WEBVTT - Ireland Recap 0:00:04.320 --> 0:00:07.080 If you travel to the island of Ireland to play golf, 0:00:07.080 --> 0:00:09.840 you can play in magnificent courses in Northern Ireland and 0:00:09.880 --> 0:00:12.680 all over the Republic. We've had a whole raft of 0:00:12.800 --> 0:00:16.239 champions come along, from McElroy to Lawry, to Harrington, to 0:00:16.360 --> 0:00:20.000 g Mac to Darren Clark. And I used to say 0:00:20.040 --> 0:00:22.959 to Americans in particular, if you travel to Ireland and 0:00:23.000 --> 0:00:26.880 play golf, we'll tell you the secret of how to 0:00:27.040 --> 0:00:29.840 how to produce champions which have got to come and play. 0:00:30.520 --> 0:00:33.400 And for American people who might go, who might go 0:00:33.520 --> 0:00:36.560 west from the States to play golf in Hawaii or whatever, 0:00:37.120 --> 0:00:39.800 we say we have you know se of the links 0:00:39.880 --> 0:00:43.120 courses of the world, and come here and play golf 0:00:43.520 --> 0:00:46.879 on the edge of the eternal Atlantic, and you are 0:00:46.920 --> 0:00:54.520 in for a very special experience. Put another log on 0:00:54.560 --> 0:01:06.120 the fire nobody, he's get the time. Welcome to the 0:01:06.120 --> 0:01:10.120 fire pit with Matt Janella. We opened this episode with 0:01:10.280 --> 0:01:13.080 Enda Kenny, former Prime Minister of Ireland, who we met 0:01:13.120 --> 0:01:15.400 and played with at the Father Son in Waterville. The 0:01:15.440 --> 0:01:18.840 first week of August. We were on an epic adventure 0:01:18.880 --> 0:01:22.000 to almost all of the greats and several hidden gems 0:01:22.040 --> 0:01:25.680 on the island of Ireland, and before we get to 0:01:25.720 --> 0:01:27.640 the details of the trip, I want to thank our 0:01:27.680 --> 0:01:30.960 friends at link Soul for their support. John Ashworth and 0:01:31.000 --> 0:01:33.959 Jeff Cunningham have created so much more than apparel you 0:01:34.000 --> 0:01:36.920 can wear on and off the course. Links Soul is 0:01:36.920 --> 0:01:40.720 a lifestyle that permeates out of Goat Hill Park in Oceanside, California, 0:01:40.800 --> 0:01:43.000 where they're forging the blueprint for the best of a 0:01:43.080 --> 0:01:45.840 true muni in America, and we thank them for that 0:01:45.920 --> 0:01:51.720 as well. Use promo code fire Pit off your next 0:01:51.760 --> 0:01:55.440 purchase at linksoul dot com. I've roamed the dunes of 0:01:55.440 --> 0:01:57.640 Ireland with John and Jeff in the past, but on 0:01:57.640 --> 0:01:59.960 this trip we were there as the fire Pit collect 0:02:00.480 --> 0:02:04.560 working for Golf Digest and in conjunction with Tourism Ireland. 0:02:05.320 --> 0:02:07.760 The goal was to come back with two journeys. The 0:02:07.800 --> 0:02:11.280 first to the Southwest would celebrate the fact that the 0:02:11.360 --> 0:02:17.160 crack was back. Pubs were open, musicians jamming, singers singing. 0:02:33.919 --> 0:02:36.760 And then there's the father Son at Waterville, the annual 0:02:36.840 --> 0:02:40.400 gathering of the best of intentions, kegs of libations, and 0:02:40.480 --> 0:02:45.799 countless deep connections. Here's Marty Carr, who leads this fraternity 0:02:45.800 --> 0:02:48.680 of golf well started just as a as a as 0:02:48.680 --> 0:02:51.600 a concept thready two years ago and it's grown into 0:02:51.639 --> 0:02:53.400 something that is just in describing Mo went to be 0:02:53.400 --> 0:02:55.839 honest witch and was only said m Keith Pelly last 0:02:55.919 --> 0:02:59.320 night from from a son and and he was he 0:02:59.400 --> 0:03:01.760 was over can get over the connection and the bond 0:03:01.840 --> 0:03:04.680 and the and the friendships and how every pairing was 0:03:04.680 --> 0:03:06.639 a cool pairing and every table was a cool table. 