Description

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Every golfer dreams of making a pilgrimage to the British Isles, to play the exhilarating game to be found on the ground that links land and sea. Increasingly, golfers on this side of the Atlantic have discovered that some of the most magnificent courses in the world -- and some of the most beautiful countryside -- are to be found not in Scotland, but in its near neighbor, Ireland.
From the opening drive at Lahinch, just thirty miles from your arrival point at Shannon International Airport, to the spectacular dune-framed holes at Ballybunion, Ireland boasts an extraordinary collection of seaside links. Royal Country Down, Royal Portrush, Portmarnock, Portstewart, Waterville and the Island, the European Club and Baltry -- any one of these would be reason to cross an ocean, and the concentration of all of them on a land mass smaller than the state of Maine makes for a golfer's paradise limited only by your budget and your time.
For the tourist or the dreamer, there can be no better guide than James W. Finegan. A passionate advocate and a charming storyteller, Finegan combines a writer's eye, a historian's knowledge, and a golfer's sense of wonder and apprehension to provide an impossibly ambitious grand tour of this beautiful land. In a loop that begins in the West at Lahinch and continues clockwise through both the Republic and Northern Ireland, Finegan covers more than fifty courses, visiting those that have become true shrines of the game, the courses that are well known and respected, and the little-known gems you might otherwise pass right by. He shares the history of the courses, and writes marvelously about the scenic and strategic charms to be found as you play them yourself. And he provides all the information you need to make your arrangements to do just that -- because unlike most championship courses in the United States, the great courses of Ireland are available to the public.
In addition to his delightful descriptions of the golf to be found there, Finegan gives us his recommendations for places to stay, ranging from the most modest bed and breakfast to the most magnificent palace -- some thirty accommodations in all. He describes the pleasures to be found off the beaten track: the spectacular views from a country road, or the ancient cathedral that's worth a stop on the way to the first tee. And because all the travel within the country is done by car, he spells out the actual route from town to town and course to course, as he lays out an itinerary that will surely encounter almost all of the fabled "40 shades of green."
Emerald Fairways and Foam-Flecked Seas is a book to be read, to be savored, and to be tucked away in your suitcase when you finally undertake the journey of your dreams.

About the Author

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James W. Finegan has made more than forty trips to the United Kingdom and Ireland since 1971, always with his golf clubs in tow. He has written extensively about the pleasures of links golf for Golf Magazine, Golf Journal, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and a variety of other publications. He lives in Villanova, Pennsylvania.

Praise For…

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Tom Doak Author of The Confidential Guide To Golf Courses Ireland is one of the world's great golfing destinations, and Jim Finegan has covered all its worthwhile courses, from world-renowned Ballybunion to hidden gems like Rosapenna. Whether you're a scratch golfer or just out to enjoy the scenery, Emerald Fairways and Foam-Flecked Seas is the most thorough guide to Irish golf available on either side of the Atlantic.

George Peper Editor-in-chief, Golf Magazine Few men know the golf courses of Scotland and Ireland better than Jim Finegan, and no man writes of them more movingly. On one level this is an indispensable guidebook; on another -- in the tradition of Bernard Darwin -- it is simply a great read.

Michael Bamberger Author of To the Linksland and The Green Road Home In all of golfdom, Jim Finegan is unique in his passion, his insight, and his ability to bring the game to life in words. In Emerald Fairways and Foam-Flecked Seas, Finegan returns to his ancestral homeland and tells us everything we need to know about golf in Ireland. By the time you're halfway through, you'll be looking up the number for Aer Lingus -- and wondering if Finegan can join you.