ISSUE 187 DIGITAL
April 2020
The World in Turmoil! How the crisis is affecting golf
Our resident Pro offers home tips 90 years of Kinsella history
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STAY AT HOME!!!
The picture we had chosen was a bright colourful image of the 12th hole at Augusta with the azaleas in full bloom. Instead, golf courses all around Ireland are closed. STAY AT HOME! and heed all the government advice. Stay safe and keep your distance. Gone are the golfing stories this month. Gone is the record month of advertising planned for April with many of the biggest golf brands due to launch their advertising campaign through Tee to Green. Many golf clubs, hotels and other advertising partners were looking to promote their facilities, product or competitions in the spring season. Tee to Green are thinking about the staff and families of our advertising partners and our readers. We will get through this crisis and
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hopefully we can think about playing golf again soon. We have put together a shortened version of our publication. It will be our 187th monthly magazine and without doubt the most difficult issue yet. What do we talk about? Where do we send it? Should we even produce an April edition? We decided that in this very difficult time we should try to give as many of our loyal readership a chance to read something golf related and despite losing our advertising revenue, we wanted to remain the authoritative voice of golf in Ireland. We have tried to provide the right mix between information about COVID19 along with some of our regular features to at least give you something to enjoy while stuck at home instead of being on the course. If you want to help us during this time then please sign up to receive the magazine via your email from next month onwards. Send us a quick email to info@teetogreen.eu and just say you want us to send the publication directly into your email. Or follow our Facebook page teetogreen.eu for all the
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latest news. Doing either or both ensures we stay relevant and at the front of the Irish golf industry so, thank you. Everything we do for you is free of charge. If you are reading this and you work in our NHS, either in Northern Ireland or in Republic of Ireland then we at Tee to Green on behalf of everyone want to say A BIG THANK YOU. You are heroes and we truly send you our best wishes as you face the front line of this virus and the devastation it is causing. Finally, if you are a golfer waiting until we get back on the golf course, we say, be patient as lives are being lost daily and we must defeat this once and for all rather than rush back and allow it to return all over again. I have only been an editor for 2 years but frankly I have found this editorial the hardest thing I have ever had to write. There are no adequate words to say about our sport at this time of national emergency. Stay safe, stay healthy and keep your distance and then we can all get to the other side and start to discuss all things golf. On behalf of Neale, Claire and myself, take care.
ISSUE 187
April 2020 EDITORIAL TEAM Editorial Directors: Neale Jenkins - njenkins@teetogreen.eu Grahame Jenkins - gjenkins@teetogreen.eu Advertising Manager: Claire Muller - claire.muller@teetogreen.eu
Simple Golf by Simon .....................p4 COVID19 Response.........................p6 200 years of Dwyers’ History..........p8 Women in Golf.. ...............................p9 90 Years at Skerries Golf Club .......p10 Days in the Life ................................p12 Through the Ages ..........................p14 Your Club needs You......................p16 Have Your Say! ...............................p17
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Not the headline I expected to write for April. It was supposed to be all about the Masters, the first of the season’s majors. Front page was to be a picture of the 4 Irishmen due to play at Augusta this month, Rory, Shane, GMac and James Sugrue.
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Resident Tulfarris Pro
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Monthly Lesson
Hopefully, most of us have a garden where we can get out and do some chipping or pitching practice. Make targets with your umbrella, buckets or even plant pots. Change the distance of the targets to mimic real play. This is a great time to use skills tests. Give yourself 5/10 balls and note the results, keep a note of all your results. See the improvement over the next few days/weeks. If you contact your local PGA Professional, I’m sure they will be more than happy to let you know your individual faults……if any ;-)
With the Masters postponed for now, the start of the golfing season never really got going. COVID19 has taken hold of all sports and golf is no exception, but we cancontinue to “play” at home. We can keep our interest up in the game and continue to do what we can to improve at home. Don’t let this break from playing slow your season down. It is in fact a great time to change some of those swing faults, to work on your basics, your address position, your takeaway etc. However, the biggest area of our game where we can make significant improvement or keep in good shape is our short game. (See Monthly Lesson) Don’t forget we’ve a lot of golf to catch up on when we get back playing so do a little of the swing changes now - change that grip you were meaning to change, work on the short game or your THESE GUYS VERY, VERY QUICKLY putting and whenNEED we doTO getPROGRESS back playing, hopefully you will see the improvements. This break should make us realize how much we miss the game. If you are on social media, the current Ryder Cup captain, Padraig Harrington, has probably the best tips around for the amateur golfer. Just copy what he does, and you won’t go too far wrong! He’s on Twitter @padraig_h. Or if you want to send me any questions, videos of your swing, putting queries, I’d be happy to send you some pointers.
Get in touch on my social media channels for some golfing gossip, fun and information. Twitter- @sthorntongolf Facebook- @simonthorntonglf Instagram- simonthornton9 TYPE TO ENTER A CAPTION.
TYPE TO ENTER A CAPTION.
Basic chipping lesson
Don’t make this more complicated than it is. Pick spot on the garden/green where you want to land the ball, adjust your swing in accordance to the distance required. Be confident.
TYPE TO ENTER A CAPTION.
