Tee to Green - August 2020 - Issue 191

ISSUE 191 DIGITAL

August 2020

First Major of the season A Day in the Life….

Ivan Ballesteros Irelands best par 3s as voted by you FOUR STAR GOLF RESORT & SPA AT THE HEART OF THE NORTH COAST 18 HOLE GO LF CO URSE | 118 LUXURY GUEST RO O MS 2 RE STAURAN TS | 12 TREATMENT RO O M SPA & HEALTH CLUB | GO LF ACADEMY RE SIDE N T PGA PROFESSIO NALS | 18 BAY FLO O DLIT DRIVING RANGE

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ŠPING 2020

TWO PATHS TO THE HOLE.

FEEL THE DIFFERENCE. Two putter families strikingly different in look and feel, yet equally amazing at getting the ball in the hole.

Get your hands on them today; start making putts tomorrow.

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A new exciting chapter for Tee to Green

It is usually the job of the editorial to talk about our great sport both, locally and internationally, but I want to start by telling you about the future of the magazine.

Covid-19 has affected the business dramatically. Since the golf clubs were closed, we did not print the monthly magazine and we obviously lost a lot of advertising revenue that keeps the business viable.

During those hot early summer days in lockdown Neale and I decided to create a new dynamic section in our publication for every golf club in Ireland. We will create a news section for all golf clubs who wish to sign up and this will ensure they can send a monthly Club magazine out via email to all their members. This section will be the first 4 pages and will then be followed by the usual monthly Tee to Green magazine with all the usual features.

Moving the business forward this way ensures a bigger readership than ever and keeps the content local to your own golf club news. It will take time to get the golf clubs set up so continue to enjoy the next few editions via your email or social media platform.

It is great to see the European Tour back after a longer lockdown than the PGA Tour and congratulations to Jonathan Caldwell for a top 10 finish at the recent British Masters, the 1st Irishman to achieve that in the highest professional Tours since they started back behind closed doors.

Also a big congratulations to our own resident professional, Simon Thornton, who won the Delgany Pro Am with a great score of 66. August sees the first major of this strange year so let’s hope there is something or someone for us all to shout about and really get into watching the golf again.

Fingers crossed for an Irish winner.

We only have a few weeks before we welcome back the NI Open at Galgorm as

COMPETITON!

part of the Challenge Tour “Race to Mallorca”. It takes place between September 3 to 6thand is followed by the Irish Challenge the following week at a venue yet to be confirmed.

In this edition we welcome the continued partnership with the PGA, Northern and Southern branch have news to share with us inside. We look forward to developing this partnership in the months ahead. We also highlight some of the great courses you can play abroad in our new “Follow the Sun” article. Maybe this gives you something to look forward to later this year or next as we all struggle with the present pandemic and worry about international travel.

Finally, look out for our top 3 Par 3s in Ireland as voted by our facebook followers. I have no doubt you have your own favourite so checkout for our facebook page where you will be given the chance to get involved in future debates.

That’s it for another month. Thank you for your continued support and hope you enjoy the edition.

To enter, simply send an email with your details to info@teetogreen.eu

ISSUE 191

August 2020 EDITORIAL TEAM Editorial Directors: Neale Jenkins - njenkins@teetogreen.eu Grahame Jenkins - gjenkins@teetogreen.eu Publication Manager: Claire Muller - claire.muller@teetogreen.eu Adevertising Manager: John Ferguson - j.ferguson@teetogreen.eu

Simple Golf by Simon .....................p4 What’s in the Bag.............................p5 PGA news ........................................p6 Majors are back! .............................p8 Ladies Locker Room.......................p9 Irish Golf at a glance .......................p10 Golf Bites ...........................................p12 Northern Ireland Open..................p13 Through the Ages ..........................p14 Follow the sun ................................p16 Have Your Say! ...............................p19 A day in the life...............................p 20

Note: All photos are copyright of our image partner © Golffile

Welcome to the 4th digital version of Tee to Green but the 191st edition of a publication that has been around since the turn of the millennium.

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Resident Tulfarris Pro

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Monthly Lesson The importance of the basics in the address position and into your backswing.

If your basic address positions are good you will have a great chance of producing a good swing which can be repeatable, which will produce more good shots, less bad shots and most importantly a better score at the end of your round.

START OF TAKEAWAY

ADDRESS POSITION

ADDRESS POSITION Make sure your posture is correct - this will help to provide a good swing plane. Set up in a good athletic stance letting your arms and hands drop into a comfortable position.

START OF TAKEAWAY Take the club away low and wide helping to create a wide arc up to a good position at the top of the backswing. This will give you room to unleash the power on the downswing.

HANDS HIGH AT TOP OF BACKSWING

HANDS HIGH AT TOP OF BACKSWING I try to think about getting my hands high and away from my right shoulder at the top of the backswing.

Get in touch on my social media channels for some golfing gossip, fun and information.

Twitter- @sthorntongolf Facebook- @simonthorntonglf Instagram- simonthornton9 USPGA Quiz this month Q1. What is the name of the trophy awarded to the winner of the USPGA Championship?

Answers on page 20

Across the world the golfing season is well underway.

The professional tours are back playing under very different circumstances, but at least we have live golf and we can play golf safely. I believe now more than ever golf has a vital part to play in society, making this strange and sometimes worrying time, more exciting, more positive and more enjoyable. It has given us a focus again.

Golf has started to attract more and more people from different sports to take up the game. Personally last week I had a corporate day at Tulfarris Hotel & Golf Resort where there were some complete beginners looking to start up the game. In turn this is an important time for PGA professionals, club managers/councils. It is imperative we keep up the demand by evolving and improving our product, interacting with these new members, and involving them in the club from the start. Hopefully by doing this, a good percentage of these people will stay in the game and continue to join clubs around the country. I wonder if this terrible pandemic has in someway helped to save our game!

The PGA Irish region has also started back with a couple of ProAms. These have been run with the correct social distancing measures and protocols in place.They do however feel different.

There has been no starter on the first tee, a different introduction with our amateur partners, putting with the flag in, retrieving the ball from the hole differently. Even marking our own cards and having them verified by a playing partner is strange. I am delighted to say I was joint winner in in Delgany last week, tied with the evergreen Damien Mooney on 3 under par. In my 3 events since lockdown has been lifted, I have shot scores of 2 under, 3under and 1 over. Pretty respectable with the limited golf I have had. Another huge change is after golf there is limited social interaction and no prize giving. It is only when this is taken away when you realise how big a part of the game is the inte-raction with others, before, during and after golf. The “playing� part of golf is only a small part of this wonderful game!

