Golf, Ireland, and Covid-19 in 2021

It is almost impossible to read any review of 2020 without the word ‘Covid’ or ‘virus’ appearing in the opening lines. That was the year we all had to endure and, as much as we have high hopes for 2021, the realists among us will know that there are several months of hardship ahead of us still.

This is as true in Ireland as it is anywhere.

 

We want golfers to return to this fantastic golf destination but those golfers will be thinking about how and when to visit, where to go, who to book with and what the implications will be of the vaccination programme – not just in Ireland but in their home country, too.

 

I particularly feel for those who had to postpone their 2020 golf trips and moved them to 2021. There must be a sense of desperation setting in.

 

If I had a crystal ball I would help you, I really would, but in the absence of such fortune telling powers I can do no more than direct you to the websites which will offer you the best and most up-to-date information:

 

1.    https://www.golfireland.ie/news?menuid=98
This is Irish golf’s official governing body and they update their ‘News’ feed regularly to spell out what is happening, not just with Covid-19 but with Irish golf in general.

2.    https://www.gov.ie/en/ 
For Irish government guidelines, this is the official place to go. It is up to date but also spells out what is and isn’t allowed in our five tier structure.

 

There are plenty of online resources out there but the newsfeeds for www.irishtimes.com and www.irishexaminer.ie are definitely worth checking. The Irish Times allows you five free articles a week before you have to tackle their paywall. The Irish Examiner doesn’t have any restrictions presently.

 

The current feeling is that there will be mass vaccinations in Ireland in May to July, and that the country will be much more accessible to tourism from that point as a result. That's not to say golf won't be accessible before then but, as this virus has shown, lockdowns and restrictions can happen fast… and comprehensively, and some peace of mind later in the year might be exactly what you need. 

 

All the same, businesses are following the relevant protocols so it is hoped we will be 'open for business' soon.

 

Remember, you will need a face mask (and I would recommend bringing several). Face shields don’t cut it unless worn with a mask. You are not allowed into shops (bars, restaurants, hotels included) unless you are wearing a mask. 

 

 

Christmas Golf Gifts 2020 - A Guide for Irish Golfers

Christmas shopping in 2020 is going to be a new experience both in terms of when we do our shopping and where. There has been an impressive push this year to promote Irish stores online and, with that sentiment in mind, here’s where to find everything you need for the golfers in your life... broken down into four headings:

1. Clothing

2. General

3. Golf Stores Online

4. Food/Drink)

Please don’t forget to support golf club pros by purchasing a voucher (or more) now that golf clubs have re-opened. 

1. Clothing

 

Rock Solid Apparel

Rock Solid Apparel is a young Northern Irish clothing brand. The company launched in late 2018 and the products available expanded quickly to include hoodies, sweatshirts, ¼ zip tops,

Raflewski Performance Academy Launches At PGA National Ireland

So here we are, in November 2020, and golf is about to return to our courses. Apart from golf on TV, for many of us golf ceased to exist over the past six weeks. We had other things to worry about.

But golf in Ireland has continued behind the scenes. The greenkeepers have been busy maintaining courses and preparing them for our return, while for others there were developments that had been planned for a while and couldn’t simply be postponed.

 

One of those is at Slieve Russell… and it’s something pretty spectacular. The

Top Ten Photos of the Year 2020

It is a frequent occurrence that no matter how much you plan, some of the best photographs come about thanks to a bit of luck. There are two photographs below that owe their existence to that luck.

It hasn’t been as busy a year as past years because… well, we all know why.

You can buy prints of many Irish golf courses through my website, including three of the shots listed below.

Here are the Top Ten shots of 2020, in no particular order... because ranking them would be like having to choose your favourite child.

1. Arklow 6th green 

The light was magical and there’s really no other Irish golf club car park – where this shot was taken from – that shows off the beauty and shape of the course you’re about to play.

