Irish Open 'early bird' ticket offer - ends tonight

This arrived yesterday in my Inbox... the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open is running a special 'early bird' offer on tickets for this year's tournament at Ballyliffin. It's a great idea to keep the publicity ticking over... but it doesn't help that the special offer ends at midnight tonight (23.59 pm, Wed Feb 28). 

Glashedy Rock looms out of the sea beyond the 5th green

To be honest, the prices of tickets for 2018 are considerably below those of last year's tournament at Portstewart. It's all to do with location. As beautiful as the Inishowen Peninsula is it is also rather remote and a good distance away from the main centres of population. The Glashedy links is the most northern course on the island - Malin Head is only a few miles farther north - so it gives you some idea of the distances involved.

That said, come up and watch the event and combine your visit with playing some of

Irish Greats to Host the Irish Open

This has just been posted on the European Tour website... the Irish Open will now enjoy a rotating series of hosts, with Rory set to be one of five Irish golfing greats:

Approch to the 1st on the Ballyliffin Glashedy course.

A new and exciting era for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open was unveiled today with news that the tournament, from 2019 onwards, will be hosted annually by some of the greats of the Irish game.

Utilising the model that has seen the British Masters return successfully to the

The K Club Adds the Cherry on Top

Staff and guests form a 25 to celebrate quarter of a century
in business at the K Club.

It's been a good year for the K Club - Rory McIlroy winning the Irish Open in such thrilling and dramatic fashion helped to showcase the Palmer course as one of Ireland's top parklands - and it follows on from an investment of some €20 million in the past couple of years, which saw the addition of a new 70 bedroom hotel wing, a new restaurant and bar.

It's all made the resort's 25th anniversary celebrations rather easy... and what better way to celebrate than with a

Irish Open K Club Start a Just Reward for Brady's Hard Work

The 9th green and K Club Palmer clubhouse

PGA in Ireland members primed for The Irish Open at the K Club (May 19-22)

The Dubai Duty Free Irish Open marks the opening event of a two-week European Tour salvo for the 2015 PGA in Ireland Order of Merit winner, Eamonn Brady. The 42-year-old will play at the K Club, this week, as the Irish Open rolls

Coming to Ireland for The Irish Open?

The 13th hole at Royal County Down

If you're travelling from overseas to watch one of the most impressive Irish Open line-ups in years (maybe ever), at the magnificent Royal County Down, then chances are you'll be thinking about playing a little golf.

After all, as the Northern Irish Tourist Board has been bragging for a number of years, this is the 'Home of Champions'... you'd expect plenty of exceptional courses. And Northern Ireland doesn't disappoint.

Here are some options to consider:

Top 20 Facts About The Irish Open

The par four 6th (the Pros won't be playing from here

With the Irish Open being played at the elegant Fota Island Resort for the third time, here are 20 facts (below) about the Irish Open that you may or may not know...

Following an investment of €500,000 by the new owners, this year's event takes place from 19-22 June. For tickets, visit The European Tour's website. Prices are very reasonable (e.g. €70 for a season ticket) and over 100,000 people are expected. Considering how easy it is to get here (there's a train station next to the Resort, with prices from Dublin to Fota on irishrail.ie starting at €9.99, and one of the main Cork roads runs past the island) and the vibrancy, nightlife and gourmet credentials of Cork city, this will undoubtedly be another big success.

There are various packages available from the five star Fota Island Resort itself, and hotels and other accommodation providers in the area have assured Failte Ireland that they will keep their prices at normal seasonal rates.

Rob tees off on the par three 11th

Here are those 20 Facts:

1. The lowest 72 hole score was recorded by none other than Christy O'Connor Jnr, at Woodbrook in 1975. His 275 produced a score of -21.

2. The highest winning score was recorded by none other than John O'Leary, at Portmarnock in 1982. His 287 came to a score of -1.

