to, but I’m late coming around on him. He played on two national championship teams at Alabama, and won the 2016 Rex (Grossman) Hospital Open, so he’s about as far from a sleeper candidate as you can get. He’s got a great swing, and the lettuce to keep up with the likes of the other young guns on tour like Bobby Wyatt and Ollie Schneiderjans.

As far as the actual rookie of the year, I can’t even keep track of who is a rookie and who isn’t, and 

. Is DeChambeau a rookie? Jon Rahm? I think they fall in the bucket, and if they do, I’m going to say that Rahm wins this thing easily. He terrifies me.

 The economics of being a Tour caddie: do you get annual minimum w/ share of winnings? What about events w/ no purse (Ryder Cup)?



— Patrick Pearson (@Ppearson281) 

From what I’ve gathered, caddies are paid a flat fee for the week, plus a percentage of their player’s winnings. The flat fee obviously varies from caddie to caddie, or player to player, but a rather standard rate is around $1,500, though I’ve heard of some guys caddies setting their standard rate around $2,500. The player pays the caddie this directly.

For the winnings, a common misnomer is that a caddie gets 10% of the earnings. This is often true for a win, but usually it’s around 5% of the winnings, or 7% for a top ten, then 10% for a win. For the Ryder Cup, I would imagine that the PGA of America provides a subsidy of some kind to the caddies, but I honestly don’t know the final answer on that.

I go back and forth on whether or not I think being a caddie would be a good living. If you’re carrying for a top 50 player in the world, I think the answer is pretty easily yes. But if you’re caddying for a fringe guy, making $1,500 a week flat (not 52 weeks a year either), your guy is missing cuts, 

 you’re in charge of your own expenses? Flights and hotels ain’t cheap, especially when you may need to change plans at the last minute. That’s gotta get tight. Then factor in that they probably have a family at home, kids, etc. I’m not sure if they make any extra money from sponsorships, but I would imagine it’s gotta be tough not knowing how much money you’re gonna pull in for the month. This is why a lot of caddies will bunk up together during tournament weeks, stay with friends nearby if they can, and try to limit their expenses as much as possible.

But make no mistake, for a lot of these guys, it’s a grind out there.

 says his favorite golf t shirts are swing juice's?



— Cody Green (@codygreen24) 

It does, Cody. Hey Shane, does your NEW girlfriend have an 

I remember a simpler time, when Bacon was still alive to me.

In all seriousness, if you haven’t taken a look around the 

 recently, take a few minutes to do so. The rest of the gang has spent an exorbitant amount of time and energy into building this thing out, and even friends have mine have come up to me and said things along the lines of “you have so much stuff in the NLU Pro Shop now, it’s insane.” Shirts, hats, visors, polos, coffee mugs, hoodies, phone cases, bucket hats, and more. And if you’re looking for something we don’t have, shoot us a note, and we can likely get it mocked up in a matter of days. We sincerely appreciate everyone that has come through in the recent months, and we hope to keep add it providing quality materials that you can use in your every day lives.

October 2016 Mailbag

The dream trip continues, this time onto Lahinch Golf Club, again along the Atlantic Ocean, and again one of the top golf courses in all of Ireland. Rated by 

Golf Digest Ireland as the 4th best course

, this course had also come highly recommended to me by some friends that had made their way out there. We made the drive up from Tralee the night before, settled into our B&B in Doolin, and set out early Thursday morning for our 8:50 tee time. The course had a lot to live up to, following 

, but the beauty of playing golf in western Ireland is how different each course and experience can be. At no point did any of these courses blend together or feel repetitive, and Lahinch was certainly no exception.