0:03:06.639 --> 0:03:09.320 And I think you tend to forget that the people 0:03:09.360 --> 0:03:11.760 that come here are all kind of like minded and connected, 0:03:11.800 --> 0:03:15.320 and it's it's just incredible. It's indescribable bombs that that's 0:03:15.360 --> 0:03:17.519 been created. And then you throw in the village of 0:03:17.560 --> 0:03:19.400 Water and you throw in you know that the golf 0:03:19.400 --> 0:03:20.880 course here, which is probably one of the greatest in 0:03:20.919 --> 0:03:23.960 the world, and it's just it's a melting pot of 0:03:24.639 --> 0:03:28.079 good stuff. You know. The second journey we'd come back 0:03:28.120 --> 0:03:30.440 with was to the North and Northwest, and the story 0:03:30.480 --> 0:03:33.679 there will be about what's new and what those new 0:03:33.720 --> 0:03:36.440 courses will mean to the trip takers as they plot 0:03:36.520 --> 0:03:41.600 their next Irish adventure. Here's Endy Kenny again, golfing attic, 0:03:41.640 --> 0:03:46.240 who's from County Mayo, where carn Golf is located. Karn 0:03:46.360 --> 0:03:48.680 isn't new per se, but what is new will be 0:03:48.760 --> 0:03:52.400 a significant boost to Carn's business model, which depends a 0:03:52.440 --> 0:03:55.560 lot on outside play. Karn is a is a very 0:03:55.600 --> 0:03:59.640 special piece of ground and a great tribute should be 0:03:59.640 --> 0:04:04.120 paid to those who had the vision to actually believe 0:04:04.160 --> 0:04:07.160 that a golf course could be put there. This course 0:04:07.240 --> 0:04:09.800 in Karn was owned by a number of local farmers 0:04:10.040 --> 0:04:13.200 who were willing to move it on for the good 0:04:13.240 --> 0:04:16.960 of the community. The course was designed by the late 0:04:17.040 --> 0:04:19.920 Eddie Hackett, which I had the privilege to open when 0:04:19.960 --> 0:04:21.680 it was a Minister for Tourism along with the late 0:04:21.800 --> 0:04:25.839 Great Christie O'Connor Sr. And I recall Eddie Hackett saying 0:04:25.839 --> 0:04:28.560 to me, this is the last course that I will design, 0:04:29.440 --> 0:04:31.960 and it's the one where we've interfered with the nature 0:04:32.040 --> 0:04:35.400 to the least extent possible, and that means that they 0:04:35.440 --> 0:04:38.360 took the greens out of the locations where they're where 0:04:38.360 --> 0:04:41.040 they're located, and the rest of the terrain is as 0:04:41.040 --> 0:04:43.760 it was for millennia. So it's it's a It's an 0:04:43.800 --> 0:04:47.679 extraordinary piece of ground and for those who play Karen 0:04:47.760 --> 0:04:49.800 and who play golf, they want to be on their 0:04:49.839 --> 0:04:53.839 game it's it's it's not in a very populated area 0:04:54.160 --> 0:04:56.839 with the people are most welcoming. So I think for 0:04:56.920 --> 0:04:58.760 you and your crew, I think you're in for a 0:04:58.839 --> 0:05:01.720 very special experience, no more than here in Waterville and 0:05:01.800 --> 0:05:04.560 many of the Lynks courses in Ireland. Khan is truly 0:05:04.600 --> 0:05:07.880 special and it's a it's a kind of golf course 0:05:08.240 --> 0:05:11.360 you will not see every day of the week. Well 0:05:11.360 --> 0:05:14.599 twelve courses and over two thousand miles later, we lobstered 0:05:14.640 --> 0:05:17.919 in a one year old wooden skiff. We cease harried 0:05:18.040 --> 0:05:21.200 in search of a famous dolphin, drove a car ferry, 0:05:21.400 --> 0:05:24.600 boaded into the cliffs of more Ran, along the Giants 0:05:24.640 --> 0:05:27.799 Causeway and got in the huddle of a Gaelic football match. 0:05:28.920 --> 0:05:32.359 Pardon the language, We're still in the game, that's and 0:05:32.360 --> 0:05:34.480 it was our own fucking pond. Who are We were 0:05:34.480 --> 0:05:37.000 like headless, fucking chickens when the high box You mean 0:05:37.360 --> 0:05:39.200 if he had candor key and got back with a 0:05:39.200 --> 0:05:42.560 cool couple of challenge but a simple as it. These 0:05:42.640 --> 0:05:44.960 journeys will start dropping soon, but for now. I was 0:05:45.000 --> 0:05:47.920 joined by Alex se Peggy, my longtime producer, shooter and 0:05:47.960 --> 0:05:51.159 partner in the collective Colt Netler was with us who 