Address checks
Swing checks
Make sure your weight on your left side and narrow your stance slightly.
keep weight on your left side, make sure your hands return to the same position as in address, keep speed in your swing.
The ball position will change depending on shot required. For a lower trajectory place the ball back in your stance.
Do not try and scoop the ball up.
Q1. In which year was the first Masters Golf Tournament played? Answers on page 18
Standing on the 17th tee at PGA Catalunya, Spain, having played 5 rounds and 16 holes of the 2009 European Tour Qualifying School I required 2 pars to get my Tour card for the 2010 season. After 6 years of blood, sweat and tears I was within touching distance of the holy grail. My mind was racing and heart pumping. I hit a great drive which ran just onto the downslope before a bunker. 168 yards to the flag, I remember it so clearly. I hit an 8 iron slightly thin, landing on a ridge on the green and popped up to 3 feet. Birdie…Phew. A par or bogey would do it on the 18th. I hit a perfect drive and had 204 yards left to the flag. An adrenaline hit 5 iron was the perfect club, but the ball drifted into the green side bunker. Plugged!! My caddy and I just laughed at each other. “Just get it out” I said to myself. Luckily, I did and then got up and down to make bogey and secure my playing rights on the European tour for the first time. Nerves what nerves just play the shot in hand!!
Tour Stories
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The Golfing Union of Ireland and the Irish Ladies Golfing Union may hold the key for golf courses struggling due to COVID19.
Overlooking silent Belfast
In a statement by the Golfing Unions’ Communications Manager, Alan Kelly commented, “The Unions recognise the need clubs may have for business support at this time. We will monitor options available and engage with the relevant sporting bodies in due course to make representations for our member clubs.” At Tee to Green, we wanted to know what this statement meant. So, we asked the following questions. 1/ Do the GUI/ILGU have reserves to help struggling golf clubs? 2/ At this time of need will the GUI/ILGU be in a position to make available to clubs the money that has been set aside for elite golfers, overseas trips and any other related expenditure? 3/ Due to the reduction in expenditure for the GUI/ILGU will they be supporting clubs by suspending annual levies in the current crisis? Mr Kelly replied almost immediately and said, “We are working on a response on the business support side of things and are not ready to comment any further until we have all the facts and information we need.” With the Unions working with the relevant sporting bodies and working on business support, it seems they will leave no stone unturned to ensure that golf remains one of the key sports in Ireland for the foreseeable future. Tee to Green have a few suggestions to help at this very difficult time.
All the monies that will be saved by the above can be made available to golf clubs who need the support. Those golf clubs who failed to take the advice of the Golf Unions to close, should be exempt from receiving any of this money. 2/ The golf bodies in Ireland should suspend any collection of members levies to help clubs keep their outgoings to a minimum or at least reduce the fee. With up to three months of no golf in the height of the season, it seems only right that these levies are reviewed. 3/ If the joint Unions have cash reserves, there can never be a better time to use them. They can make short to medium term grants/loans available at favourable rates. The latest communication from the GUI (see page 18) states that the joint Unions are undertaking a survey into the impact the pandemic will have on golf clubs and they will make a compelling case for state-funded support from both governments. With forward thinking people at the helm of golf we believe that we will all come through this difficult time with a renewed love of our great sport.
1/The Unions’ expenditure will be massively reduced due to COVID19. There will be no Championships.No tournaments across the world for elite players and officials to travel to.Officials from the Unions will have no cause to travel to, or stay at, hotels. Wages of employees will be reduced due to UK and Ireland’s employee support packages.
Tee to Green would like to thank Alan Kelly for his swift responses and when we get any further information from him, we will post it on our social media platforms. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Website..
Tee to Green have always been strong advocates for the bursaries given to our elite amateurs. However, we are now in a New World and it is our opinion that the Unions should suspend all bursaries until further notice.
As a brief footnote to this story, The Scottish Government have set aside up to £25,000 for each golf course in Scotland to help them when theyfinally resume play. Tee to Green urge the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Irish Government to help in a similar fashion.
Scottish Government Response
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The Inaugural
Rich Beem
Ireland Invitational 19th – 27th of July 2020
Portmarnock Golf Club
The European Golf Club
Royal County Down Golf Club
Royal Portrush Golf Club
The ‘Rich Beem Ireland Invitational’ takes place between the 19th – 27th of July and we are offering you the opportunity to join the former USPGA Champion to play some of the finest courses in Ireland. The perfect event for client hospitality or simply to play with friends, this is a unique opportunity to play alongside, and spend time with, one of the true characters of the game. Choose from one of the following two packages:
PACKAGE A:
PACKAGE B:
Sunday 19th July: Play Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links, overnight at Mount Juliet
Thursday 23rd July: Play Royal Co. Down Golf Club, overnight Slieve Donard Resort & Spa
Monday 20th: Play Mount Juliet – 2020 Irish Open venue, overnight Mount Juliet
Friday 24th: Play Ardglass Golf Club, overnight at The Bushmills Inn
Tuesday 21st: Play The European Club, overnight Iveagh Gardens Hotel, Dublin
Saturday 25th: Play Portstewart Golf Club, overnight The Bushmills Inn
Wednesday 22nd: Play Co. Louth Golf Club (Baltray). Depart.
