A Course Called Ireland follows actor Bill Murray and author Tom Coyne as they travel around Ireland playing golf, but the series resists straightforward categorisation. Its opening sequence explicitly tells viewers, “This is not a show about golf. It’s not even a show about Bill Murray,” and the programme proceeds in the spirit of that declaration, mixing sport, local encounters and improvisational moments.
A travelogue with a twist
The show leans into an informal, often rambling tone. Scenes range from on-course footage to moments in pubs, where drunken singalongs and conversations offer a different kind of spectacle than typical televised golf. One early encounter, in which an Irish woman by the roadside mistakes Murray for Bill Cosby, underlines the programme’s willingness to foreground awkward, human interactions rather than polished celebrity access.
The Guardian reviewer who watched the series said they approached it with scepticism — citing common criticisms of celebrity travelogues and the often exclusionary history associated with golf — but nonetheless found themselves hooked. That response reflects the show’s odd balance: it can feel insubstantial or contrived at times, yet also strangely addictive in its loose, unscripted rhythms.
Murray’s on-screen weariness and the show’s paradox
Throughout the series, Murray comes across as weary of fame; the reviewer interpreted his demeanour as clear evidence that he disliked making the programme. Even so, the combination of low-key humour, local colour and the chemistry between Murray and Coyne produces an entertaining binge-watch. The result is a travelogue that, while not conforming to traditional documentary or sports formats, offers an offbeat portrait of place, personality and the peculiarities of celebrity on the road.
For viewers put off by conventional golf coverage or celebrity showcases, A Course Called Ireland may surprise — not by turning golf into high drama, but by using the game as a loose framework for a series of convivial, sometimes uncomfortable encounters that ultimately prove compelling to watch.