About 65 million US citizens, or one in four, can trace at least a part of their ancestry to Ireland. Because of this ties between the two countries historically have been close. The great potato famine of the 19th century with the subsequent emigration of millions to America, Irish Independence during the teens and 1920s, the political turmoil in Northern Ireland in the late part of the 20th century, these all are events that most educated Americans have learned about and know the outlines of in at least a basic way. At the same time, though, the actual Ireland beyond these elementary school text book facts is one of the lesser well-known lands of Europe. Fewer Americans would have the grasp on Irish history, current events, or geography (for example be able to name the President, or describe the system of government, or locate major cities) that they would have about England or France.
Ireland suffered through much of the 20th century, and thus our perceptions of it have suffered too. It would be unfair to characterize Ireland as "backward" -"removed" is the better choice of word. There was a significant economic stagnation throughout most of the mid-20th century, and the country did lose many of its people through emigration. Moreover, Ireland is a relatively new independent country, with regions having ongoing political turmoil, both factors which have held back for a time the forward momentum of stable development. Even today the population of Ireland is only about half of what it was before the famines and emigrations of 150 years ago. It is a country that has had to overcome and respond to a unique set of challenges.
The future is now bright. With its full entry into the European Community, Ireland's economy is growing strongly. There has been a great cultural renaissance over the past 30 years. Ireland is thriving. It is one of the more popular tourist destinations today. As more and more travel there they return to talk about their experiences, thus increasing everyone's knowledge and understanding of this enchanting and beautiful land.
This Alumni Association course focuses on Irish Greens: golf courses and gardens in Ireland. Both are truly world-class, and a visitor could devote a three week trip for either and not exhaust their supply. This course will help you plan a trip to Ireland. And at the conclusion of the course, if we have presented the material well -and if you have been a good student- our hope is that the golfers will want to visit the gardens, and that the gardeners in the class will have their curiosity sparked enough to visit one of the famous Irish golf courses.
Click on each of the following links
to continue the course.Irish Golf
- Overview
- Golf Terminology
- Links Courses
- Inland Links Courses
- Parkland Courses
- Famous Courses
- Golf Course Architects
- Planning an Irish Golf Trip
Irish Gardens