Sunday 26th: Play Royal Portrush Golf Club, overnight The Bushmills Inn
(Optional Rnd: Thursday 23rd Play Royal Co. Down Golf Club, overnight Slieve Donard Resort & Spa)
Price: €1,699 / £1,499 per person sharing
Price: €2,299 / £1,999 per person sharing
(excl. Royal Co. Down & overnight on July 22nd) Terms and Conditions: Packages include: Twin bedded standard rooms on a bed and breakfast basis, luxury coach transfers daily (excluding airport transfers), one golf clinic hosted by Rich Beem, gift pack, golf prizes. Single rooms available for a supplement, room upgrades available. Nightly dinner events will be organised with the host and can be added to the itinerary at a cost. A supplement of €400/£410pp will be applied to add Royal Co. Down and one night’s accommodation to Package A. Guests taking Package A must be at Portmarnock Golf Links for a 12noon tee time on the 19th and for Package B at Royal Co. Down for 08.30am on the 23rd July. Rich Beem will join the group on the evening of the 19th of July. Prices exclude: airfares, airport transfers, other meals, caddie fees and gratuities.
Contact us at travel@theconsummatepro.com or call +44 7818 000 703 for further information
Limited tee times available.
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Dwyers & Co Celebrating 200 years!
2020 sees Cork based trouser brand Dwyers & Co celebrate 200 years. A milestone for any brand and something the Dwyer family will celebrate for the entire year! The history of the brand dates back to 1820 when James Dwyer set up a small clothing business in Cork City. Dwyers & Co grew from being a small shop to an important manufacturing and wholesale business, at one time employing 3,000 people in the city. To this day, Dwyers & Co are still family run and proudly based in Cork. Brothers Alan and Peter Dwyer took over the reins from their father George back in the early 2000’s. They are the sixth generation Dwyers in the clothing business. ‘We enjoy making exceptional products for people who are passionate about what they wear. Today we have focused the Dwyers & Co brand on golf trousers for the modern sportsman’ says Alan Dwyer. ‘Our family historywww.leopardstowngolfcentre.com in clothing is amazing however we’re acutely aware that we compete with all the top sports brands like Nike and Adidas every day, so in a lot of ways our history goes out the window as soon as our Weekday Any sizebetter basket trousers get on the shop floor. We believespecial we need: to make golfof balls €7 before 16.00 Monday – Friday trousers than those brands and then convince customers to make the choice to support us- and our customers continue to make that choice, it’s amazing. Every day is a challenge for a smaller brand - we love it’. Summer 2020 sees Dwyers & Co celebrate the 200 year anniversary with 2 great trouser/shorts fabrics for men. A technical chino for the traditionalist who wants to look smart yet have all the quick dry features you need on the course. The second fabric is a MircoTec Explorer performance fabric. Moisture wicking technical sports pant and shorts for everyday use. Dwyers & Co is available throughout the UK and Ireland in pro shops and online on www.dwyersandco.com
Q2. Who owned and designed Augusta National? Answers on page 18
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Women’s Golf Day announces revised date and Virtual celebration In light of the escalated response to the global Coronavirus pandemic, the Women’s Golf Day leadership team is announcing a new approach to this year’s 5th anniversary event planned to take place worldwide on June 2, 2020. This year, WGD is adapting the event to bring the industry together to engage and empower women as part of a virtual WGD celebration on June 2nd. The health and well-being of WGD partners and guests is paramount, so the events that take place worldwide as part of the world’s largest single day celebration of women’s golf will move to the 1st of September, providing that there is clearance from the WHO and governing bodies. By making this change, WGD is providing two opportunities for engagement. By setting a new date, which is provisionally September 1st, Founder of WGD Elisa Gaudet hopes to offer the industry something positive to focus on at this challenging time. She explains: “The global community finds itself in an unprecedented situation and we need to respond appropriately. Women’s Golf Day is in a unique position because we have the flexibility to react quickly to the changing landscape whilst also giving the industry something positive to aim towards. Our mission and platform is that of a global unifier. We will continue to monitor the situation very closely, but we are hopeful that the September date is realistic.” In the meantime, plans are in place to create a virtual celebration of Women’s Golf Day on the original June 2nd date. Just as in previous years, the day’s celebration will start as the sun rises in Australia and end as the sun sets in Hawaii. Expect to see video content from
famous faces and inspirational stories from across the world shared across the campaign’s social media platforms. Social media has always played a significant role in the success of the event, delivering a staggering 47 million global impressions to nearly 25 million people in 2019 and it is hoped that the 2020 campaign will be a catalyst to support a post-pandemic resurgence of the industry. To help more locations join the community in time for the September date, WGD is offering free basic registration on the website www. womensgolfday.com with the code WGDUnites. Any golf facility can take part with participating venues in the past including golf clubs around the world, retailers such as PGA Superstore, TopGolf locations and driving ranges – essentially anywhere you can swing a club! Elisa concludes: “We will support our locations around the globe by bringing the industry together and using our shared voice to get golf back on its feet. June may be too early to hold an event, but it will be a great opportunity for people and organizations to share their inspirational stories around golf. In the meantime, we encourage people to sign up to our platform and register their venues because we will be hosting Women’s Golf Day again and intend to come back united and stronger than ever.” Please visit our website (www.womensgolfday.com), tab #WGDUNITES, for ongoing digital content and updates as to how you can participate with the global community.