0:05:51.160 --> 0:05:54.440 we recently hired as a producer, shooter, editor and storyteller, 0:05:54.920 --> 0:05:57.400 and as you'll hear in this podcast, he's a hell 0:05:57.440 --> 0:06:00.280 of a player. The hosting duties of this round table 0:06:00.279 --> 0:06:03.400 go to Lads Versias, who's overseeing the culture vertical of 0:06:03.440 --> 0:06:07.159 the Fire Pit Collective, and Alan Schipnuk, who's also a 0:06:07.200 --> 0:06:11.400 partner and the editorial director. We start with Alan, So, boys, 0:06:11.800 --> 0:06:15.840 you're back in California. Welcome. How hung over are you 0:06:16.240 --> 0:06:20.320 from the Guinness and just emotionally from what looked like 0:06:20.320 --> 0:06:22.400 an absolutely epic trip. I think I speak for lads 0:06:22.480 --> 0:06:24.440 and most of the golf world, we say the fomo 0:06:25.240 --> 0:06:28.400 was real. I mean I was sitting at home going, man, 0:06:28.480 --> 0:06:30.760 how did I get eased out of this trip? And 0:06:30.839 --> 0:06:32.560 I think that was probably universal sentiment. Even though we 0:06:32.640 --> 0:06:34.960 weren't employed by the Fire Pit Collective, probably felt that 0:06:34.960 --> 0:06:41.960 a little bit. It's funny it never came up. We 0:06:42.120 --> 0:06:45.960 lived vicariously through each of you on that trip, so 0:06:47.600 --> 0:06:49.680 we didn't have any room for any more people in 0:06:49.720 --> 0:06:52.320 the van. I mean we were pretty reloaded in, so 0:06:52.560 --> 0:06:56.720 you know that's it. Well, speaking transportation, tell us about 0:06:57.279 --> 0:07:01.560 kind of your flight over from the States arriving into Ireland. 0:07:01.680 --> 0:07:04.520 Kind of the protocols that you went through and maybe 0:07:05.000 --> 0:07:06.960 you know walk us through that, like what's it like 0:07:07.040 --> 0:07:09.360 to travel and do that? Right now? I didn't get 0:07:09.560 --> 0:07:12.840 pass sport until Wednesday before we left. We left on 0:07:12.920 --> 0:07:18.880 a on a Sunday, I think right or left left Sunday, arrived. 0:07:20.240 --> 0:07:22.640 I didn't get my passport till the wednesday before because 0:07:22.640 --> 0:07:26.160 my passport had expired in October and because of COVID 0:07:26.400 --> 0:07:29.440 like and moving, I moved from Florida to California like 0:07:30.440 --> 0:07:34.040 a disaster, and and turns out I was able to 0:07:34.080 --> 0:07:37.880 go five days before and get a passport in San Diego, 0:07:38.560 --> 0:07:41.240 paid two d dollars to get it rushed, and got 0:07:41.280 --> 0:07:45.000 my passport days before, which could have really thrown a 0:07:45.000 --> 0:07:49.680 wrench into what was happening. And then I got I 0:07:50.080 --> 0:07:54.640 got my my my vaccination card laminated. Now I've been 0:07:54.680 --> 0:07:58.960 told since then doctors have DM ME saying getting it 0:07:59.040 --> 0:08:00.880 laminated is not a good idea because you may have 0:08:00.920 --> 0:08:02.760 to get booster shots and you should keep them on 0:08:02.880 --> 0:08:06.320 the same card, and so laminating not a good idea. 0:08:06.480 --> 0:08:08.800 So I did that. I would tell people not to 0:08:08.840 --> 0:08:12.520 do that. Can you de laminate. Is that a possibility. 0:08:12.600 --> 0:08:16.440 I don't know. You might be able to getting really hot. 0:08:17.120 --> 0:08:19.840 I will say that in California there's a great website 0:08:19.880 --> 0:08:21.720 where you can put in all the information. You'll get 0:08:21.720 --> 0:08:28.200 a digital vaccination passport that has a QV code and 0:08:28.240 --> 0:08:30.160 that takes the place of a little piece of cardboard, 0:08:30.160 --> 0:08:31.960 and then it will get updated over time. So I 0:08:32.000 --> 0:08:35.200 would recommend anyone who has gotten VACT. It takes about 0:08:35.200 --> 0:08:37.120 thirty seconds to sign up. I'm sure other states have 0:08:37.160 --> 0:08:41.080 a similar director. That website Alan is referring to is 0:08:41.520 --> 0:08:45.320 my Vaccine Record dot C, d p H, dot c A, 0:08:45.520 --> 0:08:50.280 dot gov, which, as he says, is for California. Now 0:08:50.320 --> 0:08:52.760 back to more I'm getting there, and Coult chimes in 0:08:52.800 --> 0:08:56.400 with some of his travel troubles, speaking of foam all, 0:08:56.440 --> 0:08:59.199 I actually experienced a little bit of that myself. Starting 0:08:59.200 --> 0:09:01.400 off the first twenty four hours. I was supposed to 0:09:01.440 --> 0:09:04.000 be over there two hours before you, guys, Land. I 0:09:04.040 --> 0:09:06.960 didn't end up getting there until another twenty four hours later. 