Originally Published December 1, 2011
Now that Calgary Ireland
Obviously this book is aimed at the golfer in the crowd, but it’s as much about Ireland as it is about golf and could be classified as a travelogue as much as a golf book. Instead of a shot by shot account of his over 55 rounds, he instead focuses more on the people he meets, the towns he visits, and the rigors of walking such a distance.
It is in these adventures, or better yet, these miss-adventures, that the real enjoyment comes from. Coyne recounts his experiences walking up narrow Irish roads, encountering wild dogs and drunken Irishmen (is there another kind?), and perhaps most formidable, the gloomy Irish weather. And he does it all with the wit and style of a great storyteller. While he does detail much of the adventure, it also never gets bogged down on any one part of the trip. Instead, like the trip itself, the book moves along, from town to town, always progressing toward its conclusion.
But perhaps my favourite thing about this book was that I found the story inspirational and myself envious of the author’s journey. Any golfer can’t help but be jealous of a man who takes off on a four month junket to play golf, drink beer and go hiking, all with the backdrop of the Emerald Isle, one of the world’s great golf Meccas. It is truly one of those adventures one could say is a ‘trip of the lifetime,’ without a hint of exaggeration. But it’s also inspiring to read one man’s account of such an excursion, and allows the reader to imagine themselves taking some sort of ‘whacky’ trip and living to tell everybody about it. I know I personally have five or six of these in the back of my mind at all times, which I vow to one day complete. After all, Coyne’s just a regular guy who likes golf and beer, much as I do. Now I just have to figure out what will make the best book.
-TheRev
