The Golf Course at Adare... 1st Anniversary

The Golf Course at Adare opened this time last year after two years of redevelopment. The anticipation was phenomenal and, as exceptional as the entire five star resort is, we golfers are far more focused on the revamped Tom Fazio creation and how good it is. I was lucky enough to play it last autumn (my two part review is here) but four magazines have now published their Top 100 rankings with the 'new' Adare included:

1. Irish Golfer
2. Golf Digest Ireland
3. Golf Monthly
4. Golf World

I wrote a piece in the Irish Examiner on the four magazines' rankings and their comments/thoughts on Adare. Click here if you want to read the piece... which rates the course between 3rd and 12th best in Ireland.

Poulter to Play at the DDF Irish Open

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Ian Poulter is set to bring his renowned passion to the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, the second Rolex Series event of the 2019 Race to Dubai, when the Ryder Cup legend makes his first appearance in the Republic of Ireland in 13 years at Lahinch Golf Club this July.

The Englishman, known as the ‘Postman’ to many fans because he always delivers at The Ryder Cup, was in contention for a maiden Major Championship title at the recent Masters Tournament.

Poulter’s commitment means that four of the current top five in the Race to Dubai Rankings presented by Rolex, alongside Shane Lowry, Justin Harding

Golf, Health and Missed Opportunities

When the GUI and ILGU launched their ’Golf and Health Week’ campaign in the middle of March, it received good exposure in the golf media. This is no doubt on the back of the campaign being an R&A initiative and it being endorsed by big-name golfers including Padraig Harrington, Zach Johnson, and Annika Sorenstam.

That ‘Week’ has arrived and it started yesterday. The initiative is running immediately after the Masters and before Easter… just one of the times when golfers come out of full hibernation. Coincidence? It seems unlikely. The golfing public are paying attention, especially in light of Tiger’s remarkable come-back victory.

It is no surprise that the objective of the campaign is to get golfers of all hues to

The Irish at Augusta. 15 and Counting

How many Irish golfers have competed at the Masters? 

The answer is 14... or 15 if you include the elusive Steve McLowry. Here's the full list from my piece in the Irish Examiner.

It should also be noted that the slightly reworded question of: 'How many Irish golfers have competed at Augusta?' has the different (and official) answer of 15. Olivia Mehaffey completed the Augusta National Women's Amateur event last weekend in a tie for 23rd. By finishing in the top 30 after two rounds at the Champions Retreat Golf Club, she qualified to play the final round at Augusta itself.

And maybe, when the weekend is finished, we'll also have an Irish golfer wearing the Green Jacket... Steve McLowry could surprise us all. 

Royal Portrush - Open Championship Update

For many golfers, Royal Portrush remains a mystical place of cascading dunes and golden grasses. The Dunluce links (and its sister Valley course alongside) was designed by the legendary Harry Colt in 1932 and this, too, gives this stretch of Co. Antrim coastline a touch of mysticism. Throw in views to Dunluce Castle and ocean rocks battered by relentless waves and it is easy to understand why this golf course is lauded around the world. It is firmly entrenched in the top echelon of Top 100 world rankings just about everywhere and it isn’t hard to see why. 

It has risen to number one in both the Irish Golfer and Golf World magazine rankings