0:09:07.600 --> 0:09:10.480 And the seven amount of new work on I think 0:09:10.520 --> 0:09:13.160 Sunday night, get on the runway, third to take off, 0:09:13.760 --> 0:09:17.120 you know, hour goes by not in the air and 0:09:17.320 --> 0:09:19.560 up back at the gate. A couple of more hours 0:09:19.559 --> 0:09:21.880 go by some tesco by yeah, mechanical, you know, we'll 0:09:21.880 --> 0:09:23.240 have this up and running shore that we get you 0:09:23.280 --> 0:09:26.800 over to double no problem, you know, uh, fast forward, 0:09:27.280 --> 0:09:30.360 you know, every passenger now in the airport, off the 0:09:30.400 --> 0:09:32.880 plane like asking questions where you're supposed to go. I 0:09:32.960 --> 0:09:35.440 ran over to the Marriott of New Work, luckily to 0:09:35.559 --> 0:09:38.720 get the uh one of the last rooms available. Meanwhile, 0:09:38.720 --> 0:09:41.079 I pop up Twitter. These boys are having guinness. They're 0:09:41.160 --> 0:09:44.080 at Valley Bun. Yeah, you know, shot like I'm supposed 0:09:44.120 --> 0:09:48.240 to be there, come on, give me over there. But 0:09:48.320 --> 0:09:50.640 luckily enough it uh you know, a day later I 0:09:50.640 --> 0:09:59.840 was able to join them. Do you like any pig trom? 0:10:00.000 --> 0:10:02.360 What do you don't understand? There's a fucking Mallard duck 0:10:02.440 --> 0:10:19.440 on the irarm shit I was talking to. That's Killy 0:10:19.480 --> 0:10:22.160 and O'Dowd and Irish legend with the punch line to 0:10:22.200 --> 0:10:24.920 a seven minute joke that's coming soon on the fire 0:10:24.920 --> 0:10:28.839 Pit Collective's YouTube channel. But now back to lads, as 0:10:28.880 --> 0:10:32.440 he gets us into the good stuff. So let's jump 0:10:32.440 --> 0:10:35.040 to the southwest and kick us off. Tell us about 0:10:35.280 --> 0:10:38.000 you know, the early stages of the of the trip, 0:10:38.120 --> 0:10:43.520 first courses people, whether I think we need to talk 0:10:43.559 --> 0:10:48.000 about our strategy, Matt. You know, we we land. Matt 0:10:48.040 --> 0:10:50.679 was expecting we're gonna start to shoot. It's anti my 0:10:51.200 --> 0:10:54.480 rules of shooting after a red eye. So we get 0:10:54.520 --> 0:10:57.600 to Turli and it's just kind of beat the clock 0:10:57.800 --> 0:11:01.320 not to fall asleep. It was nine am when we landed, 0:11:01.800 --> 0:11:05.520 took that long drive to Turley. It was like by 0:11:05.559 --> 0:11:07.960 then it was like noon, so it's kind of like 0:11:08.120 --> 0:11:11.760 hanging out at the hotel and resist the bed or 0:11:11.840 --> 0:11:13.920 go hang out. So we went straight to golf course 0:11:14.559 --> 0:11:18.080 at Turley and just had lunch there and walked the 0:11:18.160 --> 0:11:22.160 course so we wouldn't fall asleep. But what happened to 0:11:22.200 --> 0:11:25.240 your night there? Matt? Meet a couple of nice people. 