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Skerries Golf Club sits just north of Dublin City and was formed in 1905. In 1911, The Irish Golf Guide said of the course, ‘It is essentially a sporting course, with well placed trees and undulating ridges, relics of old-time cultivation. The course and greens are kept in excellent order.’ Their most famous member was Sean Lemass who became Ireland’s Taoiseach in 1959. The course opened in April 1906 and employed their first professional, Michael Cahill, in May of that year. Jimmy O’Hare replaced him in 1914 who in turn was replaced by Dan O’Mahony in 1921. Dan Murray became their fourth professional in 1925. Four professionals in the first twenty years in existence. When in 1930, Skerries Golf Club replaced Murray with Bill Kinsella who could have imagined that a Kinsella would remain as Skerries professional for the next 90 years and counting. Since 1930 only three professionals have held that post, Bill Kinsella, Jimmy Kinsella and Bobby Kinsella, grandfather, father and son. Bill Kinsella In 1930, Skerries employed their first Kinsella. Bill Kinsella, from Greystones, served his time under master golf club builder Tom Shannon before taking up posts in Greystones, Milltown and Enniskillen Golf Clubs. He would become known for his excellent abilities in building and repairing golf clubs but was also a formidable golfer and course designer. He was runner up in the Moran Cup and designed the old 9 hole course at Balbriggan and Rush golf course. He remained as professional at Skerries Golf Club until his retirement in 1976. Jimmy Kinsella Jimmy Kinsella became a professional partially because of his hatred of school. He left as a 15 year old and moved to Fulwell Golf Club in England as assistant to Bill Cox. On returning he served his apprenticeship under two of Ireland’s ‘Greats’, Christy O’Connor at Bundoran Golf Club and Harry Bradshaw at Portmarnock Golf Club. Jimmy had a fantastic career as a golfer and won The Madrid Open, two Irish Championships, The Moran Cup and finished third with Greg Norman in the 1977 Carrolls’ Irish Open, in second place was Ben Crenshaw and it was won by Hubert Green. Before joining Skerries Golf Club Jimmy was head professional at The Castle Golf Club for six years. Jimmy who ‘officially’ retired in 2007, is one of the real characters of Irish golf, and still does a few hours in the shop to assist his son, Bobby. If you are ever in Skerries Golf Club and Jimmy is about, ask him to regale you with some of his Irish golf stories. Bobby Kinsella In March 2007, Bobby Kinsella took the reigns as professional at Skerries Golf Club. Before turning professional, Bobbyhad a very successful amateur career and represented Leinster and Ireland over 50 times. After turning professional, he, like his grandfather, was runner-up in the Moran Cup and was also runner-up in the Southern Championship. Bobby now plays asupportive role in Skerries drive to attract more women through the successful ‘Women in Golf’ programme run at the club in recent years. Bobby has run many teaching/coaching sessions – enjoyed by the Ladies. Bobby is regarded as a very good teaching pro, very highly regarded by members and he is particularly supportive of the Junior Members starting off in golf.He has three children who all play and golf. So, maybe in years to come we will see another Kinsella take on the roll as Head Professional.
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There are loads more Golfbites on our NEW website!
XXIO –20 years of success in Japan and the best is yet to come in Europe! offers a gain in performance to golfers whose swing speed does not normally allow them to gain distance! As a retailer, offering XXIO to our customers means guaranteeing a very high level of quality for a long time".
Srixon Sports Europe (SSE) is delighted to announce that XXIO golf clubshave once again captured the title of “bestselling*golf clubs in Japan” in 2019. XXIO Series has now maintained its title as the topselling line of golf clubs in Japan for twenty straight years. In Europe, XXIO is the fastest growing premium golf brand.
The year 2020 promises to be an exciting year for XXIO in Europe. In addition to the launch of the XXIO Eleven and X ranges, the brand will multiply club demos for golfers.
Since its release in 2000, XXIO has consistently endeavored to provide outstanding “Carry Distance,” “Ease of Launching the Ball” and a “Pleasant Impact Sound,” earning a loyal following among a wide range of golfers in the process. As a result, XXIO achieved the unprecedented feat of twenty consecutive years as the undisputed king of the Japanesegolf club market.No other series of golf clubs has remained at the top of the sales charts for such a long time Sean Hanafusa, Japanese CEO of SSE :“We are grateful to all of the XXIO fans for their continued support. At the same time, Sumitomo Rubber Industries Srixon Sports Europe owner - is committed to developing XXIO into a brand that helps more and more golfers get even more enjoyment out of the game of golf, so we hope that you will look forward to what the future holds in store for XXIO!”
The NEW XXIO Seriesdevelops two new features to enhance enjoyment of the game: The innovative “WEIGHT PLUS TECHNOLOGY” concentrates more of a golf club’s weight in the grip to reduce the amount of force needed to support the club during the takeaway, which makes it easier for golfers to attain the ideal top-of-swing position.Meanwhile, the new “Flat Cup Face” design further enhances overall rebound (i.e. COR) performance.The Japanese brand alsorecently introduced “XXIO X -eks-” as part of an overall rebranding strategy, which includes offering two distinct lineups of golf clubs for the eleventh generation of XXIO.A new logo has been revealed for 2020. It symbolizes the modernity and elegance of XXIO.