Tour Stories

Having played the Smurfit Course at the K Club in a recent Irish Golfer Magazine Shootout event supported by Modest Golf and BMW Ireland, it brought back memories of my first ever cut I made on the European Tour.

I gained entry into the 2006 European Open via the Irish Region Order of Merit. I cannot remember what score I was on but I remember the wait. I was waiting by the European tour scorers office, Ciara my wife was there, my parents had come across from England, a friend from Newcastle was caddying at the time, my coach and Head professional at RCD, Kevan Whitson and wife were there, members of the Mourne Golf club were there.

The scores constantly fluctuated from me making the cut to missing the cut, we all waited patiently for around 1 1/2 hrs. I was gnawing at my fingernails, pacing up and down. Then the draw was released, and I had made it.

What a great feeling making my first cut.

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What’s in the bag?

Renata Paratore 2020 British Masters THE DRIVER Callaway MAVRIK Sub Zero (9°), Mitsubishi Tensei AV 65X shaft

UTILITY Callaway X Forged UT (18°, 24°), Nippon 120X shafts

WEDGES Callaway JAWS MD5 (50°, 54°, 58°), True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts

IRONs Callaway X Forged 18 (5-PW), True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts

PUTTER Odyssey O-Works Red #7

FAIRWAY WOODS Callaway MAVRIK (15°), GDI Tour AD shaft

GOLF BALL Callaway Chrome Soft X.

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NEWS Northern Branch

Is your golf coach a Qualified PGA Professional?

As golfers we love the game, we love it even more when we play well. Looking for help with our game is something we all seek from time to time. Are you certain you are getting the right help from the right coach? Getting your coaching and golf lessons from a qualified PGA Professional is the best way ensure that the quality of your instruction is of the highest standard and therefore best for you and your golf game.

Sadly, as PGA Professionals we come across a number of golfers who have had some “lessons” from people who are not PGA Professionals and indeed there have been occasions where some of these individuals have been masquerading as though they were PGA Qualified.

Golfers who receive coaching from these sources very often have some serious flaws in their basic set up position and many faults in their swing technique. In most cases the PGA Professional can rectify these errors, but they usually take some time to correct.

Always check your coach is PGA Qualified and if they are, they will be only too glad to show you their current PGA Membership card. If they cannot, be wary that you are possibly getting lessons from the wrong type of coach.

Q2. What year did the USPGA Championship move to a stroke play event?

Answers on page 20

The PGA Professional is there to help you, the ordinary golfer squeeze the most out of this wonderful game that both tantatilises and frustrates in equal measures.

Triple major winner Padraig Harrington has no doubts as to the benefits of using a PGA Professional: “Regular coaching and advice from a PGA Professional - whether on technique or equipment - is one of the most beneficial things any golfer can do to improve not only their game but also their enjoyment of golf,” said Harrington.

PGA pros are at the heart of a range of clubs and courses across the UK and Ireland and they all share a common commitment to growing and promoting the game. Everyone wants to play to the best of their ability - whether in an Open Championship or the monthly medal - and there is no doubt lessons with your local PGA professional can help achieve that goal.

The common denominator uniting the PGA’s 7,000 plus members is the desire to help grow the game of golf and make it an enjoyable experience for amateur players - whether by assisting in achieving a good swing or in the smooth running of a golf club.

NEWS

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Southern Branch The Southern Branch of the PGA has always been a busy organisation with our Secretary Wesley Pappin running various tournaments such as the PGA Tankard Event, the SB Championship, the Moran Cup and many pro-am events each year.

At our 2020 AGM, it was recognised by the Chairman and the committee that something needed to be done to reenergise the branch and make it more relevant for all PGA members, especially for those who didn’t play tournament golf.

We formed a strong committee who have worked hard to produce a new strategy/direction for the branch. We created a new Mission statement which we hope adequately describes what we wanted the branch to achieve.

Southern Branch Mission Statement “to support, advance and promote PGA members in the region as leaders in the industry of golf” We also agreed on 4 pillars to support our mission and aims. The committee hope that our new strategy will reenergise and reboot the Southern Branch for all members.

Our 4 pillars are: • Playing opportunities • Coaching Practice • Game Development • The Business of the PGA Professional Playing opportunities The committee recognised that this pillar was the strongest part of our operation in the Southern Branch. Our PGA Tankard is run at approx. 82 facilities, involving both men and women’s

clubs around the country. We feel there is further opportunity to grow the number of clubs involved to 100 over the next 3 years.

Work has begun already to streamline the process, establish a database for our contacts and create uniform tournament conditions so that we can become an attractive tournament for a national sponsor.

Coaching Coaching is an ever-increasing part of the role of a PGA Professional. To offer further support and training, it is our plan to design a learning development strategy to help our members upskill in certain areas of coaching and helping to design programmes for all golfers.

Game Development As PGA Professional’s, we know and understand the role we play in game development, from starting our juniors at our home clubs and mentoring them on their journey as golfers. We know that this is not always recognised by members of the public so we feel that we it is time to promote the work of PGA Professionals in game development.

Our plan is to provide opportunities for PGA Professionals to work directly with beginner golfers, juniors and adults in group scenarios (socially distanced of course) at specific locations around the country and share our love and commitment to growing the game.

Business It is recognised that further training in sales, retailing and financial management would be very beneficial to all PGA Professionals.

It is envisaged that online training will be delivered in these areas over the next 3 years to help highlight awareness of existing skills and resources and help identify strategies needed to succeed in business today.

These 4 pillars underpin our Southern Branch Benevolent Fund which help supports our members and their families throughdifficult times.

Unfortunately, Covid 19 has slowed down some of our actions but it has also given us an opportunity to do some of the much-needed work to support our Branch’s development.

Tantamount to the successful relaunch of the Southern Branch is a communications strategy to help promote the activities of the branch. This article today in Tee to Green is a start to communicating our plan and highlighting the hard work already undertaken by the 2020 Southern Branch Committee.

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The Majors are back The first of this year’s 3 Majors will take place at TPC Harding Park, between 6th-9th August. The golf course was named after the 29th President of the USA, Warren G. Harding, and sits on the shores of Lake Merced in south west San Francisco. It will be the 1st time in 25 years that the PGA will be held on the West coast of USA. Brooks Koepka is defending champion. Can he make it 3 in a row?

Who will come out on top?

