Ireland's courses offer unique challenges and rugged scenery. (Clipart.com)

The temptation was overwhelming to indulge in a pint or two with the locals as they howled and hooted during the Rugby World Cup semi-final last October but, alas, this one night in Belfast was our last.

A 4:30 a.m. wake-up call the next day dictated that we couldn't overindulge in the revelry going on at the pubs across the street, but a couple of ales at our home base at the Europa Hotel were entirely appropriate after a week of grand golf on seaside links courses.

Belfast is where we touched down a week earlier after a flight from Toronto to enjoy not only the pints and the friendliness of the people, but also six rounds in seven days on the north and west coasts of the island of Ireland.

The luck of the Irish would not be sprinkled on my scorecards, but it did show itself in other ways, the first being our meeting with Bertie the bus driver, a man as sturdy as the Titanic itself, which was built in Belfast. With a mangled elbow sustained in rugby battles of his own, it quickly became clear that Bertie was the lead dog for the week, unlikely to tolerate foolishness to any great degree.

LET DOWN GUARD

But before long, the big man let down his guard and revealed a delightful sense of humour that filled the hours en route to the links.

Bertie Curtin reminds one of the stereotypical Irish cops you see in old movies, so menacing with his rock jaw and barrel chest that contains a heart of gold -- which brings us to another bit of Irish luck.

Most of our group brought rain suits, sweaters and other apparel suited for the rain and wind that sweeps across the rugged landscape, which seems so isolated when you get into the valleys and fescues that are prevalent features of Irish golf courses. At this time of year in Ireland, a ray of sun beaming through grey clouds is a welcome relief and we got more than our fair share as an uncharacteristic warm spell offered temperatures between 15 C and 19 C and often had us playing in golf shirts instead of the usual layers.

With Bertie and the weather looking like good omens for the week ahead, we departed Belfast in our Buckleys Tours bus to a seaside location that, in hindsight, seemed better-suited than Belfast to welcome weary travellers who had just crossed the Atlantic. In contrast to bustling Belfast, the Rosapenna Hotel and Golf Resort offered rural elegance and tranquillity that was perfect for the shut-eye we craved, yet shunned thanks to a gracious offer by our hosts to play the magnificent Sandy Hills Links, just a chip shot away.

We only got to play nine holes, but it was enough to realize that these tight fairways will be a classic once its reputation spreads. Measuring 7,255 yards from the tips, Sandy Hills opened in 2003 and is surprisingly fair despite the intimidation of looking out at it from the first tee. Each of the nine holes we played were strong and the others we saw on the walk back looked to be the same.

Only four-and-a-half years old, Sandy Hills is in stark contrast to the nearby Old Tom Morris Links, named for the legendary four-time British Open champion who saw this area's potential for golf in the 1890s and staked out the first Rosapenna Links before spreading the word back home at St. Andrews in Scotland.

Over a century later, the par 70 Old Tom Morris Links blends in nicely with the undulating terrain. At 6,450 yards from the back, Old Tom and those who added their own touches left a layout that is playable for all skill levels as the front nine plays inland and the back nine plays between the ocean and high dunes.

Not far from where a statue honours Old Tom is Rosapenna Inn, where the warmth and tasty offerings of the diningroom provide a respite from the stiff ocean winds. Quaint Rosapenna struck a nice balance of comfort with class, as did other lodgings including the understated Ballyliffin Lodge and Spa, Radisson SAS Roe Park Resort, and the grand Slieve Donard Resort and Spa in County Down.

After a renovation that cost 15-million pounds, the Slieve Donard offers a spa, magnificent rooms and outstanding views of the sea and nearby mountains and is just a chip shot away from Royal County Down, one of Northern Ireland's most renowned golf courses.

It is, however, not Ireland's only course well known to North American. Favourites such as Portsalon, Portstewart and Ballyliffin lived up to their reputations, with magnificent seaside panoramas and challenges that will delight and frustrate visiting golfers, including one in our group who snapped a wedge.

NOT PROUD

It's not a fit of petulance I'm proud of. It began at the start of a singles match play competition at Ardglass where you tee off in front of a clubhouse made from the remnants of a 14th-century castle, which is now the centrepiece of a club that was formed in 1896. The tee shot requires the ball to clear a rising cliff face, which didn't happen in my case. A couple of wayward shots on the arduous uphill climb made matters worse and that continued for four holes with my opponent taking a commanding lead which resulted in the snapped wedge in the fescue on the fourth hole.

Oddly enough, the luck of the Irish took over and by the end of the day on the final course of our trip, I had come back to at least make the score respectable, even if victory wasn't at hand.

There's always one shot or one incident towards the end of the round that keeps you coming back, but it's not that simple. In this case, Bertie's sense of humour, the golf courses and hotels we experienced over the entire week are numerous reasons to make the return trip to Ireland.

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BOTTOM LINE

MORE INFORMATION For more information, see the website, northandwestcoastlinks.com.

GETTING THERE

We flew Zoom Airlines direct from Toronto to Belfast. Zoom departs Toronto and Vancouver once a week. For more information, see flyzoom.com.

ALSO NEARBY

The Giants Causeway on the North Antrim coast, with its towering cliffs and hidden bays, offers a wonderful blend of history and natural wonder. The site of several shipwrecks, one in which 1,200 men are believed to have perished, the Giants Causeway requires a serious walk up and down steep cliffs, but the scenery is breathtaking.

Not far from the Giants Causeway is the historic Bushmills distillery, which celebrates its 400th anniversary this year. King James I granted the licence in 1608. The history of the area is illustrated nicely by Dunluce Castle, also in North Antrim, which has been fought over and used as a fort for centuries in this location high above the sea.