Q3. How many holes were in the original design of Augusta National? Answers on page 18
In Europe, the brandisthe fast growing premium golf brand. Laurent Vincent, owner of Vincent Golf stores in the south of France and member of Eurogolf buying group :“XXIO has changed in a few years. From a confidential brand, it is now a must in our stores, where it enjoys an excellent - well-deserved reputation and great loyalty from customers”. Lionel Caron, SSE President :“The quality of the products and XXIO's technological innovations convince golfers and our retailer partners. The brand has established itself in a reasoned way in Europe where we have favoured selective distribution. The objective is to establish a closer collaboration with our selected customers in order to offer a unique experience to golfers who purchase a XXIO club”. José Angel Ozaeta, owner of the Buengolpegolf store located in the north of Spain, a few kilometres from Bilbao :"XXIO has found its place perfectly in our market. The brand designs clubs that
Benjamin Routhier, SSE Marketing Manager :"Faithful to the brand's slogan - Experience the Difference - we will offer customized on course test formats in partnership with our retailers. We will intensify our“XXIO Experience Days”, particularly in UK, Spain and France. In Spain, we are launching a XXIO Community program with a dedicated consumer website that will ultimately offer many benefits to our end customers". XXIO Europe Instagram account has also been launched to share exclusive stories, product informations, videos and images with the fans from all over Europe and UK.
*Herein, the term “best-selling golf clubs” refers to the No. 1 share of the Japanese domestic market in terms of the total value (in JPY) of annual sales of woods and irons in each sub-brand, as determined based on surveys of major nationwide retailers (reporting actual in-store sales figures) conducted by Yano Research Institute, Ltd. for each year between 2000 and 2019.
With the 2020 Ryder Cup little over a year away, we take a look at the potential make-up of Padraig European side. Follow us: Harrington’s www.facebook.com/teetogreeneu
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Ken Kearney - Gof Course Architect
Ken Kearney will be a familiar name for most golfers in Ireland and was recently voted the 7th best amateur from Ireland in the last 50 years. He has an unbelievable record that includes 165 Irish caps.He won the West of Ireland once, the East of Ireland and Irish Close championship twice, and has 6 all Ireland winners medals in Barton Shield/Senior Cup representing Co Sligo and Galway. He once played off plus 4 and still today commands respect as a 1 handicapper. However, many know Ken as an influential golf architect who travels the island working with forward thinking golf clubs looking to update or improve their greens, tees or general design of entire holes.
GREAT AMATEUR CAREER!
MUIRFIELD HAS EVERYTHING
I met with Ken at Malone Golf Club one very wet Friday morning in February to ask him about his typical day….
I expect this bunker project to take about 2 months with the members playing from the bunkers from early May.
Ken: Let’s look at how the process works rather than a single day. I get the remit from a golf club, maybe it’s just bunker remodelling or needs trees removed or planted or maybe it’s an entire hole.
I use video calling to see progress weekly and will be back on site weekly to oversee the project and I always come back to any course about 3 months after completion to review how it has bedded in and to recommend any small tweaks needed to sign the process off.
I ask the Club to take an overview of the entire course to ensure anything we do doesn’t stand out from the whole set up and seek to get a long term plan in place to change things rather than just 1 thing in isolation. As an architect, I am always trying to make any changes “fit” into the landscape; rather than interrupt it. Following extensive site visits analysing the terrain which usually include a few rounds of golf with a broad representation of members, and with consultation with the club, we develop a Master Plan that analyses every aspect of the golf course and we draw up our design ideas to share with the committees and members. Then we go into a scoping document to determine what’s urgent and what are the costs and if I am successful, I then send out tenders to various contractors for all the heavy work requiring machinery. My job on a day to day basis is to project manage the entire process and to deliver my vision to the club. I need to visit the golf course weekly during the excavation and remodelling work. Today I am looking to remodel some bunkers on the front 9 so even though it is very wet outside I am waiting on heavy machinery to arrive so we can get started. I will mark out the new shape and the lining, slope and sand and ensure the contractor drains the old bunker properly ready to reshape and improve what was there before.
Q4. At the 2013 Masters Championship, Arnold Palmer wanted a drink. He asked a waitress for “A Mr Palmer” said please and winked at the waitress. What was that drink? Answers on page 18
Grahame: What is your favourite course and why? KK: Muirfield has everything. The golf routing and designallows every hole to play differently and while most links course have 9 holes out into the wind and 9 holes back downwind Muirfield is rounded with cross winds and up and down winds on each hole. It is the truest form of links golf. The first nine holes routes clockwise around the perimeter of the site, while the back nine plays in an anti-clockwise routing in the interior of the site. Grahame: When you were a competing amateur did you think you would end up designing golf courses for a living? Ken: I had a career in the banking/finance sector and had a brief foray into golf sales. I always had a knowledge of golf course architecture, having read extensively from my mid-20s. I even worked for you Grahame at Ashworth for a while. But it was really when I went to work at Sligo and played all of my golf at Rosses Point that the penny dropped for me. I was fortunate to play over this Harry Colt classic and my interest peaked and thus began my love affair, and deep dive, into golf course architecture. I registered for the golf course architecture program at Edinburgh University, initially out of an appetite to learn more, and not really expecting that I might make a living at golf course design. I guess I have been doing this for about 20 years now and it really is a labour of love.