European Challenge The European challenge will be spearheaded by Jon Rahm the new World number 1. Rahm, winner of Jack Nicklaus’ Memorial Tournament when he coasted to a 3 shot win, is in good form and it will surprise no-one if he is in contention for the first Major of 2020. This is a great chance for ‘Rambo’ to get Major win number 1.

Rory McIlroy will need to start showing more form to be in contention for his 3rd PGA title. Before the Covid19 induced break, Rory was on an incredible run of six consecutive top five finishes but since the restart he has struggled to find his A-game.

Do not write him off because he often shows his best form when under pressure.

Can Shane Lowry back-up his Open win with another at TPC Harding Park? I think Shane has a real chance. He proved his Major pedigree at Royal Portrush Golf Club last July and the affable Irishman would be a popular winner.

USA Challenge Can Brooks Koepka retain his PGA Championship? Since the restart Brooks has struggled to show any form but he knows how to win Majors. 4 of his 7 PGA wins have been at the Major Championships. If he wins this year, he will become only the 2nd player in history to win 3 PGA Championships in a row and the 1st player to do it in the stroke play era.

World number 3, Justin Thomas won the PGA in 2017 and has 12 PGA wins to his name. Currently he is the number 1 ranked

US player and has shown some good form already this season when losing in the playoff for the Workday Charity Open in July.

We believe Thomas will be there or there abouts.

The golfer everyone is talking about since the resumption of play is undoubtedly Bryson DeChambeau. Bryson put on extra weight over the lockdown period and is now hitting the golf ball further than anyone else on Tour. In the Memorial tournament he recorded a drive of 427 yards. However, in our opinion the rest of his game is not up to the standard needed to win a PGA Championship.

Newbie Challenge It is many years since there have seen 3 relatively new players coming through on Tour that have the X-factor and calibre of Collin Morikawa, Viktor Hovland and Matthew Wollf.

23 year old, Morikawa, started his career by making 25 cuts in a row, the 2nd longest run in history. He has already won twice and is one of the new breed of player that will not back down if they find themselves in a winning position. If he gets off to a solid start, he will be hard to beat.

Viktor Hovland is Europe’s big new hope. Norway’s Hovland is a product of Oklahoma State University and finished 32nd in 2019 Masters’ and 12th in the 2019 US Open, both as an amateur. The 22 year old has already won on the PGA Tour and enjoys the big occasion.

Matthew Wolff is also a former Oklahoma State University player.

The 21 year old won the 3M Open in July last year. He has a unique swing and it will be interesting to see if it stands up to the pressures of Majors golf.

Whoever wins this year’s PGA Championship it will go down in history as the 1st Major Championship to be held without any fans.

Will that affect the outcome?

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MEADOW NEW TOURING PROFESSIONAL FOR GALGORM SPA & GOLF RESORT Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort is delighted to announce a new long-term partnership where LPGA Tour player Stephanie Meadow will represent the venue as its new Touring Professional.

“Her profile in the women’s game in the United States and competing around the world gives us an incredible opportunity to showcase The Resort and place Northern Ireland on the worldwide stage. We look forward to working closely with Stephanie and wish her every success on the course when things return to normality.”

Meadow is one of Ireland’s leading professionals who has been making her mark on the global stage since moving to the United States with family when she was 13 to pursue her dream of becoming a professional golfer.

A stellar amateur career included breaking all sorts of playing records during her time at Alabama University before joining the paid ranks in 2014. Meadow made a sensational professional debut by finishing third in the 2014 US Women’s Open at Pinehurst.

Today, the 28-year-old is living out that dream on the LPGA Tour, the top tour in the women’s game. The Jordanstown native continues to fly the flag for women’s golf in Ireland and will enjoy an intrinsic link to home as the new Touring Professional for Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort.

She also won the 2018 IOA Championship on the US Symetra Tour and cites representing Ireland at the 2016 Olympics in Rio as one of the highlights of her career so far. Just now, Meadow is looking forward to a return to competitive action.

“I am absolutely delighted to be partnering with Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort.

After staying a few times last year, it is easily one of my favourite places in the world,” said Meadow, who is currently based in Arizona in the United States.

“It has been a challenging year for everyone. We are hoping to get back playing by the end of the month. Our schedule is pretty packed until December and cannot I wait to get going and get back to some sort of normality,” added Meadow, who despite the Covid-19 pandemic got engaged to fiancé Kyle in recent months.

“Not many people get the opportunity to represent one of their favourite places in their home country on a world stage. It is the perfect place to stay when visiting Northern Ireland. Thank you to Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort for believing and supporting me.”

One of Meadow’s reasons for returning to Northern Ireland in 2019 was to compete in the brand new ISPS Handa World Invitational Men | Women, played at Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort and Massereene Golf Club. Not content with just letting her Irish fan base see her in action, Meadow won the prestigious event in fine style after holding off a strong field that included players like England’s Charley Hull and European Solheim Cup Captain Catriona Matthew.

“It was fantastic to win at home, especially here at Galgorm,” Meadow said after her 2019 win. “I was inspired by Shane (Lowry) winning The Open at Royal Portrush. I just wanted to show fans here at home just how good I am for I hadn’t competed in Ireland since turning professional.”

Colin Johnston, Managing Director Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort, said: “Stephanie is a talented professional who demonstrates real commitment and application to achieving success and we are thrilled to have Stephanie as our Touring Professional.

Gary Henry, Managing Director, Galgorm Castle Estates, said: “Although Stephanie spends most her time in the States, she continues to help grow the game closer to home as an ambassador for the 20x20 initiative to raise the profile of women in sport.Stephanie has long been an inspiration for young golfers here in Ireland.”

“We are delighted to have this new agreement with Stephanie and we wish her every success as the new Touring Professional of Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort.”

Q3. Who holds the biggest winning margin of the USPGA Championship?

Answers on page 20

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A difficult year for Team Captains It has been a difficult year for all Club Captains as they deal with Covid19 and the effects of it, but it will also be difficult for the Team Captains of the AIG Cups and Shields.

How to pick the team?

Sprint race for Bridgestone Order of Merit • • •

Bridgestone Order of Merit to include four events Mullingar Scratch Trophy first event of season Winner to be decided at AIG Irish Close

The Bridgestone Order of Merit returns this season in what will be a sprint race over just four events.

The Mullingar Scratch Trophy (15-16 August), the Munster Stroke Play (Cork, 5-6 September), the Connacht Stroke Play (Portumna, 1920 September) and the AIG Irish Close Championship at Rosapenna from 9-11 October make up the series this season.