A short 20 minute drive from Doolin (including 6 km on a two-way road barely wide enough to fit one car) brings you to the car park. The tee sheet is full, but the grounds are very quiet on this Wednesday morning. The vibe is deficient in flamboyance, which is consistent with the other Irish clubs I’ve encountered. There’s no extravagant clubhouse, no fancy driving range with balls stacked in triangles (at least, I didn’t see one), and no one greeting you in the parking lot trying to wipe your ass and take your clubs for you. They immediately and quietly deliver the message that this place is about the golf, and it’s about the golf course. It’s a real life illustration of quiet confidence, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The putting green in the foreground, clubhouse in the background

After registering in the pro shop, we were sent to check in with Tony at the first tee. After exchanging some small talk for a few minutes, we ended up in his starter’s hut at the computer as he mapped out our route for the 3.5 hour drive we had in store for us after the round ended. The hospitality is real, and it’s such a key ingredient to your experience in the country. You can’t put a value on feeling welcome, comfortable, and at peace with your surroundings, and the effect it has on your enjoyment of your day in these momentous places. We stayed in that hut for several minutes (perhaps mostly just to stay warm) as we exchanged stories, although we were much more interested in hearing Tony’s stories than we were in telling our own.

We were blessed with another perfect sunrise, and I was able to roll in a birdie at the opening hole to break open what was about to be a really special day. The only regret of the day was that my phone decided that it wanted to malfunction while I’m playing one of the most beautiful and spectacular golf courses I’ll ever play, and 

almost all of the photos on my phone went gray and can not be retained

. Gone. Kaput. So forgive me for the lack of photos in this post, especially considering I was obviously taking pictures of the most scenic holes (I did grab some other photos from the interwebs, and found some relevant tweets as well).

Similar to what stuck out us at Ballybunion, the closely mowed pathways between holes, and from the tees to the fairway, were a tremendous touch. Any offline shot on these golf courses has you trekking through the dunes looking for your ball. Going up and down these slopes for 18 to 36 holes a day, with the wind often not helping the situation, can be exhausting. It wasn’t until we got to Carne, which didn’t have these paths manicured in the same fashion, that we realized how much energy this saved us, and how necessary it is for your feet.





— Iron Lady Golf (@ironladygolfer) 

The ocean-side beauty of Lahinch starts on the third hole, as you tee off next to a surf school along the shore, up a hill to a blind landing area. The hole bends back towards the water, and the waves crash in the background as you pick out your target line to approach the green. The fairway sits up on a platform, and is of course framed by picturesque dunes that you must avoid at all costs. Not only is it visually ideal, it’s also a hole that just 

 different. Once you clear the dunes between the tee box and the fairway, the sound of the waves hits you, and you feel completely shut off from the rest of the world. It’s a bliss that is only offered in a few places around the world.

The 3rd green (source: http://www.theirishgolfblog.com/2016/06/a-lot-of-love-for-lahinch.html)

The 6th hole has a similar shape to the 3rd hole, but with a much more dramatic downhill approach to the green. The fairway has a run out at about 270, so you’re forced to lay back a bit off the tee. A solid 3-wood down the right side left me with a 6-iron in, and the approach into the 6th at Lahinch is one of those shots that just sticks in your mind visually. The ball seems to stay in the air forever against the backdrop of the Atlantic Ocean as you sweat out what kind of effect the wind will have on it, and it’s truly one of the coolest approaches I remember hitting in my lifetime. Ireland is just the best. I’ll fondly reminisce about the pure 6-iron, and hopefully forget the 3 putt that ensued.

Since my photos of this hole disappeared, I tracked down this tweet to try to give you an idea of the scenery:

 today, featured in our Irish Top 150 edition as a 





— Destination Golf (@Dest_golfguide) 

The 7th is another solid par four along the water, and then the 8th and 9th take you inland back towards the clubhouse. After a strong par four 10th, the fun picks back up with the stellar par three 11th. Teeing off back towards the water to a picturesque green set against the dunes, we reached for our cameras before selecting a club. A back left pin position, and a green shape that encouraged a draw was very fitting to my eye, and I stung an 8-iron back into that corner, only to miss the short birdie putt.