3. The largest winning margin was 10 shots, by Bernard Langer at Portmarnock on 1987.

4. There have been 32 holes in one.

Fota Island's par three 7th

5. There have been four wire-to-wire winners: Christy O'Connor Jr at Woodbook, 1975; Bernhard Langer at Portmarnock, 1987; Nick Faldo at Killarney, 1992; Colin Montgomerie at Fota Island, 2001.

6. The youngest winner was Sergio Garcia in 1999, at Druid's Glen. He was 19 years and 176 days.

7. The oldest winner was Sam Torrance in 1995, at Mount Juliet. He was 41 years and 319 days.

8. Four players have won the Irish Open three times: Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer and Colin Montgomerie.

The 18th green, shot from next to the 1st tee

9. The lowest 18 hole score was recorded by Graeme McDowell at Co. Louth, in 2009. His score of 61 was -11. Ross Fisher also recorded a 61, at Killarney in 2010, but this was 'only' -10.

10. The highest first day score by a winner was 78 (+6), by Thomas Bjorn, at Carton House in 2006. He finished -5 and won by a stroke.

11. Lee Westwood (1997, Druid's Glen) and Robert Allenby (1994, Mount Juliet) have the unfortunate distinction of holding a 3 shot lead after 54 holes, but not winning the title. The winners were Montgomerie and Langer, respectively.

12. Four players have recorded the largest final round come back, making up a deficit of 4 shots: Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo, Stephen Dodd and Paul Casey (at Carton House in 2013).

Fota Island's long par three 17th

13. Five players have played all four rounds in the 60s:
- Sergio Garcia, Druid's Glen, 1999
- Colin Montgomerie, Fota Island, 2001*
- Soren Hansen, Fota Island, 2002*
- Jamie Donaldson, Royal Portrush, 2012
- Bernhard Langer who has achieved the feat twice - Royal Dublin in 1984 and Portmarnock in 1987. No wonder he was seen as the perfect choice to design Portmarnock Links.

14. Only one player has won without a round in the 60s. Ken Brown at Portmarnock, in 1978. He still finished -7.

15. Nick Faldo is the only player to win the Irish Open three years in a row: 1991-1993. His wins in 1992 and 1993 were both in play-offs.

16. Nick Faldo also has the most top 10 finishes - something he achieved 10 times.

The view over the 5th green, back down the fairway

17. When Shane Lowry won at Co. Louth in 2009, he became the 3rd amateur to win in European Tour history. Pablo Martin won the Portuguese Open in 2003, and Danny Lee won the Johnnie Walker Classic in 2009.

18. The Irish Open was first played in 1927. In all, 14 Major champions have won the event, including Seve, Langer, Crenshaw Woosnam, Faldo, Olazabal and, of course, Padraig Harrington.

19. The Irish Open has been decided 11 times by a play-off. This is a European Tour record.

20. In 2014, the Irish Open will be contested by 156 players, battling for a prize fund of €2 million. All the big Irish boys will be there, as well as one of the greatest rising stars (Matteo Manasero) and one of the most distinguished (Olazabal).


* With such low scoring at Fota Island in 2001 and 2002, you can be sure of some fireworks at The Irish Open this June.

Going to the Irish Open?

For those of you lucky enough to be heading to the Irish Open at Royal Portrush, I hope you get 'soft days' and see some wonderful golf. I visited the course in April, and the place was shaping up beautifully. My recommendation on where to watch the action would be a spot between the dogleg on the 5th hole and the 7th tee. You get views of White Rocks, and golfers playing the brilliant 5th, the par three 6th, and tee shots on the 7th and 9th.

[Photo: the par four 5th. The green is away to the right]

So, if you're going, here are a few suggestions on ways to pass the time.


First of all, pick up the new (and only) guide book on Northern Ireland's 'Golf Coast' - which stretches from Roe Park to Ballycastle. You'll find it in some golf pro shops, local hotels and tourist offices. It reviews all 15 courses (including 9 hole courses) and suggests places to eat, socialise, visit and stay. And there's a cracking article about the joys of golf in NI, by me.

