Ancestral Links: A Golf Obsession Spanning Generations

This work was not based on a buddy trip or a travelog about Irish golf as told from the perspective of someone driving in a frenzy to play as many of the great courses of Ireland as possible in a small amount of time. It was based on an extended trip to Belmullet and Carne Golf Links, off the beaten path from the usual assortment of Ireland's great golf courses, and deals with family heritage experiences, loss, and remembrance. I traveled solo for five weeks in Ireland last spring and spent time in Belmullet and Carne, catching the course on a sunny and windy day in May. The back nine was stunning and included some of the most interesting and challenging golf holes encountered in my experiences on 23 different links courses. Garrity writes about golf in a way that can appeal to the solitary golfer like myself who enjoys quiet times on golf courses in remote parts of the world in scenic areas. The vistas from the back nine at Carne were stunning and the play was quite limited on the day I was there. Garrity's choice of number 17 as one of golf's most challenging holes and the manner in which he relates playing the hole to his love for his older brother was extremely touching. The travel experiences and his contact with locals in search of information about his heritage makes the book neither a travelog type work nor an extended course review. He did incorporate interesting Ireland golf history information related to Eddie Hackett, Ireland's generous architect who built courses with little if any compensation during a time when well known course designers from this country were billing vast sums for expensive projects involving lots of earthmoving and five star infrastructure to cater to the super rich. This off the beaten path course offers some of the best of links golf in Ireland and Garrity's attachment to the place is understandable. I recommend this book to anyone who has played Carne Golf Links who wants to have an enjoyable experience reading about a course in a small Irish town and one person's efforts to understand family connections and keep important emotional connections alive.

Mr Garrity makes you feel the wonderment and excitement as he discovers his heritage. I felt like I was on the trip with him. This book would delight anyone, but especially anyone who loves golf and/or Ireland. I enjoyed this book so much that I am going to buy extra copies to give as gifts to my golfing friends.

Best by-god book ever written about the Carne Golf Links, which I was fortunate enough to play with Garrity himself, one day in a 60 mph gale. The course is great fun--you've gotta go, to quote Gary Player's World Golf Hall of Fame commercial. It's just as much fun to read Garrity's quirky quest to battle the brutal 17th hole, and his sneaky Irish travelogue as he tracks down his family tree. (It's a pine, I think--I hope that doesn't give away the ending.) There is no fellow golfer more delightful to spend time with than Garrity (the author one America's Worst Golf Courses, a great book that got little attention because the publisher misplaced most of the printing run), whether on the course or in print. Read it.