The 11th is a great par three, with a view not justified with this view

The medieval tower remains across the street at the Castle course serve as the perfect target for your tee shot on the par five 12th. Back into our strongest breeze of the day, it wasn’t reachable for us, but it was still a beautiful hole to the eye, both from a golf and a scenery perspective. The left side is banked by a beach that runs the entire length of the hole. If you bail out right off the tee, you’ve gotta hit your lay up shot back 

 the out of bounds stakes, and hope that you’ve judged the distance properly. A good tee shot here is rewarded, and a poor one has you really struggling to get home in three.

The par 5 12th, with a castle tower as your aiming point

The 13th is a great little driveable par four, and with the wind at our backs, easily reachable with a three wood. Here I carded my fourth and final birdie of the day, and held on for dear life trying to scrape out a respectable round. The finishing holes would most certainly have something to say about that though.

Before I moved abroad, I frequently played golf throughout the year (with the obvious exception of Chicago winter), and had my handicap at around 1.0 when I left the states in the fall of 2014. Now, I’m lucky to play four times a year in Amsterdam, and though I’ve made one previous trip to Scotland and Ireland each prior to this trip, my game is in a bit of disarray. My handicap has shot up to 4.5, and while that likely will not garner much sympathy from anyone reading this, going from somewhat regularly threatening to break par to struggling to break 80 is a tough adjustment, even with the lowered expectation that comes with not playing much golf.

At Lahinch, I played my ass off to get it to -1 through those first 13 holes. I was striking it pure, lagging some putts from well off the green, and saving a bunch of pars from mid-range. But a quick glance at the scorecard at what was in front of me (as well as the fresh memory of my choke at Waterville just 48 hours earlier) had me on high alert. Holes 14, 15, and 16 go 451, 439, and 192, and while these yardages may not seem that deep, on a links course the yardage on the card frequently does not correlate to the length at which it plays. Just a hint of wind in either direction, and it can play 40 yards longer, or 40 yards shorter. Even in a cross wind, the ball seems to not want to travel the full distance you would expect it to. We had a cross wind on 14 and 15, and even after solid drives, required 3-iron and 5-iron approaches into the green.

Then the 16th played back into the wind from 192, and my 3-iron (normal carry distance about 220) came up well short. I managed to skirt through these holes unscathed, and after a sloppy bogey on the 17th, I had the reachable par five 18th to get it back and try to break par. That wasn’t meant to be. An embarrassing eagle chip that missed the green left me scrambling from eight feet to make par. When it fell, I let out a huge sigh of relief. My dad, usually rather devoid of emotion regarding anyone’s score, patted me on the back and called it one of the best rounds he had every seen me play.

What an incredible way to cap off a magnificent day of golf, with easily my best round in the last two years, on one of the greatest golf courses I have ever set foot on. While this is probably the least interesting part of the story to you reading this, to me, it was what helped make our day out at Lahinch stand out among the other fantastic courses we played. While I sincerely love the challenge of links golf, I have never been able to score well in this style of play. While there was still a great emphasis on driving the ball straight, hitting it in the tall stuff did not mean that you automatically lost your ball. I personally love when a links course punishes you for hitting it in the stuff, but not to the point where you can’t find it.

The only notable scorecard I had from the trip

As if everything I mentioned above isn’t enough motivation to get out and play Lahinch, it’s also only about 15 minutes away from the Cliffs of Moher, one of the top tourist destinations in the world. We popped over to find people of all nationalities climbing to the edge of the cliffs to get their selfies, tour buses unloading hoards of people, and many others out there just soaking up the day. We couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that this was just a bonus on our already incredible trip, and that many of these people were probably 

 their trip around the Cliffs of Moher. Did I mention that Ireland is the best?

In case you missed it, Part I of the Western Ireland series on 

. Part V on Carne Golf Links is still to come. For more from No Laying Up, follow 

Back at it at sunrise again today at Lahinch. Easily a top 50 course in the world, and I can easily see why. Incredibly playable, beautiful pace of play, and great views, which are not done justice with this picture. 10/10

A photo posted by No Laying Up (@nolayingup) on Oct 13, 2016 at 12:03pm PDT

, and the first scorecard worth sharing. Striking views, and a spectacular layout. 10 out of 10. 