If you plan to play any golf, the obvious candidates are Castlerock and Portstewart. Exceptional links both, they are nearby and will give you a good idea of what the pros are up against. Castlerock has an 18 and 9 hole course, while Portstewart has three 18 hole courses. Slightly further away are the parkland tracks of Roe Park and Gracehill, and I consider Gracehill to be a real gem with lots of water. Roe Park has the advantage of having a hotel (and also has a daily bus service to the Open) so it's a tidy package. Then, of course, there's Ballyliffin on Inishowen, made ever more accessible by the ferry which crosses the Foyle from Magilligan in Northern Ireland to Greencastle (where there's also a golf club). 


Chances are, though, that you won't get to play much golf as you're here to watch it. But you'll probably have time for a few things:


1. Visit Morelli's Ice Cream shops/diners in Portrush, Portstewart or Coleraine. This year the company picked up the award for Best Vanilla Ice Cream in the UK and Ireland. The Portstewart shop I dropped into at 11pm on a Saturday night was packed and the 'parlour' is a real throw-back to the 1950s. I picked up a scoop rhubarb & custard ice cream... but you'll be spoilt for choice. Dine inside or step across the road onto the promenade.


2. Places to eat: the Portrush clubhouse bar (the far end) sits above the 1st tee and offers spectacular views. There's a terrace around the entire outside too, and the food is good. For something classier and packed with character, try the Bushmills Inn. You won't find any accommodation left, but the restaurant has some bookings left - it is not cheap, but you get what you pay for becaue the food is superb. Lunch is served from 12pm. And then there's the whiskey and the distillery...

[Photo: some of the views from Portstewart Golf Club's new clubhouse]

3. Places to drink: the Harbour Bar in Portrush may prove impossible to get into, thanks to its popularity, but it's worth the effort - believe me. Then again, all the bars will be packed during the Open week, so any place is as good as another.


4. The Titanic Exhibit: probably too far away, in Belfast, but this is a special year and so it deserves a mention. The building alone is worth the visit, on the Belfast Docks.


5. What's On?: Here's a list of the North Coast Open Fest events that will be going on during the Open week, from the North Coast NI website.


6. The obvious: The Giant's Causeway is the most famous and, who knows, you might be able to scope out the landscape where they'll be creating the new, and still controversial, Bushmills Dunes Golf Resort which is now subject to another legal challenge.


There's also the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge on the way to Ballycastle - but probably not after a few pints (see photo). The bridge links the mainland to the small island of Carrickarede. It is 20 metres across and 30 metres above the rocks.


And if you're this far over, carry on to Ballycastle Golf Club, climb the stairs to the top level, order a pint and take in the views across to Scotland and along the Antrim coastline. 

[Image courtesy of National Trust]

Inside the Ropes – Druid’s Glen

Druid’s Glen, in early summer, is a course lush and green. At this time of year there is colour and wildlife everywhere – it vibrates with the intensity of it and it is a glorious opportunity to experience one of Ireland’s best parklands, which was home to the Irish Open between 1996 and 1999 (won by Colin Montgomerie twice, David Carter and Sergio Garcia, who shot a 64 in the final round).

But what about an amateur’s perspective. Inside the ropes it’s a different ball game entirely. About to find out were three lads who had never played the course before: 

Chris off 15, Pete, playing off 24 and Pat off 12.

[The lads on the 12th tee box]

Here’s what they had to say about their day.

Q. What are your overall impressions of the course?

Pete: Beautiful course. If I was looking to impress a client I would take them for a round here.

Chris: Excellent, very well kept.

Pat: Loved it. Not just a driver all day. The scenery was beautiful for an inland course and I couldn’t wait to see around the next corner as it was my first visit – but will make a big effort to come back.

Q. What are the course’s best features?

Druid’s Glen boasts an ‘Augusta-like air’ with its rhododendrons and charming water features, but all three lads were taken by something else:

[Photo: Pat's tee shot on the lethal par three 17th]

Pete: The par threes were brilliant, and the 18th was a lovely finishing hole.

