Joy Of The Journey Sets Golf Apart

It was the morning of the Fourth of July, hot enough to set off fireworks without a match along the South Carolina coast, and there was the enchanting Lahinch Golf Club on Ireland’s west coast glimmering in sun-splashed glory on the television.

For a day anyway, there was no need for windshirts and rain gear over there, just the enticing image of the game in an almost primal setting, the dunes and sea creating a siren’s song to anyone who has known the thrill of a properly struck tee shot.

A few minutes later, a series of texts started hitting my phone from friends that I toured Ireland and Northern Ireland with last spring, bringing the trip back to life, right down to the late-afternoon loop we played at Lahinch’s famous Klondyke and Dell holes and who didn’t order a Guinness after one particular round.

All of this is a long-winded way of recognizing the joy of road trips in golf. Whether it’s across the ocean to finally stand on the first tee at the Old Course and feel the ghosts on your shoulder or just a few miles down t...