Alan Kelly, Communications Manager with the Golfing Union of Ireland said: “We are thrilled to have the support of Bridgestone for the Order of Merit series again this season. Having a sponsor like Bridgestone helps us to enhance the profile of our events and I know from talking to the players that they very much appreciate their involvement and support”.

Colm Conyngham, Marketing and Public Relations Manager with Bridgestone Ireland said: “In these challenging times we are very pleased that the Bridgestone Order of Merit is proceeding and we are very happy to give our ongoing support. We hope it will continue to highlight the incredible emerging golf talent in Ireland and be of benefit to them at the early part of their careers.”

Rob Brazill (Naas) captured the 2019 Bridgestone Order of Merit title and has signalled his intention to play all four championships in the order of merit this year.

Q4. Which golf course has hosted the USPGA Championship on the most occasions?

Answers on page 20

With whoever draws the home leg getting the advantage of playing an extra match at home it begs the question, ‘How do I pick the team?’

If the match is a Senior or Junior Cup match there will be 5 members in the side. A home draw will give you 3 matches at home with 2 matches away. Do you pick your best 3 players to stay at home or do you play your best 2 players away in the hope of winning a match against-the-head. I suspect it will depend on if you have been drawn at home or away. If you have the away draw you know will need at least 1 match from the away leg, otherwise, you are going out. So, you will need to send at least 1 of your best players away to try and secure a point that will give you the chance of progressing to the next round.

However, if you have the home leg and know that your opponent will be play their strong players do you double bluff them and play your 2 best players away. It will be interesting to see how the team captains pick their sides.

Where do the Captains watch the match?

Again, this is a difficult decision. It is always nice to meet up with the opposing team captain, but should the team captain stay at their home venue? Or should they go to the venue with the extra match? Or do you get in the car and travel between the venues. If both team captains are at the same venue, then someone (vicecaptain) will need to be at the other venue so to keep everyone up to date.

With no meals after matches there is the possibility that there will be no face-to-face contact between the team captains. No opportunity to make friendships for life. No opportunity to discuss the match. No shaking hands after the match.

Will the matches be played simultaneously?

There is anecdotal evidence that some matches are not even being played at the same time, with the 2 matches being played in the morning and the 3 matches in the evening. Tee to Green® do not believe this is the correct way to play the matches but it would give the team captains the opportunity to meet up and to watch all the matches.

At the end of the season it will be interesting to find out from the successful teams as to how they went about winning an All-Ireland Green Pennant and gold medal. Tee to Green® will contact the winning teams and we will bring you their thoughts after the Finals.

With the 2020 Ryder Cup little over a year away, we take a look Follow us: www.facebook.com/teetogreeneu at the potential make-up of Padraig Harrington’s European side.

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There are loads more Golfbites on our NEW website!

BITE 1: GLENMUIR LAUNCHES LIVE INSTAGRAM SERIES

BITE 2: GALVIN GREEN CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF PIONEERING GOLF CLOTHING

the Scottish golf clothing brand, has launched a series of live Q&A sessions with iconic sports personalities including Sir Jackie Stewart, Ian Woosnam and Clare Balding OBE named #PeopleOfGlenmuir.

Galvin Green, the brand that revolutionised waterproofs in the 1990’s and has taken technical golf clothing to another level during this Millennium, celebrates its 30th birthday this month and enjoys a global status that founder Tomas Nilsson could once only dream about. As an entrepreneur and recreational golfer in the Swedish town of Växjö back in 1990, Tomas saw an opportunity to invest in golf and create a global brand. “My goal was to produce the best quality golf clothes on the market and we’re now a decade ahead of where I believed we could be on a global scale,” said Tomas.

The series which is hosted by various members of the Glenmuir team in Lanark and streamed exclusive through Glenmuir’s Instagram (@ glenmuir1891) captures the spirit of those personalities from the sporting world who have a passion and affinity towards the great game of golf.

BITE 5: ADIDAS UNVEILS TOKYO OLYMPICS CODECHAOS SHOES

BITE 6: SRIXON INTRODUCES THE ALL NEW ZX SERIES

adidas is commemorating uniting athletes and fans everywhere through a special capsule –the TOKYO Collection – made up of 41 designs across 19 sports, all purposefully designed in a signal pink colourway meant to connect athletes without words.

SRIXON®, a global leader in top quality golf equipment and innovation, announces the launch of the new ZX Woods and Irons, tour-validated equipment suited for the needs of golf’s best players. Srixon’s ZX Woods and Irons ofcially launch in the UK on 19th September , 2020.

ZX Woods were designed with one thing in mind: speed. ZX Woods help generate more speed and distance thanks to Srixon’s new Rebound Frame Technology. Rebound Frame Technology works by layering alternating zones of flexibility and stiffness that work in tandem to focus more energy into the ball at impact.

While the footwear was originally intended to be worn in Tokyo by all adidas athletes during their respective events this year, the repurposed collection now unites this same community in a different way as they continue to train and inspire in preparation for 2021.

BITE 3: SHOT SCOPE UNVEILS PERFECTLY SIZED TRACKER Shot Scope, the industry-leader in advanced GPS and automaticshot tracking technology, has today unveiled details of its all-new high-performance V3 watch.

Available in five sleek colourways, the perfectly sized, unisex V3 is sure to fit comfortably on the wrist of any golfer. Shot Scope’s latest and most powerful innovation, V3,combinespatentedautomatic performance trackingwith ultraaccurate GPS technology in a perfectly sized package.The V3 boasts a new daylight readable colour screen as well as ClubSense and PinCollecttechnologiesthat automatically detect shots and putts on the course.

BITE 7: ISM ANNOUNCES AGREEMENT WITH OCEAN TEE International Sports Management (ISM) is pleased to announce an agreement with sustainable golf business OCEAN TEE. ISM and its players are committed to taking steps to address their environmental impact and are proud to be taking a major step forward by working with this revolutionary brand.

OCEAN TEE has been rising to prominence ever since the company launched its award-winning bamboo tees just under 2 years ago. The business, which also produces golf clothing, uses innovative, sustainable materials to create premium quality golf products.

Raising awareness around the impact of plastic pollution.

BITE 4: NEW CALLAWAY OGIO LIMITED EDITION NEON TROPICS Summer has landed! OGIO is launching the new Limited Edition Neon Tropics across Europe. All the quality and durability you expect from OGIO, in an exciting and bold print.