Chris: The views, the beautiful par threes and the emphasis on accuracy over length. Greens are perfect and consistent.

Pat: Definitely the par threes. The 12th is every bit as beautiful as people say, and Index 1, the 13th, is a brilliant par four.

Our encounter with the 13th did not go particularly well, with four balls finding the lake short of the green. It's a brute of a hole, and the best score was a double bogey 6.

[Photo: Chris putts up the 13th green - the lake behind proving a magnet]

Q. Any negatives – either on or off the course?

Pete: One or two of the bunkers were stoney. It’s a very tough course for a high handicap golfer like myself.

Chris: Practice facilities – the range is too far away.

Pat: Greens were just a bit off perfect.

Q. What did you find particularly tough?

Always a difficult question because it can be handicap, weather and performance dependent. The responses pretty much covered it all:

Pete: Some tight fairways, and greens were hard to read and stop the ball on.

Chris: It was hard off the tee.

Pat: Reading the breaks on some of the greens

Q. How did you find the condition of the course? Anything stand out?

Pete: The condition was excellent. The water features around the par threes really stand out.

Chris: The greens were perfect.

Pat: Tee boxes and fairways were perfect, with bunkers in perfect positions. Greens were slightly slow but very true.

The differing comments about the greens is an interesting one and clearly depends on personal preferences. When this was put to Druid's Glen, they explained that maintenance work (pole-forking) was carried out two weeks ago, and that the greens were just coming back into proper shape for the summer.

Q. What do you think of the facilities?

Pete: Excellent. Changing rooms had nice touches (hair gel and shaving blades available). Practice area was a bit far away.

Chris: Apart from the distance to the practice range, everything was spot on.

Pat: The clubhouse is lovely.

Druid’s Glen is renowned for its attractive 18th century clubhouse (Woodstock House) and the bar is as relaxing a place to wind down after a round as anywhere. The practice range is not close by and you’ll need to give yourself plenty of time if you want to head down and hit a few balls before your round. The range is down by the entrance, next to the 16th tee.

Q. How easy to find?

All three commented on the good signage and how easy it was to find.

[Photo: the par three 12th, green to tee - and where the million euro hole-in-one shot was to be held the following week]

Q. Final comments?

Pete: Really enjoyable round. Will play again, but at €65 it would have to be a special event.

Chris: A great course with some beautiful holes, particularly the par threes. Some courses would be lucky to have even one of the par threes.

Pat: Probably now my favourite course in Ireland

Rating out of 10

Pete: 8

Chris: 9

Pat: 9, but would have been 10 if greens had been perfect

TOTAL 26/30

Value for money out of 10

Pete: 6

Chris: 8

Pat: 8

TOTAL 24/30

(Pete's a tough man to please!)

[Photo: Handshakes on the 18th green]

Druid's Glen Details:

Located between Newtownmountkennedy and Kilcoole in County Wicklow, Druid's Glen is part of the Druid's Glen Resort. Pitched as five star, the hotel sits next to the second course - Druid's Heath - and comes with leisure centre/swimming pool, with various spa treatments also available. Special packages are nearly always available.

Green Fees at Druid's Glen range between €40 and €95 during the summer months. Druid's Heath green fees range from €35 to €55.

Royal Portrush... Irish Open... 2013?

[Photo: the magnificent 5th. A par four that doglegs right, and out to the sea]

The flurry of expectation that Northern Ireland's Royal Portrush Golf Club must hold the British Open, rose to fever pitch after Darren Clarke's July win.

Everyone went a bit mad on the idea, as if it was a done deal, but it's about baby steps. The R&A aren't about to rush in without checking the infrastructure required to accommodate crowds upwards of 40,000 a day. Portrush is a town of less than 7,000, after all, and there are only three chippers.

The British Open is held exclusively at 9 golf courses, and I'm sure there will be some pressure to keep it that way as the income for each golf club and its local economy must be enormous. But a change would be good, and the presence of so many golfers from this island at the top of leaderboards around the world, should be enough to entice a mood change in the stuffy world of the R&A. That and the fact that GMac and Darren have agreed to act in an ambassadorial role for Royal Portrush, which will celebrate its 125th anniversary in 2013.