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We would like to thank Ken for his time and to wish him every success in the years ahead.
You can find Ken and give him a follow on: twitter:@KenKearneyGD facebook: @kearneygolfdesign Instagram: Ken Kearney Golf Design email info@kearneygolfdesign.com
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DRIVES HOME PRACTICE AIDS & PREP FOR GOLFERS Everything from putting & driving mats to airflow balls and new grips and cleats Brand Fusion International, Europe’s leading golf equipment distributor with brands like Sun Mountain, Volvik, SuperStroke and AXIS1 putters, is driving efforts to keep golfers active at home with a collection of practice and training aidsdesigned to prepare them for an eventual return to the fairways. Having sold out of thousands of practice devices intended to refine the golf swing during a time ofcourse closures and self-isolation, the Leatherhead-based business is nowusing its website to spearhead a drive to encourage golfers to take up more basic items to stay in tune with the game and remain as fit as possible. Drawing on the expertise of established brands such as SKLZ, Pure to Improve and The Golf Club collection, the Brand Fusion offering includes Putting Mats, Driving Mats, Nets and Mirrors that can all play a part in valuable practice, along with airflow plastic balls and low bounce balls for short game focus. For those who have left their golf clubs ininaccessible clubhouse locker rooms, they also offer inexpensive wedges and putters to use in the garden,garage or even the living room. “The speed at which the more sophisticated practice aids sold out suggests a real hunger among avid golfers to use the current lockdown period to improve their game and they can still do so with even the most basis of products from our ranges,” said Nigel Freemantle, Managing Director of Brand Fusion International. “They can also use the time to carry out a full MOT on their golf gear, so they arrive on the first tee in good shape to enjoy the round and not with everything as they were when they last used them, perhaps in wet conditions,” he added. Preparation for the first round of golf when the season starts again could include: - cleaning the clubs with a soft brush and water containing a light detergent; - checking on the club grips for sufficient grip, plus the golf shoe cleats; - conducting a Spring clean of the golf bag and throwing away unnecessary contents; - airing the waterproofs, gloves and other items of clothing kept in the bag; - checking the umbrella to ensure it works okay and is clean for possible use; - cleaning the golf cart of dirt and debris, especially the wheels; - acquiring a Trunk bag to keep all the elements tidy in the back of the car. “Golfers are among the most passionate people about their sport and we can help them to maintain their interest at home for however long the period of isolation,” added Freemantle. “They can even replace their grips with some help from online videos.” Details of the range of products available can be found at: www. brandfusionltd.co.uk
When Golf returns... Let’s Get Back To Golf SAFELY! Tee to Green have devised a responsible 7 point plan to be implemented when the time is right for golf courses to reopen. Social distancing is a phrase most of us had never used but it is now common among us all. No other sport can support social distancing better than golf. Even when golf reopens social distancing will be necessary. By working to Tee to Green’s7 point plan, golf COULD be the first sport back. Here is our 7 point plan. 1/ Single golfers only for the first 2 weeks. 2/ Must start at 1st tee. Starting anywhere else on the course is strictly forbidden. 3/ 15 minutes between tee times. 4/ Players cannot arrive more than 10 minutes before tee time. If they do, they must stay in their cars until 1st tee is clear. 5/ After the round players must leave the premises immediately. 6/ Strictly no guests. 7/ All previous restrictions regarding bunkers and pins to remain in place Over to golf’s governing bodies to take up Tee to Green’s 7 point plan and lobby of governments to get golf courses open in a responsible manner. Stay tuned on our Social Media to follow our Campaign www.facebook.com/teetogreeneu https://twitter.com/TeeToGreeneu
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Keep sending us your local and international historical golfing facts to info@teetogreen.eu and we will print as many as possible. This month we have some very interesting ‘old’ dates that have been sent in and we thank everyone who has contributed. In April 1891, George Combe was elected to the council at County Down GC (In 1908 County Down GC became Royal County Down GC). Combe became a driving force in Irish golf. He was one of the founder members of the Golfing Union of Ireland and the originator of the handicap system adopted by the Union. He was also instrumental in the development of the Royal County Down golf course.
On 2/4/1958, Augusta National hosted a dedication ceremony for the Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson Bridges. ‘The Ben Hogan Bridge’ is on the short 12th taking the players over Rae’s Creek to the green beyond. ‘The Byron Nelson Bridge’ is a small bridge taking the players from the 13th tee towards the 13th fairway. On 6/4/1952, Ben Hogan hosted the first ‘Champions Dinner’ at Augusta National. Hogan said it was “to reminisce, swap banter and relax”.It is now held every year with only the past winners being invited.
In April 1898, Cork Golf Club finally settled at Little Island, Cork. Originally, this venue only had 9 holes and was designed by their first professional, Scottish David Brown. On 30th April 1898, a 9 hole golf course on the site of the now Shandon Park Golf Club was opened for play. The course was known as Knock Golf Club.