This colourful and fun collection is available exclusively online and in limited quantities only. It features the RIG 800 Travel Bag, PACE 20 Backpack, The Convoy SW Cart Bag14 and the Fuse Stand Bag 4.

BITE 8: GALVIN GREEN LAUNCHES ANOTHER STELLAR APPAREL RANGE Galvin Green, the leading premium golf apparel brand that looks to deliver reach beyond theme with stellar performance from every single garment, has turned to the ‘Science of Excellence’ for inspiration for its 2020 Part Two clothing range launched this month.

Calling on 30 years of experience in performance-driven design and passion for the game, the brand set out to provide technical clothing that would give golfers an extra edge, while adding new styles and colour combinations to provide a feel-good factor unrivalled in the golf apparel market.

page 13

Northern Ireland Open supported by The R&A added to Challenge Tour schedule

The Northern Ireland Open supported by The R&A will be added to the European Challenge Tour’s 2020 Road to Mallorca schedule from September 3-6.

The event at Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort will have a €200,000 prize fund and will be the first of two back to back events on the island of Ireland, with the Irish Challenge following on September 10-13 at a venue to be confirmed. This follows the overall Challenge Tour strategy for the reshaped 2020 season of playing events in regional clusters where possible.

The tournament will be supported by The R&A COVID-19 Support Fund, a £7million package to help golf deal with the impact of the global pandemic. The R&A’s Fund is providing an additional £300,000 in support of the Challenge Tour in 2020 on top of its existing annual grant.

The Northern Ireland Open supported by The R&A will be subject to stringent safety and medical protocols set out in the Challenge Tour’s comprehensive Health Strategy and will proceed subject to Government and health guidelines at the time of the event.

Jamie Hodges, Head of the Challenge Tour, said: “We are delighted to be able to add the Northern Ireland Open supported by The R&A to the 2020 schedule as we continue to reshape the season due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The R&A is dedicated to supporting golf and its additional support this year has been crucial in helping us to stage this event.

“Our thanks also go to Galgorm Castle, a venue that our members know well and always enjoy playing, and to Tourism Northern Ireland and Mid & East Antrim Borough Council for their valued support.

“While there will be no formal graduation to the European Tour this year, adding events like this to the Road to Mallorca will provide playing opportunities and experience for the stars of the future, and is hugely important for our members in the current circumstances.”

Kevin Barker, Director of Golf Development at The R&A, said: “We are pleased to be able to support the Challenge Tour in running this event and to help to provide the players with another opportunity to compete in what has been such a difficult period for them. Through The R&A Support Fund we are trying to provide assistance at all levels of the game from grassroots through elite amateur golf and on to emerging professionals.

“Following the huge success of The Open at Royal Portrush last year we are also excited to see this important championship being played at Galgorm Castle, another of Northern Ireland’s outstanding venues.”

Galgorm Castle’s parkland Championship Course is nestled in the heart of the 220-acre Galgorm Castle Estate, part of Galgorm Spa & Golf Resort, Northern Ireland’s premier luxury hotel and spa destination. It is an established venue on the Challenge Tour, having hosted events

every season since 2013, most recently the ISPS Handa World Invitational Men | Women presented by Modest! Golf Management in 2019.

Gary Henry, Managing Director Galgorm Castle, said: “We are delighted that golf is returning to Galgorm Castle and Northern Ireland.

The Northern Ireland Open supported by TheR&A is a real positive for the area. We are operating within stringent government guidelines for an event that will help kickstart the tourism economy and generate significant bed nights and spend by bringing players, staff and media to the local area.TV coverage of the event will enhance the message that Mid & East Antrim and Northern Ireland is open for business.”

Leanne Rice, Tourism NI’s Marketing Manager, commented: “We are delighted to support the Northern Ireland Open this year which will take place at Galgorm Castle. Bringing a European Challenge Tour event to Northern Ireland is a fantastic opportunity for our economy and tourism industry as it starts to recover.

“The tournament will deliver significant economic benefits while providing international exposure for Northern Ireland as a premium golf destination. Our golf clubs and wider sector have been significantly affected by the pandemic and we are delighted that participants will get to enjoy our fantastic golf product, with the appropriate health and safety guidelines in place.”

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Peter Johnston, said: “I am delighted to give my support to the Northern Ireland Open supported by The R&A in the world-class surroundings of Galgorm.

“An event as prestigious as the Northern Ireland Open supported by The R&A is a major asset for the area at any time, but particularly so this year in terms of helping our tourism and hospitality sectors to recover from the Covid-19 pandemicThe Council is leading on a major tourism campaign to support our local sector, called #RediscoverMEA, and the Northern Ireland Open aligns perfectly with that.”

Following the suspension of the season in February, the Challenge Tour re-started with the first of two dual ranking events in Austria last week – the Austrian Open, won by Scotland’s Marc Warren, followed by the Euram Bank Open.

The Northern Ireland Open supported by The R&A is the next scheduled event from September 3-6, with details of further events from September through to the end of the season to be confirmed in due course.

The Challenge Tour draws on relationships with golf federations and PGAs to create an international schedule for golf professionals from across the globe, giving players from developing golfing nations the opportunity to test their skills among some of the most talented up-andcoming stars.

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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.

On 19/08/1893 The Limerick Chronicle ran the following story. “The opening meeting of the Ballybunion Golf Club in Ireland was held 18th inst., at the Castle Hotel…. A vote of thanks was then passed to Mr Hewson, who very generously permits the use of the links to the club free. Twelve greens have been laid out upon the links – a number which might be easily increased to the standard eighteen should the members so wish. The greens all lie along the sandhills. The turf is of the springiest and the course offers every variety of golfing interest” In August 1936, Skerries Golf Club appointed a new secretary/manager. Mr. E Montgomery was paid £42.00 per year and it was agreed that he could have a small ‘Powers’ whiskey every day free of charge.

the golfing map.

On 25/08/1996 Tiger Woods won his third consecutive US Amateur. This was the first time in history that someone had won the US Amateur three times in a row and it is likely that the record will never be surpassed. Tiger achieved his third win in a similar style as he did two years earlier when he came back from being six down. This time Tiger was five down after twenty holes but managed to shoot 65 for the last 18 holes to take the final into extra holes and when Steve Scott bogeying the par 3 second hole Tiger was champion again.

