Destination Golf and Ireland's 150 Top Courses

A little blood, sweat and tears goes a long way. OK, so there was no blood on this occasion (and only a few tears) but the guys at Destination Golf have done what they set out to do, which was to publish a unique guide to Irish golf courses.

The publication of Destination Golf Ireland fills a rather large hole as there is no other publication which concentrates on our top clubs while also providing stunning course photographs. You'll find the 150 top Irish courses on these 160 pages, as well as general tourism information and recommendations for golfers planning to visit this

Golf News... Episode 2

The par three 14th at Mount Juliet

Here are six bits and pieces of news from around the 'Irish' golfing world.

Just Golf Top 40 Irish Courses

This is the second annual ranking by JustGolf.ie... or should I say by the regular golfers who subscribe to Just Golf's service... a number well into the thousands. You'll find the list on this link. I'd suggest you keep an

Ian Poulter's Fashion Sense... Quite the Winner

When a little bit of Ian Poulter’s passion arrives on your doorstep, you’re going to sit up and take notice. Granted, it wasn’t the man himself, looking for a quick 18 holes, but he sent some clothing in his place. If I couldn’t play with Mr Poulter, at least I could dress like him.

I will add an important note here and say that this clothing was sent to me to be reviewed. I didn’t pay for it. Companies that send me products typically expect glowing recommendations but, as anyone who has read my book Hooked knows, I don’t gloss over the cracks and if

How wet is your golf course?

I can only begin to imagine how sodden golf courses are across the west and north of Ireland. The rain has been relentless, and Facebook and Twitter are awash with images of courses under water and flags seemingly stuck in the middle of lakes. 'Course Closed' notices abound. It's depressing stuff.

The 5th green at Greystones.

The east coast hasn't escaped completely, either, and today I received an email from my home club informing me of a local rule which is about to be introduced. I have played at Greystones Golf Club for 40 years and this is the first time I have ever heard of such a rule... but you do what you have to in order to protect the course for what will, hopefully, be a long, warm and sunny summer.*

Here's that rule:

Dear Member,

In order to avoid further damage to our golf course and due to the excess amount of rain, we are introducing a local rule from Saturday 23rd of January until further notice on the 3rd, 4th and 13th holes.  Please see below,

Local Rule (3rd, 4th and 13th fairways)

Temporary mats are provided and mandated to be used when your ball is on or between the blue lines marked on each of the following holes (3rd, 4th and 13th).  Players must lift their ball from on or between the blue lines and place the ball on the mat provided.  Failure to use a mat within the designated areas and comply with this local rule will result in a two shot penalty.

And then there's the other extreme... the cold.

Wherever you are, wherever you play, I hope your course is surviving everything the weather throws at it.

* This is Ireland... what are the chances!

The One Best Golf Tip I Ever Had... Today's Golfer

The best golf tip I ever received was from my grandfather... "you don't hit anything with your backswing, so why rush it."

In this month's Today's Golfer, 46 Pros and coaches provide the best tips they've ever received. Rory, Tiger, Phil... they're all in here. But my personal favourite comes from Vijay Singh, because it takes my grandfather's advice one step further:

"... start your downswing at the same speed you started your backswing."

Think about it and it makes perfect sense. You're establishing a tempo, a rhythm that allows all the moving parts to work together fluidly.

There are plenty of others that make a lot of sense, too, but my other personal favourites come from Padraig Harrington (and no, it's not technical, as you might expect), Sam Snead and Greg Norman.

And speaking of Norman, there's a long and very frank interview with the Great White Shark. The man always has something interesting to say.

Pick up your copy of Today's Golfer - and if you have any tips you want to add, leave a Comment below!

Royal County Down Voted Best Golf Course in the World

Views back down the 13th hole

As golf course rankings go, the biennial 'best in the world' list from America's Golf Digest magazine raises quite a flutter... so it's a massive boost to Royal County Down (RCD) which finds itself in the number one spot. It was number four in the last ranking.

And you could play it tomorrow for £60.

The emphasis in this year's rankings is on seaside locations, which may explain RCD's rise over Augusta

PGA Pros In Demand

Two of Ireland's golf courses are currently looking to hire a PGA Professional. It's good to know that business is still continuing and, more importantly, that there are golf job vacancies out there for many of the new Pros and Assistant Pros coming through.

1. PGA Professional at Charleville Golf Club in Co. Cork. Details here.

Closing date 14th January.

The 10th hole at Charleville

2. PGA Professional at St. Anne's Golf Club on Bull Island in Dublin. Details here.

Closing date 29th January.

The approach to the 4th (and clubhouse) at St. Anne's