Galgorm Resort & Spa’s Neighbor in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, Has Front Row Seat to Golf Open!
Billy O’Kane, farmer in Ballymena, County Antrim, Ireland, like so many others, would have liked to have been lining the golf course at Galgorm Castle Golf Club and nearby Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort but Covid-19 restrictions imposed “behind closed doors” guidelines to the event which was originally schedule to play in the Republic of Ireland. The ‘Fourteen Day Quarantine” imposed on arriving visitors to the Republic of Ireland made holding the Irish Open in the Republic impossible so Northern Ireland, where no such quarantine is routinely imposed, stepped up to welcome the tournament and its participants. Billy O’Kane was quite lucky to have a front row garden chair seat at the fence at the border of his property that abuts the golf course. Interestingly, some golf enthusiasts of his herd of cows joined him at the fence line. How utterly Irish!
There are TV commercials airing in the US touting the “Happiness Quotient” of California dairy cows. While that commercial spot always puts a smile on my face, an Irish Cow Open might be a worthwhile competition to determine the champions of such a competition. Billy O’Kane’s happy cows were truly enjoying the Irish Open as was evident in photos and video provided by The Belfast Telegraph, the regional newspaper of Northern Ireland. But I was so impressed, during our 5 month CoronaVoyage “lough down” in Ireland and Northern Ireland, marooned and unable to fly back to the US from mid-March until July 20, 2020, by the amazingly friendly and curious cows in County Antrim who joined us along the fencing of the farmland that lined the country roads we enjoyed exploring which motivated our production of Vlog #9: “Cows,” which I expect you will enjoy, especially the finale when the cows prove that Irish Step Dancing originated on an Irish farm!
Corner Cottage, the ‘self-catering’ house we rented in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, was only about 25 minutes north of our residence. A self catering cottage is a house one would rent where the renter is the only party living there and is responsible for any and all food service within the house unlike a B&B where the owner would be living in residence and would, minimally, provide a full Irish or full English breakfast. We didn’t visit Galgorm Golf Resort & Spa on this 2020 CoronaVoyage because it, like every other establishment, was shut down to prevent the spread of Covid-19. But here’s a look at Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort from several previous, and very enjoyable, visits with glimpses to whet your appetite for light fare and fine dining. You’ll want to check out our Photo Gallery’s Galgorm Collection for serious insights into the unique pleasures that await visitors!
Have something lite and yummy in Gilly’s or indulge all of your senses around the resort and in the River Restaurant . . .and work it off in the spa, the swimming pool, private and individual hot tubs along the side of the River Maine, or enjoy a visit to the sauna and jump into the snow cabin here in Ballymena, Northern Ireland just as if you were in Scandinavia!