On 14/08/2016 Justin Rose of Great Britain won the gold medal for golf at the Olympic Games in Rio. This was the first time that golf had been in the Olympics for 112 years. Rose commented after winning, ‘This feels better than any tournament I’ve ever won. This is so unique.’ He held his nerve to beat Sweden’s Hendrik Stenson by one shot to win the gold medal. Along the way Rose even had the first ever hole-in-one at any Olympics when he holed a seven iron at the 189 yard fourth hole.

On 02/08/1943 Royal Dublin Golf Club’s clubhouse was destroyed by a fire. It took a further ten years before the members had a new clubhouse.

On the 19/08/1962 Homero Blancas shot a world record score of 55. Blancas shot the score as an amateur during a college tournament. The record was originally in the Guinness Book of Records however, it was removed as it does not meet the criterion of it being played on a golf course of minimum length 6,500 yards. It is still the only score of 55 ever recording in tournament play. Blancas, nicknamed Mr 55, went on to win seven professional events including four on the USPGA tour and he represented USA in the 1973 Ryder Cup at Muirfield, Scotland where he won 2.5 matches in the USA victory.

Monday 11th August 1980 was a historic day for Moyola Park when one of the world’s outstanding golfing talents, Seve Ballesteros arrived to play an exhibition match and hold a golfing clinic. He played with Royal Portrush’s David Young, Des Smyth and Englishman Peter McEvoy in a match that put Moyola Park Golf Club firmly on

Balbunion Golf Club, Moyola Gof Club, Tiger Woods

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Some of the best golfers the world has ever seen were born in this month.

Here are a few.

Ben Hogan was born 13/08/1912.

Hogan won nine major titles which puts him in 4th place behind Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Walter Hagen. He is one of only four players to have achieved the career grand slam.

Well renowned for his ball striking Hogan went on to win 64 professional tournaments despite a near fatal car crash.

Lloyd Mangrum was born 01/08/1914. Mangrum won the 1946

US Open and had 36 PGA wins to his credit. He had twelve top ten finishes in thirteen years at The Masters from 1940-1956 (there were no tournaments during the second World War).

Mangrum was a war hero receiving two purple hearts.

Sam Torrance was born 24/08/1953. Torrance won 44

professional tournaments in his career.

His best finish at a major was in 1981 when he finished 5th at the Open. He played on eight consecutive Ryder Cup teams and captained the side to victory in 2002 at the Belfry. He was awarded the MBE (1996) and the OBE (2003) for services to golf.

Catriona Matthew was born 25/08/1969. Matthew won the 2009

Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes after shooting -3 to beat Karrie Webb by three strokes. She has won eleven professional events in her career.

Padraig Harrington was born 31/08/1971. Harrington became the

first Irishman to win a major for sixty years when he won the 2007 Open Championship. He followed that up with a second win at The Open the year after and finished the 2009 season with a win at the PGA. In total Harrington has had 31 professional wins.

Paula Creamer was born 05/08/1986. Creamer won the

2010 US Open at Oakmount Country Club, Pennsylvania. She held the lead after the second round and never relinquished it. She finished -3 and won by four strokes. Creamer has twelve professional wins in her career and lies tenth in the All-Time LPGA money list.

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page 15

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page 16

Travel to play golf with

Hotels, restaurants, bars, golf clubs and other tourist activities across the islands are also adopting the “Clean and Safe” stamp, created by VisitPortugal, which distinguishes tourist activities which are compliant with certain hygiene and cleaning requirements.

TOURISTS TOUCH DOWN IN MADEIRA AS INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS RESUME A number of major airlines from across Europe have restarted their flight schedules to the award-winning island of Madeira after it announced that it is welcoming international travel.

The UK, Portugal, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, Holland and Spain are among the first countries to resume their flights to Madeira, with airlines such as Easyjet, TAP Portugal, Tui, Jet2, Lufthansa and British Airways jetting off to the stunning island.

Madeira is home to three magnificent golf courses in total, with Santo da Serra and Palheiro Golf located on the mainland, and Porto Santo Golf located on the nearby island of Porto Santo.

The par-72, 6,656-yard (6,086m) course at Palheiro Golf – designed by Robinson – is situated within the magnificent Palheiro Estate, which is more than 200 years old. At nearly 1,640ft above sea level, the location enjoys dramatic views of Madeira’s mountainous skyline and the ocean, as well as – nestling below, just 10 minutes away – the island’s capital, Funchal.

The original course at Santo da Serra, dating from 1937, was redesigned in 1991 by Robert Trent Jones Snr, who created a new and spectacular 27-hole complex. The third and fourth holes of the Machico course are regarded as the signature holes, sitting atop cliffs more than 2,200ft above sea level, providing views of the bay of Machico, where Portuguese navigators first landed in 1419.

Flights connecting Madeira Airport to the archipelago’s eastern-most island, Porto Santo, have also resumed with Binter and TAP Portugal both making the 20-minute flight between the two.

The islands – which were last year hailed as the ‘world’s best emerging golf destination’ at the World Golf Awards, and as Europe’s ‘leading island destination’ for the fourth successive year, as well as the world’s ‘leading island destination’ for a staggering fifth year running in the 2019 World Travel Awards – reopened to international visitors on July 1st.

Prior to arrival, all passengers must complete the Regional Health Authority’s (IASAÚDE) epidemiological survey and will need to submit a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure, although, if they have not performed a test in advance, they will be required to take one upon arrival at Madeira Airport – with costs covered by the local authorities.

Incoming visitors will also be subject to thermal screening, even if they carry a negative test for COVID-19.

Discover Madeira, the consumer-facing brand of the Madeira Promotion Bureau, has been working with the local and Portuguese authorities to put plans in place for holidaymakers to return safely, with the “Madeira Safe to Discover” guidelines being stringently followed across the islands to control and prevent the spread of coronavirus and other possible infections.

Q5. Which “retired” golfer and ex-champion shot 30 on the back 9 to make the cut on the number in last year’s USPGA Championship?

Answers on page 20

The 27-hole, Severiano Ballesteros-designed Porto Santo Golf is a short plane hop or ferry ride away. The par-72, 7,036-yard (6,434m) course, which opened in 2004, comprises two distinct nines. The southern route – a US-style layout – is dotted with lakes, requiring a long and precise game; while the northern route is atop fantastic cliffs, near the stunning beach of the same name.

A spokesman from Discover Madeira said: “It is fantastic to see tourists returning to our beautiful destination from across Europe. We are proud to offer a safe and relaxing escape in spectacular surroundings and we are looking forward welcoming even more visitors over the coming months as more services resume.”