Ben Hogan
In April 1913 the Golfing Union of Ireland ratified a new constitution. Originally, three members from each club could be sent to every meeting but by 1913 there were over 60 affiliated clubs in Ireland. Therefore, it became impractical and a new constitution was sent up. On 26/4/1952 Patty Berg shot the lowest ever score by a woman golfer when she shot 64 at Richmond Country Club. She had been on for an even better score when she played the first nine holes in just 30 shots. Up to that point the best score by a woman was 66 held by Babe Zacharias. On 2/4/1949 Ben Hogan left hospital after his near fatal car crash. The doctor had told him that he may never walk again. He did and went on to win more Major titles. On 6/4/1955 Augusta named the bridge at the 15th green ‘The Gene Sarazen Bridge’. Twenty years earlier Sarazen hit the “shot that was heard around the world” when he holed a 235 yard 4-wood at the 15th in the last round of the 1935 Masters Tournament which ultimately lead him to victory. A plaque at Augusta still stands on the spot where this happened.
Patty Berg
Knock Golf Club
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Some of the best golfers the world has ever seen were born in this month. Here are a few.
‘Long’ Jim Barnes was born 8/4/1886. Known as ‘Long Jim’
because of his 6’4” height he was born in Cornwall and is regarded as a pioneer of golf. He won the first ever USPGA and went on to win the US Open at Columbia CC in 1921 and The Open Championship at Prestwick in 1925.
‘Young’ Tom Morris was born 20/4/1851. He is the only player in
history a win four consecutive Open Championships and amazingly he did it all before the age of 21. Morris also holds the record as the youngest ever winner at the age of just 17. On Christmas Day 1875, Young Tom Morris died of a heart attack at the young age of 24.
Johnny Miller was born 29/4/1947. Miller now a golf
analyst for NBC won two major titles. His first was the 1973 US Open at Oakmount where he became the first player in history to shot 63 in a major Championship. He also won the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in 1976 by 6 shots from a 19 year old Seve Ballesteros and Jack Nicklaus.
Severiano Ballesteros was born 9/4/1957. ‘Seve’ won 5 major titles
and is recognised as the person who revived the Ryder Cup. His first and last Major successes where at The Open at Lytham St Annes. When winning the Open the first time he became the youngest winner in the 20th century and the first continental European to win any Major since Frenchman, Arnaud Massy, won the 1907 Open Championship.
John Daly was born 28/4/1966.
One of the most colourful players on Tour. Daly won two Major championships, the USPGA and The Open. In 1991 he won the USPGA at Crooked Stick despite not being able to get a practice round and in 1995 he won The Open at St Andrews when he won a 5-hole playoff against Costantino Rocca. Daly remains as the only player from USA or Europe to have won 2 Majors and not played in a Ryder Cup.
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YOUR CLUB NEEDS YOU Never in the history of golf on this island have golf clubs needed your support more than right now. All golf clubs will be very unsure about their financial futures but one of the ways we, as members, can help them survive this crisis is to pay our subscriptions on time.
To pay or not to pay, that is the question. Many golf clubs run their subscription year April-March and therefore the annual fees are now due for payment. Members now have a dilemma. Do they pay for the year and risk not being on the course for three months? Or do they decide not to pay and see what happens in the months ahead? Any golf course in this situation needs your support. If you cannot pay your fees in full, ask if they have a direct debit system and pay your fees monthly. I know many clubs are NOT penalising members by charging an interest rate on these transactions. The alternative will be that many golf courses will have to close due to lack of funds. Where else will they get enough money to run the course when everything is back to normal? Even when we all get back on the course there will probably be restrictions on entering the clubhouses.
Time for Support Now is the time to support your local club by paying your fees and when we are all back playing golf, and restrictions are lifted, we all need to use the facilities, spend money in the bar, go to club functions, eat in the restaurant, bring guests to play. The consequences of not doing so will result in no golf course, no green spaces and less places to stay fit both mentally and physically. Golf, like no other sport teaches us self-disciple. It teaches our children and grandchildren values and how to treat their elders. It teaches us all patience and manners. What other sport affords the elderly a chance to play into their 80’s and 90’s? What other sport can you compete on an equal footing no matter what your ability? 189,000 golfers in Ireland belong to a golf course and with 1,000’s more casual golfers, golf is one of the most played sports on this island.
Golf needs help. Not just from the sporting bodies that run the sport. Not just from the two governments. GOLF NEEDS YOU.
Leading premium golf apparel brand Galvin Green has introduced its biggest ever range of high-performance clothing aimed at young golfers for the 2020 season. The new Galvin Green Junior collection features more than 20 garments designed to appeal to golfers between the ages of 9-15 who are serious about their game. The range covers everything the young golfer would look to wearon the course – including GORE-TEX waterproof outfits, wind and water-repellent jackets, sweaters and shirts.It also features hoodies, that prove popular with youngsters both on and off the golf course. “We believe in the future of golf and our latest junior offering reflects requests from young golfers to have more choices so they can add to theirgrowing Galvin wardrobe,” said product manager Sofia Ask Klason. “The feedback we had from juniors across the age spectrum was that they really loved the brand,but wanted more options in styles and colours to select from in choosing their playing outfits,” she added. All the garments in the Junior collection are made from the same high-performance, breathable fabrics used in the production of the award-winning full range, including more than 60%sourced from bluesign® approved suppliers who meet the highest environmental standards. Available in four distinct size ranges, they’re also put through the same vigorous testing to ensure optimum performance whatever the weather. The full 2020 Part One collection can be found at: www.galvingreen.com.