0:11:25.679 --> 0:11:28.560 We meet up with Cormack, one of our the Irish 0:11:28.600 --> 0:11:33.319 based shooter that joined the group. Um. So Cormack is like, 0:11:33.400 --> 0:11:35.560 we in order to shoot drones in Ireland, you've got 0:11:35.559 --> 0:11:41.080 to have a local, licensed Irish drone shooter. So this 0:11:41.320 --> 0:11:44.560 Cormack is a guy I've worked with on previous journeys 0:11:45.480 --> 0:11:50.280 two I think, both Morocco and Ireland, and so we 0:11:50.400 --> 0:11:52.480 joined up forces with him. So he was part of 0:11:52.480 --> 0:11:57.440 the crew and yeah that that night, I get a 0:11:57.559 --> 0:11:59.400 call in the middle of the night. You know, you're 0:11:59.640 --> 0:12:02.320 we stay up late, we try to this is key. 0:12:02.440 --> 0:12:04.040 Now you gotta get a good night's sleep. Now you 0:12:04.240 --> 0:12:05.719 get over jet lag. And I get a call in 0:12:05.800 --> 0:12:09.079 the other night at like two in the morning, someone 0:12:09.120 --> 0:12:11.600 doesn't know him in Ireland, and I never fall back 0:12:11.600 --> 0:12:14.360 to sleep. I'm wide awake. So I'm on like two 0:12:14.360 --> 0:12:17.480 hours of sleep right out of the gates, you know, 0:12:18.679 --> 0:12:21.680 never caught up, never caught up. And now we're going 0:12:21.760 --> 0:12:25.840 full bore. You know. The next morning we shoot truly 0:12:26.920 --> 0:12:33.120 any in first Oh bally Bunyan at sunrise, Yeah, it epic. Yeah, 0:12:33.640 --> 0:12:36.800 day day shoot day one. We had the most insane 0:12:36.840 --> 0:12:40.600 sunrise over bally Bunyan when it was this is day 0:12:40.600 --> 0:12:42.920 one where it was supposed to be raining already off 0:12:42.920 --> 0:12:46.400 the gates, like a chance of rain. Basically the whole 0:12:46.480 --> 0:12:51.160 forecast every day we looked said something eighty ninety or 0:12:51.200 --> 0:12:54.480 a chance of showers and it looked like a washout 0:12:56.360 --> 0:13:01.760 and we not trust the trust and night. What advice 0:13:02.000 --> 0:13:06.160 would you give people traveling that are gonna pack, that 0:13:06.200 --> 0:13:08.640 are going to face some elements, what what is it 0:13:08.679 --> 0:13:11.280 that you bring to have on the golf course on 0:13:11.320 --> 0:13:14.760 the trip, like that great rain here, it's rain gloves, 0:13:15.040 --> 0:13:17.079 and it's two pair of shoes because if the one 0:13:17.120 --> 0:13:20.040 gets wet, you need to toggle. You can't go back 0:13:20.040 --> 0:13:23.120 into the wet shoes the next day. Yeah, that's death. 0:13:24.120 --> 0:13:27.880 You still aren't dry. By the way, they're outside right now. 0:13:28.679 --> 0:13:32.480 There are people who are my umbrella. You know she's 0:13:32.480 --> 0:13:34.880 got what he asked me. He's like, dude, did these 0:13:34.880 --> 0:13:39.280 ever recover? I mean, they dry out like he thought 0:13:39.280 --> 0:13:41.360 he was gonna have to throw him away. Man, I 0:13:41.400 --> 0:13:43.000 don't know about that. I I don't know about yours, but 0:13:43.080 --> 0:13:46.319 mine they looking good right now. They're hold on by 0:13:46.320 --> 0:13:50.120 a thread. As we continue to sprinkle in some voices 0:13:50.160 --> 0:13:53.239 and sounds of the trip, meet John and Paul Anthony, 0:13:53.400 --> 0:13:56.320 a father and son from South Bend, Indiana, who were 0:13:56.360 --> 0:14:00.560 competing in Waterville. I asked them what they loved about Ireland. 0:14:01.040 --> 0:14:03.199 The people, The people, the people. I tell every American 0:14:03.280 --> 0:14:05.400 I meet you go to Ireland first and foremost for 0:14:05.400 --> 0:14:07.840 the people. Walk into any pub and just start talking 0:14:07.880 --> 0:14:11.440 to a local. Uh, It's it can be life changing. 0:14:11.480 --> 0:14:13.760 They all want to meet you. They're all gonna make it. 0:14:14.200 --> 0:14:16.520 They're gonna have a story about cousin Jimmy who's tending 0:14:16.559 --> 0:14:21.040 bar in Boston, and and uncle Ray who's in New York. Um, 0:14:21.240 --> 0:14:23.880 and you just meet the people. I mean, it's obviously 0:14:24.080 --> 0:14:26.640 we all know how beautiful it is, you know, topography 0:14:26.640 --> 0:14:28.960 and everything like that, but it's the people. And if 0:14:28.960 --> 0:14:31.160 you're a golfer, it's a no brainer. I mean, just 0:14:31.200 --> 0:14:34.520 what are you waiting for? Did you see many other 0:14:35.720 --> 0:14:38.560 golf tourists and can you can you speak to the 0:14:38.680 --> 0:14:42.680 enthusiasm of of the Irish