Located approximately 1,000km from the European mainland – and just 500km from the African continent – Madeira enjoys an amazingly mild climate, ranging from 25°c in the summer to 17°c in the winter, with very mild average temperatures and moderate humidity, making it the perfect year-round destination for a golf break.

The best way to enjoy the archipelago’s golf is with a Madeira Golf Passport – available from most hotels and the golf clubs – which entitles the bearer to five rounds of golf across the two ‘mainland’ tracks: Santo da Serra and Palheiro Golf.

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Follow the Sun Travel to play golf with

France’s Top Golf Hotel continues ‘boutique’ transformation and reopens with refurbished bedrooms and suites Le Touquet Golf Resort’s Le Manoir Hôtel continues its transformation from a historic country house hotel into a modern boutique establishment, reopening with a full refurbishment of the main building’s 15 bedrooms and suites.

GET ON YOUR BIKE FOR A WHEELIE GOOD GOLF TIME AT QUINTA DA MARINHA Golfers are being invited to saddle up and sample a thrilling new experience at Quinta da Marinha after the Portuguese hotel became one of the first in the country to take delivery of a fleet of new electric golf bikes.

The popular hotel in Cascais has been inundated with enquiries from players eager to try out the new chopper-style scooters on its Robert Trent Jones-designed 18-hole course since introducing the Green Ride bikes at the start of the summer.

Costing £20 per person to hire for 18 holes, the scooters are not only more fun to use than traditional golf buggies but also have the added benefit of speeding up rounds, helping to eradicate the growing problem of slow play.

The hotel, which has been voted France’s Best Golf Hotel for its fourth consecutive year*, has brought back interior designer Stéphanie Cayet to renovate the rooms for 2020.

Stéphanie Cayet was previously tasked with the interiors of the clubhouse, bungalow rooms and other common areas of the hotel, where she has worked to create bright modern spaces that still pay homage to the hotel’s rich heritage.

In true boutique style, each room has been individually crafted, and based in one of three themes: ‘harmony romantic blue’, ‘harmony romantic green’, or ‘harmony gentleman’.

Rich teals and blues balance against pastel pinks in the ‘romantic green’ and ‘romantic blue’ rooms, while the ‘gentleman’ rooms feature shocks of mustard to lift the deeper tones. Classic furniture and intricate patternwork provide accent and detail throughout each space, while also reflecting the historic character of the venue.

CEO Laurent Boissonnas said: “Le Manoir Hôtel, just like the resort around it, has evolved so much over the last several years, and we are grateful for the awards and rankings that continue to recognise this.

European Tour star Pedro Figueiredo became one of the first golfers to take advantage of the bikes when he played at Quinta da Marinha last month and the hotel’s sales director, João Pinto Coelho, is thrilled at the feedback they have received.

Pinto Coelho said: “Everyone that has used the bikes so far have loved them. We’ve received a fantastic initial response and it’s easy to see why.

“Players are not only finding them great fun but also that they speed up the game quite a bit. Buggies are great but they do tend to slow things down a bit, especially when one player is on one side of the fairway and one’s on the other, but there are no such problems with the bikes.”

The introduction of the electric golf bikes is the result of a partnership between Green Ride and Quinta da Marinha which further enhances the five-star golf experience on offer.

“It is thrilling to see Stéphanie Cayet’s work bring the hotel ever closer to the vision we laid out over three years ago. For us, the guest experience is at the heart of everything we do, and these new room upgrades are another way we can complement and enhance that experience.”

Work on Le Manoir Hôtel began in 2016 as part of an ongoing multimillion Euro renovation programme across Le Touquet Golf Resort, which has also seen the award-winning restoration of La Mer (The Sea) course, France’s No. 1 links, and construction of a bold new architectdesigned clubhouse opposite the hotel.

The Portuguese hotel celebrated its 20th birthday in style earlier this year with a €5m overhaul of all 198 bedrooms, many communal areas and updated décor throughout, with the extensive refurbishment being unveiled when the hotel reopened last month following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Le Touquet Golf Resort provides 45 holes of outstanding golf surrounded by a natural landscape of sand dunes, pine forests and big skies. Only an hour’s drive from the Eurotunnel’s Calais Terminus along the A16, it is an easily accessible destination for golfers from the UK, Belgium and The Netherlands, as well as the rest of France. * Today’s Golfer magazine (UK), Travel Awards 2020

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Don Patterson 1933 - 2020 2019

This month, Srixon is sponsoring this section where the person who writes the letter that gets published will win a dozen Srixon balls. 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

Is Dechambeau a role model for younger golfers?

I like most of us have enjoyed watching golf over the last few weeks since the PGA Tour started back after lockdown.

I was surprised at the completely different physic Bryson Dechambeau has compared to last year. I watched a U tube video of him training and hitting balls in his studio and frankly it terrified me worrying that younger players would try and emulate him.

The stress levels he is putting on his back surely is not healthy and as most of us will never play professional golf we plan to play well into our later years in life.

So I want to ask if you think Dechambeau is a role model or not? Whatever he has gone through to achieve hitting drives over 400 yards is surely not something we should encourage?

Name and address withheld by request

Editors’ comment: Many thanks for your great question and we support your worry. Golf is the only sport that you can play competitively with all age groups right through to your 80s and absolutely no doubt trying to put that stress on your body will shorten the time when you have back problems. As the old saying goes… .”don’t try this at home”

It was with great sadness that Tee to Green heard about the passing of former Irish PGA Captain, Don Patterson.

Don was the professional at Warrenpoint Golf Club from 1958-1984 and during that time was instrumental in the rise of Warrenpoint’s successful Senior Cup teams.

He was also the coach of former European number 1 and Ryder Cup player Ronan Rafferty. Ronan once said, “We were lucky as Warrenpoint had a strong reputation for producing great players and a lot of that must go down to Don Patterson.”

In 1975, my father decided that Patterson was the best coach in Ireland and drove me down from Belfast for a series of lessons over the next 5 years.

The practice area in those days was along where is now the 18th fairway and Don worked hard in developing my golf swing. In 1980 I received a golf scholarship at Tulsa University but every time I came home, I took any opportunity to see Don for a tune-up.

Our 1 hour lessons always overran and I became aware of just how much time and effort he personally put into his lessons.

I will always be indebted to Don for everything he did for me.

Don Patterson RIP. Co Editor, Neale Jenkins

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Ivan Ballesteros I ran his Foundation with the extraordinary help in the UK of Cancer Research UK (2009-2013).

It is complicated to summarize all the experiences and teachings I had with Seve. I really learned and understood many things thanks to him.

