There is a lovely story told about a day in the hospitable south of Ireland when a couple of American tourists rolled into the car-park of Lahinch golf club in a gleaming, rented limo.
When they asked if a club member might be available to accompany them on their round, a caddie was dispatched up the village to fetch the local butcher.
He duly arrived and when the game got underway, one of the bemused visitors was moved to query: “If the butcher is so readily available to shut up shop and come down to play golf, he sure can’t make much money in his business.” To which the immortal reply was: “No! But sure he makes plenty of friends!”
This whimsical old anecdote may be a bit far-fetched in the telling. Yet, it goes a long way towards underlining the friendiy nature of the game in Ireland.
Is it any wonder, therefore, that golf in Ireland is seen to have such a special flavor that it plays a significant part in the tourism industry? Ireland as a golfing destination is seen to be one of the most rapid growing industries and it plays a core part in the determined drive by Irish Tourist Board Chief Excutive Martin Dully’s plan to double the number of visitors to the Emerald Isle.
That Ireland, in spite of the world economic climate, should remain an attraction for golfing holiday makers, is hardly surprising, considering the wonderful facilities on offer.
There is no doubt that Ireland is blessed with regard to the numbers and quality of courses. Be they big rolling, championship links or leafy parkland courses, there is always a great variety from which to choose.
In any discussion on great golf courses, you will always hear the claims of Portmarnock, Royal Portrush, Newcastle, Ballybunion, Lahinch, Rosses Point and Killarney being put forward.
In every instance, the argument stands up. Yet, it is to vastly understate the amenities of the country to restrict the choice to this hardy handful. One of the phenomena of Irish golf club life down through the years has been that, in keeping with the urge by people to get into the game, there has been the quite fantastic increase in the numbers of places to actually play. Right now, golf is a booming sport and a booming business in Ireland. According to recent estimates, there are currently 274 existing courses.
Thus, you must take account of Tralee, Waterville, Connemara, Westport and Donegal, all relatively new destinations.
Take note, too, that the honorable Jack Nicklaus has given his signature to a brand new course on the woodland Mount Juliet Estate in County Kilkenny. “We discovered the potential to build a great one,” said the mighty Golden Bear in excited anticipation of how his first ever architectural effort in Ireland would turn out.
Then along came Arnold Palmer to further fill the senses as he created the quite fantastic Kildare Golf and Country Club, to be marketed as The “K.” In each instance, Mt. Juliet (Tim Mahony) and The “K” (Michael Smurfit) are the inspirational work of successful businessmen wanting to give Ireland a standard of have the greatest golf courses in the world, not only in layout and design but in scenery and atmosphere and that indefinable something which makes you relive again and again the day you played there.” Is it any wonder that golf plays such a leading role in the tourism industry of the country?
Indeed, one ot the great success stories of Irish golf, in a tourism-related connotation, is to be seen in the prosperity of the co-op under the umbrella of SWING. South West Ireland Golf is the product of a novel idea to group the interests of Lahinch, Ballybunion, Tralee, Killarney and Waterville in a mutually cooperative way.
The proper administration and professional marketing expertise of chief executive officer, Paddy O Looney, then saw to it that, rather than perhaps, be in opposition in the business of attracting lucrative green-fee trade, that there was more to be gained while working as a unit.
Proof positive of its success can be gauged by the vast numbers of visitors heading to the South West necklace of clubs on a virtual year round basis.
And, not to look a gift horse in the mouth, other golf-oriented regions of Ireland have followed suit in a nation-wide marketing strategy devised by the Irish Tourist Board, under the direct executive leadership of Simon Tormey in the Dublin head-quarters.
So, visitors are offered an attractive variety on the lines of the Atlantic Challenge, taking in Bundoran, Rossapenna, North West, Murvagh and Rosses Point. The South East Six, comprises Rosslare, Courtown, Tramore, Clonmel, Kilkenny and Carlow. You can have the Parklink Challenge and play at Woodbrook, Royal Dublin, Portmamock, Mullingar, Headfort and Baltray.
What about the Town and Country package which takes in the beautiful County Cork handful of Youghal, Monkstown, Douglas, Cork at Little Island, Muskerry and Mallow … and there is the Atlantic Beach collection on Ireland’s West Coast comprising Galway, Connemara at Clifden, Westport and Enniscrone.
In each and every case, take note, perhaps the greatest virtue, is that you will be made to feel welcome. Come on over!
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the February 1992 issue of Irish America. ♦
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