2. Arklow 8th

This was the first shot I took with a new camera/lens combination (Nikon’s Z series

Sister Courses in Ireland and Oregon to Host Golf Championships in 2021

When Carne Golf Links first told me about their twinning with Gearhart Golf Links, in Oregon, I thought: now that's a brilliant idea. Two courses that help each other, swap ideas, promote the other locally and nationally, field teams against each other, and generally just create a positive channel of communication between them. What's not to like? Joint membership? Yep, that too.

Though separated by thousands of miles, these two courses with a unique connection will celebrate their alliance in the summer of 2021 by hosting national championships: The US

Saudi Arabia, Golf and Sportswashing

An announcement by the Ladies European Tour (LET) last month reignited a controversy about professional golf tournaments taking place in Saudi Arabia.

It may seem that the horse has already bolted following the European Tour’s Saudi International golf tournaments of 2019 and 2020, but the LET is also involved. The original plan was for the Ladies’ event to take place in March 2020, two months after the men, but Covid-19 put a stop to that. Until now.

 

In October, the LET announced not one but two ‘landmark’ tournaments for November (12-19), with prize money of $1.5 million on offer. 

A glossy video hit the airways showing female professionals giving lessons to young Saudi

The K Club Enters a Different World

The K Club may have changed hands in the past year and the two courses may have been renamed (Palmer North and Palmer South) but this week the golf on offer at this famous venue introduced something very different... K Golf World

Located next to the Palmer South course, K Golf World promises you the opportunity to play some of the best courses in the world at this most iconic of golf resorts. Weather? No bother, it's all indoors. 

K Golf World is a sophisticated, comfortable, suite of state of the art standalone golf simulators with eight spacious and high-tech bays, each accommodating a maximum of four golfers at a time, and all backed with the exceptional five-star service and attention to detail of The K Club.  

Here's the technical detail:

With two hyper-speed cameras operating at 3,000 frames per second, which also produce a stereoscopic effect, the K Golf World simulator system provides real-time footage of ball spin, club path and true impact — and one of the very few systems available that can measure actual spin data. The overhead monitors also track both ball and club data with unmatched accuracy, allowing golfers to swing freely because of their ceiling mounts. Swing analysis cameras are directly integrated with the software in addition to the tracking cameras, and the videos are displayed after each shot to give proof of what happened, making it suitable for all users, especially club fitters and coaches.

The user-friendly interface ensures you will always have the right data, right there in front of you, so you can drive your own continuous self-improvement with unrivalled graphic quality. And have one hell of an experience at the same time.

Star Attraction

You can go solo and enjoy your own virtual driving range, work on your short game and practice your drives, approach shots, chips and putts on any hole in the world. 

Yes, you and your friends can also play a virtual round and compete on some of the world’s greatest golf courses from the comfort of Ireland’s first custom-built public simulator facility, with its spacious and luxuriously furnished bays, bar and excellent food.

Imagine the enjoyment of playing the 17th island hole at TPC Sawgrass, the Postage Stamp 8th at Royal Troon, the tiny acre that houses the iconic 7th hole at Pebble Beach — and being back home in time for dinner. 

Bays are available from €40 per hour*. For further information and to reserve your time see www.kgolfworld.ie. K Golf World will open as soon as it’s safe to do so.

So even despite the lockdown, winter golf is looking brighter with K Golf World opening next month. Low handicappers to fair weather players, and those who won’t make it to Spain or Portugal this year, you still have the opportunity to head to County Kildare to experience golf with a difference... and leave your wet gear at home.  

*Masters discount - for the week of the Masters, starting November 12th -  15th - buy a K Golf World voucher and get an additional 20%. 

Donegal: The Power of New

It is surprising – to me at least – that Irish golfers are not that aware of the many ‘new’ things happening at Irish golf courses. We all knew about the massive upgrade at Adare Manor and many of us had heard that Skellig Bay was evolving into Hog’s Head, but the changes going on in Co. Donegal over the past three years have slipped by relatively unnoticed.

One of the new (Pat Ruddy) holes on the Old Tom
course at Rosapenna.

I conducted a poll on Twitter asking if people knew that Tom Doak was redesigning