The Perfect Ireland Golf Trip: Do It Before You Can't
Greg Johnson breaks down his epic 7-day, 7-course Ireland golf trip with 12 buddies — the courses, the caddies, the craic, and why you need to do it before you can't.
- Guest
- Greg Johnson
- Destination
- Southwest Ireland — Old Head, Ballybunion, Tralee, Waterville, Dooks, Lahinch, Mount Juliet
- Location
- Ireland
The Setup
This week we’re joined by Greg Johnson, a Chicago golfer who met Berkeley on a local course and casually mentioned he’d just returned from a 7-day Ireland trip with 12 guys. One thing led to another, and here we are. Greg breaks down the entire journey: how they planned it through Fairways & Fun Days, why they picked Ireland over Scotland, and what it’s like walking some of the most iconic links in the world with your oldest friends.
The Format
Greg organized 12 guys — a mix of regular Saturday playing partners, friends from an annual Door County memorial tournament, and a brother-in-law from Toronto — for a bucket-list trip to Southwest Ireland. They played seven rounds in six days, stayed in three different towns, and navigated record heat, double-bagged caddies, and more than a few late nights at the pub.
The Hot Takes
- 7 courses in 6 days — Mount Juliet, Old Head, Ballybunion, Tralee, Waterville, Dooks, and Lahinch
- €450 per round for the top-tier courses, plus €100 for a caddy — budget ~$7,500-$8,000 all-in from the US
- “We need to go before we can’t” — the emotional reason the trip happened, sparked by the loss of friends
- Waterville’s 14th hole, “The Judge,” is named after Greg’s friend’s grandfather, who summered there for decades
- Temple Bar shenanigans — a 175-year-old German men’s singing group, dead phones, and a healthy fear of career-ending videos
- Organized the trip and told his wife later — on their 30th wedding anniversary, while she stayed home (100% Irish, by the way)
The Run-It-Back
Greg wouldn’t change much — maybe fly into Shannon instead of Dublin to skip the city and get straight to the golf. The caddies were worth every euro, the group dynamics were seamless, and the experience of walking those historic links with lifelong friends is something no amount of money can replicate. If Ireland is on your bucket list, Greg’s advice is simple: do it before you can’t.