golf community as you guys 0:14:42.720 --> 0:14:45.480 showed up because it's been you know, it's a huge 0:14:45.520 --> 0:14:48.160 part of the economy there and they've they've been on 0:14:48.360 --> 0:14:51.960 lockdown that's ways stricter than most other places going on 0:14:52.120 --> 0:14:54.440 two years now. So what was just the energy like 0:14:54.520 --> 0:14:56.480 for when when you rolled up to bally Bunning and 0:14:56.520 --> 0:14:58.680 truly in these places, I've got a I've got a 0:14:58.800 --> 0:15:01.520 great example that I think was itl Hinch which was 0:15:01.680 --> 0:15:03.520 a little down the road, which we'll get to, but 0:15:04.520 --> 0:15:07.320 in the hotel um. You know, I guess domestic tours 0:15:07.360 --> 0:15:09.960 and for Ireland is doing pretty well at the moment. 0:15:10.000 --> 0:15:14.320 I mean, people are traveling within the country, but we're 0:15:14.360 --> 0:15:17.960 at the Hitch Hotel. We're checking in and I think 0:15:17.960 --> 0:15:20.160 it was late at night and forgetting and you know, 0:15:20.160 --> 0:15:23.800 I've got the bags, the backpacks, heavy stuff like clunk clunk, 0:15:23.800 --> 0:15:26.640 clunk up the stairs, you know, like god like checking 0:15:26.680 --> 0:15:29.240 into my little card over the door. And there's a 0:15:29.280 --> 0:15:33.280 guy walk behind me and uh, I think you know, 0:15:33.360 --> 0:15:36.120 I said high or he said hi, and he goes, oh, American, 0:15:36.360 --> 0:15:39.280 and I'm like yeah, He's like I've been here before. 0:15:39.320 --> 0:15:41.840 I'm like, no, first time. He's like, well, you know, welcome, 0:15:41.960 --> 0:15:45.160 and it is so nice to hear in American accent again. 0:15:45.200 --> 0:15:48.200 He's like, welcome, have a great time. Wow. And I 0:15:48.280 --> 0:15:51.880 was like, I've never gotten that before. Like it was 0:15:51.920 --> 0:15:56.360 a really really nice moment. And I didn't know that's 0:15:56.400 --> 0:15:58.680 how they felt, you know, it was it was an 0:15:58.680 --> 0:16:02.560 honor to be there, you know, Royal County down it's 0:16:02.560 --> 0:16:07.960 like thirteen to fifteen thousand sort of international visitors, you know, 0:16:08.080 --> 0:16:15.600 like North American uh, golfers, and I mean, you know 0:16:16.040 --> 0:16:18.600 these are places that's a big number. If you take 0:16:18.640 --> 0:16:21.560 that number of times, you know, two fifty or whatever 0:16:21.640 --> 0:16:25.680 they charge, that's that's a significant impact. You know, these 0:16:25.680 --> 0:16:28.520 are all sort of member based clubs where members charged 0:16:28.560 --> 0:16:31.840 are charged five D seven D you know, either euros 0:16:31.960 --> 0:16:34.600 or pounds a year to play all their golf. So 0:16:34.680 --> 0:16:37.720 they really are dependent on outside play big time. That's 0:16:37.760 --> 0:16:41.880 their whole model. And so you know, although Irish people 0:16:41.920 --> 0:16:45.720 are moving around Ireland and Northern Ireland, you know, to 0:16:46.040 --> 0:16:52.480 too Colt's point like this, it was I mean, Ireland 0:16:52.560 --> 0:16:57.120 is always a warm reception. This was overly warm. It 0:16:57.240 --> 0:17:00.680 felt like we kind of had the place to ourselves. 0:17:00.720 --> 0:17:04.240 I mean it was crazy. I mean, they had membership 0:17:04.280 --> 0:17:07.719 play and they had stuff going on, but there was 0:17:07.840 --> 0:17:11.159 a it was like going to Ireland like probably what 0:17:11.240 --> 0:17:13.800 it was like twenty five or thirty years ago, where 0:17:14.480 --> 0:17:18.199 you know, just there wasn't a lot of Americans roaming around, 0:17:18.560 --> 0:17:22.480 and but the ones who were, I'm gonna tell you, 0:17:23.119 --> 0:17:26.560 had a very good experience because not only the hospitality, 0:17:26.600 --> 0:17:30.960 but in terms of COVID that country is vaccinated. Uh, 0:17:31.000 --> 0:17:34.760 they've they've they had just recently, you know, they had 0:17:34.880 --> 0:17:38.440 they had Ireland had lost its music. Think about that 0:17:38.680 --> 0:17:44.400 Ireland lost music that for that country and that culture matters. 