And baby steps are exactly what are being taken... the publication of the Stormont Executive's programme for Government, pledges - among other things - to host a major golf tournament in Northern Ireland.

For the official Executive document (a PDF), click here and do a keyword search on 'golf'

This would seem to imply that the Irish Open may be held in Royal Portrush as early as 2013. It would be a showcase event to demonstrate the capacity of the town and the country to host something as big as the British Open. And if things don't go quite according to plan (that one way system on the edge of town drives me nuts), there will be the perfect excuse to change things, build new roads, or whatever is seen to be lacking.

Build it and they will come, etc. etc.

1951 is a long time ago, but let's hope the Open comes back to Northern Ireland soon.

Rory & Darren... Lough Erne & Moyvalley... and a touch of irony

[Photo: views across the course at Moyvalley - designed by Darren Clarke]

First there was Rory winning the US Open (a year after G-Mac), now we have Darren Clarke winning The Open. That's some year for Northern Irish golf. Darren's victory was spectacular - I said to a few people at the start of the week that if the scoring was low and the weather poor then Darren had a real shot... if only I'd had the courage of my convictions and put a few quid on him (150/1 at the start).I suspect Gareth Maybin will be relishing his next competition. After Hoey's win a few weeks back, it seems that being Northern Irish is a guaranteed passport to winning.

I know that Rory grew up playing at Holywood GC and Darren at Dungannon GC, but their names are also inextricably linked to Lough Erne and Moyvalley, respectively... both of which are in administration.

[Photo: views across Lough Erne and the 7th hole]

The management at Lough Erne in Co. Fermanagh, believes that Rory's win will give them (and Northern Irish tourism) a major boost and they have seen bookings increase nicely since Congressional. Most of this interest is domestic - for now - but, no doubt, Americans who were havering over coming to Ireland on a golfing holiday will have been convinced to come on the back of Rory's win, with Northern Ireland a prime target. (Rory is the travelling pro for Lough Erne)

Whether they'll come for the Royals, Portstewart, Castlerock and Ardglass or whether they'll traipse further west to Lough Erne remains to be seen - hopefully they'll do both. Jonathan Stapleton (Lough Erne's General Manager) believes that Rory's win sets "Fermanagh and the North apart as a golfing destination..." Hmmm, Fermanagh is a beautiful county for sure, but that's a bit of a stretch when you consider that the county has only three 18 hole golf courses - two of which are average parklands (Castle Hume and Enniskillen). Lough Erne on the other hand is a quality course and has all the pomp and ceremony to be a major attraction in years to come (5 star hotel, spa and all the trimmings). Its popularity will grow massively with Rory's affiliation, so I hope it will continue to thrive and benefit both north and south.

[Photo: approach to the 12th at Enniskillen]

(As a quick aside, it is also not that far away from Darren Clarke's first and impressive design attempt at Castle Dargan).

[Photo: the intimidating drive on the 17th at Castle Dargan]

Moyvalley was home to The Champion's Club, and the course was designed by Darren a few years back. It is a rollercoaster of a course and, in my opinion, hugely under-appreciated. It too is in trouble: when it first opened with its air of exclusivity, the joining fee was €75,000. No one took them up on that and, today, there is no joining fee at all - just an €800 annual sub. Since the course is still struggling it will be interesting to see,

a) how the public (local and international) respond to Darren's victory by heading to Moyvalley (and Castle Dargan too), and

b) how the club itself responds to what can only be described as one of the most glorious marketing opportunities open to it.

Time will tell, but it should undoubtedly see a bounce in bookings and interest and I hope it can take full advantage. I wonder if they can lure Darren back for some sort of event, maybe a head-to-head against Padraig Harrington.

Congratulations again to Darren Clarke and Rory and it looks like the Irish Open is going to be one amazing tournament this year.