Western Ireland Golf Trip, Part IV: Lahinch

The dream trip continues, this time onto 

Links, again along the Atlantic Ocean, and again one of the top golf courses in all of Ireland. Rated by 

Golf Digest Ireland as the 7th best course

 on the island, it’s a short drive down some crazy back country roads from it’s big brother Ballybunion, setting you up perfectly for a double dip. We started our day 

 and we were off at Tralee at 2:40 PM for a day of golf that would be hard to top anywhere on the planet.

“Created by God, Designed by Arnold Palmer”

That’s the motto that graces the cover of the scorecard, and it rings true. About 30 years ago, Tralee Golf Club moved its location from a nine hole course in Tralee, to its new location alongside the ocean in West Barrow. As advertised, the course was designed by the King himself, and a statue of him sits prominently near the practice green.

My dad and I, playing as guests on one of the last tee times of the day, must have stuck out like sore thumbs on the practice green among the members. After enjoying some lunch inside with an stunning view of nearly the entire layout, we stretched back out and tried to adjust from the slow greens at Ballybunion in the morning to the speedy (especially for a links course) greens at Tralee. As we hit some putts, we were both greeted by several members, who gladly approached us with a firm handshake, and welcomed us to their club. The pride they took in their club was evident, and their openness to share this with the general public was something that we both took note of.

The entire atmosphere around this club (and other clubs I’ve experienced in Ireland) is so different from what I’m used to in the United States, where the country club experience tends to be characterized by the semblance of exclusivity. Most clubs are private, and guests are only allowed to play if they are invited by, and play with a member. While there certainly are true private clubs in Ireland, almost all of their top courses are at least somewhat open to the public. There are tee times reserved for members, competitions, etc., but if you want to play a course, you can call them up yourself, and book a tee time. And once you’re there, not only are you treated like an actual member yourself, both the staff and surrounding members seem to go out of their way to make sure you have the best experience possible. Far from home in a foreign country, it’s hard to fully explain how much value that adds to the experience, as it is something you have to encounter on your own.

The conversations with the starter before your round are also an integral part of the experience. You can typically comprehend about 80% of what is said, and you’re left to figure out the rest based on context. But it’s all helpful, cheerful, and their enthusiasm for your day out on the course feels genuine and authentic. With sunset coming in around 6:40, and a few fourballs heading out in front of us, the starter at Tralee explored the idea of sending us off the back nine first.

“The back nine is the side you need to see. I’d hate for you to not get all 18 in.”

In the U.S., this timing would have been a serious issue. But the pace of play on this side of the pond (even with almost no one in front of us using a cart) is completely different than what we are used to, and we made it around comfortably in 3 hours, 54 minutes, while hardly waiting on a shot.

The par three 3rd, with an old castle tower as an aiming point

Writing

The 2016 Saucies: Round 1

15 PGA Tour Courses You Can Play

October 2016 Mailbag

Western Ireland Golf Trip, Part IV: Lahinch

Western Ireland Golf Trip, Part III: Tralee

Western Ireland Golf Trip, Part II: Ballybunion

Tiger's withdrawals don't signal the end for golf in 2016

Western Ireland Golf Trip, Part I: Waterville Golf Links

Ryder Cup Recap: Underrated Performances

Why the Ryder Cup Can Save Golf

Five things Europe needs to do to retain the Ryder Cup

The Most Entertaining (Potential) Ryder Cup Singles Matches

Ryder Cup History: The Notable, Quotable, and (Un)Forgettable Moments

PGA Tour Report Cards 2015/2016

Davis Love III Selects Ryan Moore With His Final Ryder Cup Captain's Pick, But How Did We Get Here?

Why Europe needs to rethink their Ryder Cup selection policy

Player Profile: Matthew Fitzpatrick

Sunday Thoughts on the Deutsche Bank Championship