0:17:45.960 --> 0:17:48.639 You're showing back up. It's like some of the first 0:17:48.760 --> 0:17:51.920 times that people have been playing music together in almost 0:17:51.920 --> 0:17:57.080 two years. So we we had sing song sessions that 0:17:57.160 --> 0:17:59.639 went to like two thirty three in the morning with 0:17:59.680 --> 0:18:03.800 Pete who were like eighty years old, because it was 0:18:03.880 --> 0:18:07.960 like they Ireland was getting their music back as we were, 0:18:08.240 --> 0:18:13.840 you know, coming back, and masks were basically happening indoors 0:18:14.800 --> 0:18:17.080 and as soon as you got sit down and it 0:18:17.200 --> 0:18:21.320 wasn't even that hard and fast. It was pretty like 0:18:21.480 --> 0:18:26.280 just just be sensible, you know, um, have a mask, 0:18:26.720 --> 0:18:31.160 you know, and and otherwise otherwise guys, it was awesome. 0:18:42.320 --> 0:18:45.560 So there's a few questions that have come in with 0:18:45.640 --> 0:18:49.800 regard to kind of traveling to Ireland and counter Men 0:18:50.080 --> 0:18:54.720 and seven asked, do you think that the Irish golfing 0:18:54.760 --> 0:18:58.480 holiday represents good value for money or have they become 0:18:58.520 --> 0:19:01.760 overpriced compared to other destinations that you can go to. 0:19:04.800 --> 0:19:07.040 I mean it just depends, I think in the South. 0:19:07.680 --> 0:19:10.160 In the South, I mean, you're paying to get over there, 0:19:10.440 --> 0:19:13.560 um and all that, all that goes with that, and 0:19:13.600 --> 0:19:16.080 then but in the end of the day, you're you're 0:19:16.200 --> 0:19:20.040 still paying. You're paying like two fifty at the best 0:19:20.080 --> 0:19:24.400 places three to play the best golf courses in Ireland 0:19:25.119 --> 0:19:27.320 where you're paying, you know, you're paying more than that. 0:19:27.520 --> 0:19:35.200 You know, this is like that's the best, and it's like, yeah, 0:19:35.280 --> 0:19:38.119 that's and that's that's the highest you'll pay really like 0:19:38.240 --> 0:19:41.199 the Twilight nine rate at Pebble Beach, right, and then 0:19:41.240 --> 0:19:44.600 you find your Criti Islands for whatever thirty or fifty 0:19:44.640 --> 0:19:47.480 euro that will blow your brains out and that's like 0:19:47.600 --> 0:19:49.800 you know, banging for your buff. I mean there it 0:19:49.920 --> 0:19:55.560 is castle places like that in the North, Southwest and 0:19:55.640 --> 0:19:58.239 the North. But in the North you're paying more like 0:19:58.280 --> 0:20:03.040 a hundred and fifty hops two hundred dollars. Wow. So 0:20:03.200 --> 0:20:05.440 in the North for like narn and Port New and 0:20:06.320 --> 0:20:10.800 St Patrick's and um, I don't know, Port Rush is 0:20:10.800 --> 0:20:13.240 is probably the most. You know in Royal County Down 0:20:13.280 --> 0:20:15.320 are probably on the high high end, and you're still 0:20:16.240 --> 0:20:19.280 you're still paying two fifty bucks and still it's still 0:20:19.400 --> 0:20:23.399 less than like a mediocre course in Scottsdale. Oh I 0:20:23.880 --> 0:20:28.880 think about that. Wow. No, it's I think generally across 0:20:28.920 --> 0:20:31.840 the board in the North, your your average price, you're 0:20:31.840 --> 0:20:34.480 gonna save about a hundred dollars, you know, per round 0:20:34.520 --> 0:20:38.960 of golf. I ran the numbers in the South. One 0:20:39.040 --> 0:20:44.080 possible itinerary using peak summer season bally Bunyan, trelle Waterville 0:20:44.080 --> 0:20:48.920 and La Hinch would cost you two each. At old 0:20:49.000 --> 0:20:54.240 Head it's four dollars and dukes a hundred and seventy 0:20:54.280 --> 0:20:58.399 seven dollars. That's six rounds for one thousand, seven seventy 0:20:58.400 --> 0:21:03.320 dollars and you'd average two dollars per round. I'd added 0:21:03.359 --> 0:21:06.600 their manner which is another four hundred and sixty six dollars, 0:21:06.640 --> 0:21:09.439 which brings a total over two thousand for seven rounds 0:21:09.480 --> 0:21:12.840 and an average green feet of three d nineteen dollars. 