2.

What was your career path after Seve passed away?

After Seve´s passing in May 2011 things were different. I decided to move onto new challenges in early 2013. I decided then to take the job opportunity I was presented by a sports management company in Asia. I moved there and since then I have been living in Hong Kong and experiencing Asia thanks to all the traveling involved in my job. One of the projects I am enjoying very much now is running the Ronaldo Football Academies in Hong Kong. www.ronaldoacademy. hkUnfortunately, as most businesses today, we are going through a difficult time and the 19 venues we have in Hong Kong are temporarily closed but hopefully things will get back to normal in the coming weeks.

3. Some easier questions.....are you still a PGA professional and how much do you play?

I FEEL LUCKY 1. Ivan, we met 14 years ago when you were working with your Uncle. Tell the readers a little bit about your time working for Seve and what you did.

It is really incredible how time flies, it has been already 14 years and it looks as if it was a few months ago that we first met. I was very privileged to work with Seve. He gave me the opportunity to work with him and his group of companiesfrom 1997 till his last days. I will always be grateful to him for all the opportunities and trust he put on me.

I first started as part of the staging team in the different golf tournaments,‘Amen Corner’ (Seve´s events promoter company) was promoting in Europe, and then as I got more experience,I became CEO. I also moved on to look after different matters including assisting him in his last years as a golfer and as a businesspartner.

I feel I have been very lucky in learning from him many things you can only learn when you are close to someone special like he was.

I treasure all the experiences he offered me. He was more than my uncle, my godfather or a boss, Seve was a mentor to meand he taught me not only about golf, but about life, especially during his toughest years fighting cancer.

My years with Seve were extraordinary. I had the chance of being on the business side of golf with him and dealing with many different matters; Promoting European Tour golf tournaments was my main roll. During those years we ran events in different countries: Portugal, Ireland, England, France, Spain, and also in Asia where we started the Royal Trophy, an event that faced Europe vs Asia and Seve was the European captain at the first two editions. An event Seve wanted to be one of his legacies. The Seve Trophy was also a very special event.

Obviously, being part of the Seve Trophy since the very beginning was a unique experience. Ialso participated inseveral golf course design projects, including his last design in Thailand in 2010. I also looked after his personal endorsements during the last years of his life and

I turned PRO and got my coaching licence when Seve suggested to me that I should do it as it could be a working tool in the future. And I did in year 2000. At that time, I had a one handicap and I decided to take the exams to turn professional. In Asia I have been traveling with amateur players from time to time and doing some coaching for them and I must say I have enjoyed the experience and I trust they have enjoyed it too. www.golflearningcentre.com is a project that I am slowly developing and hopefully will take more of my time in the future. At the moment I do 5 trips per year with current clients and the experience has been very positive.

I ENJOY PLAYING THE GAME 4.

What are you working on now?

These months have been slow in terms of business and during the last weeks, most of the time at home in Hong Kong, I have been thinking of ideas to develop. I like the game of golf for many reasons. Golf it’s a difficult game that tests you every time and its also a sport that gives you the opportunity to meet good people and spend good quality time with friends and new players. Golf is a unique networking tool, that is the reason why so many companies use golf as a marketing and PR strategy. For these reasons I thought of starting a few online projects.

The one I am enjoying the most is called GolferFinder.com GolferFinder.com is an online platform that helps golfers to connect with other golfers with affinities such as age, profession, languages or hobbies. At the moment the platform is very new and we are starting in the Spanish, Portuguese and Hong Kong markets. Ireland is the next market in our list and we will be developing it during in the coming weeks.

5. Have you ever been to Ireland, either Northern Ireland or Rep of Ireland and if so did you play golf and if so where?

I have been to Ireland and I have good Irish friends. I went to a few Irish Opens when Seve played but my best memories come from the Seve Trophy at The Heritage in 2007. I remember playing some of the holes with Seve when he was designing the course.

page 20

Great Irish par 3’s

On a recent FaceBook post we asked our followers to nominate their favourite Irish par 3’s. Many different holes were mentioned right across Ireland. Here are the top 3, as voted by you.

Carnalea Golf Club is situated on the shores of Belfast Lough in County Down. Their 9th hole is only 141 yards long but with a steep bank to the right of the green, it is a hole that most players will be happy to score a par.

Another very scenic par 3 that has wrecked many scorecards.

The 4th hole at Royal County Down Golf Club is 229 yards from the tips and is played from an elevated tee. The tee shot is over gorse bushes which in springtime, with its’ yellow flowers, is very intimidating. If you manage to miss the gorse there are many bunkers around the green ready to swallow your ball. The green is sloped from front to back and there are run-off areas on both sides. This is a very scenic hole but one that can ruin a good start.

Tralee Golf Club 16th Hole Shipwreck An exciting Par 3 this glorious one- shotter is described as the best of the par threes. The elevated tee overlooks part of a coast described as the graveyard of the Spanish Armada.

A dramatic Par 3 set against the Atlantic Ocean. The target is small and the club selection is crucial to reach the putting surfaces as any ballshort will fall back down the slope in front of the green.

An ode to a handshake

A handshake is a form of greeting, A welcome too, Or to say hello or goodbye Or a ‘how do you do?’

When we have played 18 holes, No matter how we have played, It shows respect to our partners, And no words need said.

But the handshake is no longer, A pint in the bar, Not to be seen this year, And for that alone, And a coke for the kids, I will shed a tear.

At the end of the day, Before we close our eyelids.

A firm handshake, And a stare in the eye, But a handshake is more than Before every meeting, a form of greeting, More than welcome too, And every golf tie.

It is more than a hello or goodbye And more than a ‘how do you do?’

I will miss the touch, Of shaking somebody’s hand, And wish for Covid, To be banished from our land.

When the handshake is back, And safe to do, Remember to look somebody in the eye, And say, ‘How do you do?’

ANSWERS: 1: The Wanamaker Trophy 2: The first ever Championship was held in 1916 won by Englishman Jim Barnes. It was match-play all the way until 1958 when it changed to stroke play.

3: Rory McIlroy won the 2012 event by 8 shots overtaking the previous highest winning margin from Nick Price who won by 6 in 1994.

4: Southern Hills Country Club has hosted the most with 4 times.

Ed Note: Southern Hills was the home course for Co Editor Neale Jenkins while attending Tulsa University in the 1980’s.

5: Rich Beem winner in 2002 birdied 5 of his last 6 holes to make the cut.

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