Q5. Can you buy a Masters’ replica jacket from the maker? Answers on page 18
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2019
Under Armour continue to sponsor this section where the person who writes the letter that gets published will win a pair of the award winning Under Armour HOVR Drive shoes. This is your UNIQUE chance to get something off your chest. Have a rant or just pass comment on anything relating to golf…so get writing and send to info@teetogreen.eu This month’s winning letter is brilliant and they will receive a NEW pair of Under Armour shoes.
“Golf didn’t do enough!” Removing bunker rakes, not touching pins and not going into the clubhouse…seriously is that the best our sport can do and expect to stay open? Both Governments did the right thing in closing down the sport during this crisis. Had we taken a much stronger position and only allowed very limited tee times and max 2 people, or even single play only then we could have made the argument to stay open. What is the difference going out for my daily walk to an open area crammed with people and playing golf? But we didn’t do enough to make the argument to stay open. We should have done more to give confidence that our sport could actually have played a major role in reducing mental stress at this difficult time. Name and club withheld by request Editors’ comment: It’s easy in hindsight to criticise the governing body or the individual golf club but you make a good point. That said, we are in the middle of the surge and need to STAY AT HOME for now. Then we can consider Tee to Greens 7 point plan to “Get back to Golf…safely” Thank you for sending in your letter and a pair of Under armour shoes will be on its way to you when this crisis is over.
From the same stable as Europe’s #1 push cart brand BIG MAX, new Laser Rangefinder brand ZOOM is introducing its first model - the Focus X. Packed with premium features the Focus X is a match for the very best models on the market, and with a price that puts it firmly in the ‘affordable’ bracket, this innovative addition to the established DMD market is set to make waves on its introduction this spring. Using premium optics, the Focus X has six times magnification, 600m range and continuous flagpole scanning mode to make picking up a target quick and simple. When the target is found the flagpole lock icon appears and the unit’s vibration mode kicks in to confirm that the target is found. Distances, that can be displayed in metres or yards, are accurate to +/- 0.5mand areshown in a clear, easy to read format making the Focus X incredibly easy to use.In addition. the eyepiece of the unit is adjustable, bringing the view into focus for a wide variance of eyesight making it perfect for people wearing glasses. The Focus X further adds to its list of premium features with a Slope adjusted distance option that measures distances adjusted to compensate for the elevation of the target. So whether aiming for a flag 20 ft downhill or at the top of a 15 degree slope, the Focus X will deliver the actual distance to the target as well as the distance golfers should be hitting for accurate shots. The Slope feature is simply turned on or off with a button on top of the unit to make it eligible for tournament play. To keep the Focus X working when you need it, the product features a rechargeable lithium battery with an automatic cut off after 8 seconds of non-use. To be certain not to get caught out, the view finder includes a low battery indicator to keep the need for a re-charge in sight. In addition to the long list of premium features, the pocket size Focus X is a stylish, lightweight design thatlooks fantastic in either white or charcoal and comes with a robust carry case to keep the unit safe and accessible when not in use. Designed for the best premium experience at an affordable price, the Focus X from ZOOM delivers everything a golfer could need from a rangefinder. At an SRP of just £219.99 every golfer can benefit from the best rangefinder technology, letting them Focus on their Game by investing in a ZOOM Focus X. For more information visit www.zoomgolfproducts.com Or search for Zoom Golf Products on Instagram and Facebook
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UNIONS UNDERTAKE RESEARCH INTO IMPACT OF PANDEMIC ON GOLF CLUBS Golf clubs across Ireland have been hit hard by the global emergency that is with us at present. While we know this period of restriction will pass, we are also aware of the significant and lasting impact this will have on our sport. Golf clubs play a vital role in the life of our cities, towns and villages and we want our members to emerge from this prepared to face the challenges ahead. This is not be an easy time for our sport.
In line with this, we are planning to outline the financial impact of the current crisis on our member clubs to government departments and agencies. A survey has been circulated to all golf clubs which aims to capture the economic impact for clubs. It is our intention to collate the data and prepare a high-level paper for both governments to consider. The Unions will continue to make a compelling case for statefunded supports to help our clubs recover as soon as possible.
All In One Golf Management System ClubNet
“Thanks ClubNet. Your professionalism was a major contribution to the mobile app launch. This marks the start of a positive era for the club, with your continued support.” Kevin. ( Kevin Donnellan - Chairman of Committee of Management 2020 – Portumna Golf Club )
www.golfgraffix.com ANSWERS: Q1: The first time the tournament was played was 1934 but it was called the Augusta National Invitational Tournament. Q2: Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts bought 365 acres for $70,000 and designed and built the famous course. Q3: Originally, there were 19 holes in Bobby Jones design. He wanted a hole where golfers could place a “double or nothing” bet on the round. Q4: No one knows the ingredients of the drink. It remains one of the secrets of Augusta. Q5: The maker ignores all requests to make green jackets. Even a past winner cannot get a 2nd jacket so if you ever win one look after it. Well done to those who got them all!
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