0:21:14.560 --> 0:21:17.160 As for up in the North and Northwest, we didn't 0:21:17.160 --> 0:21:19.439 play it on this trip, but Royal County Down is 0:21:19.560 --> 0:21:23.000 top price at three hundred and seventy dollars. We did 0:21:23.000 --> 0:21:27.600 play Port Rush, which is three thirty dollars our glass 0:21:28.440 --> 0:21:32.440 five St Patrick's at Russa Penna a hundred and sixty 0:21:32.480 --> 0:21:36.399 five Naarn and Port New a hundred and fifty five 0:21:37.320 --> 0:21:41.040 carne is a hundred and eighteen dollars and Critch Island 0:21:41.520 --> 0:21:45.639 is forty one for nine holes. That's seven rounds for 0:21:45.720 --> 0:21:48.159 one thousand, three hundred and sixty four dollars and an 0:21:48.200 --> 0:21:53.080 average of over a hundred dollars less per round, and 0:21:53.119 --> 0:21:56.840 the savings of eight hundred and seventy two dollars. So yes, 0:21:56.880 --> 0:22:01.080 across the board, value in Ireland is still there, especially 0:22:01.160 --> 0:22:05.160 in the north and Northwest. All right, back to the conversation. 0:22:05.720 --> 0:22:08.520 Here's Alex you Peggy, head of production for the collective 0:22:08.600 --> 0:22:14.480 and organizer of this trip. Biggest surprise, Um, I mean 0:22:15.200 --> 0:22:18.639 that definitely goes with Krisch Island. We split the trip 0:22:18.680 --> 0:22:20.840 into two sections. You know, when we do the show, 0:22:20.840 --> 0:22:24.720 we're gonna have two shows around the Southwest, and you know, 0:22:24.760 --> 0:22:26.879 the theme of that is the crack is back, the 0:22:26.920 --> 0:22:29.800 party is back, the good tents are back. Um. And 0:22:29.840 --> 0:22:33.359 then part two is the Northwest and the north with 0:22:33.440 --> 0:22:38.240 the Northwest is like what's new? And as we went north, 0:22:38.640 --> 0:22:40.800 everyone kept on telling us you gotta go check out 0:22:40.800 --> 0:22:43.000 this Kritch Island. And actually, when I talked to one 0:22:43.040 --> 0:22:45.679 of the owners of thereon in Port New on the phone, 0:22:46.240 --> 0:22:49.240 probably six weeks ago, after I told him we're going 0:22:49.280 --> 0:22:50.800 to go film there, the first thing he told him 0:22:50.880 --> 0:22:52.480 was like, you guys have to go to Kritch Island 0:22:52.480 --> 0:22:55.600 if you have time. And when we were with him, 0:22:55.680 --> 0:22:57.760 he reminded us again to go to Kridge Island. We 0:22:57.800 --> 0:23:01.760 had we had an extra four hours the next day 0:23:02.520 --> 0:23:04.920 on our way up to Rossa Penna, so we made 0:23:04.920 --> 0:23:09.280 that detour, played as a crew and it was first off, 0:23:09.320 --> 0:23:13.000 it was blowing probably around forty miles an hour, no exaggeration. 0:23:13.560 --> 0:23:24.399 Matt's got cell phone video we got. This trip was 0:23:24.480 --> 0:23:28.160 rare where the crew we actually got to play, got 0:23:28.160 --> 0:23:32.040 to play a lot. We'll get into that, but you know, 0:23:32.080 --> 0:23:36.440 the full the entire crew, you know, Cold Matt, myself, uh, 0:23:36.600 --> 0:23:40.920 Cormac as we mentioned earlier, and we had Darren driving surround. 0:23:41.320 --> 0:23:44.359 The five of us played and it was it was 0:23:44.440 --> 0:23:48.600 special as as people will see, this place was amazing. 0:23:49.160 --> 0:23:51.399 I mean, that's the dirty little secret of golf travel 0:23:51.600 --> 0:23:54.000 is that sometimes the itinerary is so full you only 0:23:54.000 --> 0:23:55.800 have time to go and played five holes just so 0:23:55.840 --> 0:23:58.200 you can get some You play the most beautiful holes, 0:23:58.280 --> 0:24:00.719 you get some great scenic because on the next one 0:24:00.760 --> 0:24:02.920 we gotta go and to actually play you know, a 0:24:03.000 --> 0:24:07.280