Golfing In Ireland

I grew up in a suburb of Dublin called Howth. Since I was very young, best guess around 6, I was fascinated by golf. Several times a week I would sneak on to the local course to practice in the evenings (shhh! don't tell anyone). By the time I became a teenager I had made up my mind to focus on a career in golf.

Shortly after I turned fourteen, I moved to the United States. I joined a beautiful course in the Washington DC area, making sure to play at least once or twice a week. By the time I graduated high school, I knew that I was not good enough to play on tour, so I took the "safe" option for getting into the game, sports equipment engineering. But I always made sure to return to Ireland every summer to play and visit my family. Often my father and I would travel the country playing courses while we saw the relatives.

After high school I left Washington, to pursue my undergraduate degree at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. I was there for five years, receiving a Mechanical Engineering degree, with a minor in Aeronautical Eng. and Management. During this time I traveled throughout Quebec and Ontario playing many of the fine courses there.

My second year in Montreal I became the university golf instructor, teaching classes of up to 16 students as well as private lessons. I also discovered the art of clubmaking, many nights were spent in the labs of McGill working on new projects.
By the way, if you have never tried it, clubmaking is an economical and enjoyable hobby. The perfect way to create custom sets for you and your friends.

Getting back to me, after Montreal, I returned to Ireland, for a Master's in Composites Engineering at the National University of Ireland, Galway. ( If you don't know what composites are, look at your graphite shafts. For the most part they are made of carbon fiber and epoxy, a type of thermoset material.)

After I graduated from NUIG I took a position as a product development engineer at TaylorMade-adidas Golf. For the past four years I have been in charge of the performance of all of our metalwood products.

In conclusion, the best part of my adult life has revolved around golf. I have played all over the world Brazil, Mexico, France, Switzerland, Austrailia, Italy, England, Northern Ireland, Canada, the U.S. and of course Ireland. I am here to tell you what to expect when you come to Ireland. So you say, how different could it be? Consider the differences between these two legendary courses, Augusta National and St. Andrews; climate, price, people, facilities, to name just a few. Hopefully I can help to make your golfing visit to the great courses here, and Ireland in general, all that much more enjoyable.

Have fun!