Featured

News – R. McIlroy fails to make Irish Open

tumblr_osqgjees471w9ljwmo1_1280

Rory McIlroy’s British Open preparations were in disarray after the former world number one missed the cut at the Irish Open. McIlroy was one under for his round with two holes to play but a double-bogey six on the 17th ended any chance of his playing all four days, leaving him one-over-par 73 for the second round. That saw the current world number four four shots shy of the projected three under cut-off mark in the $7 million event. It was the second time in three years the defending Irish Open winner had missed the halfway cut and the fourth occasion in the past five years he will sit out the weekend of the event. “I am just not being very efficient with my scoring and that is why I am making it difficult for myself,” said McIlroy.

Featured

The Best Irish Golfers

by Michael Brassil

dddddd

1. Rory McIlroy. At 25 years old he is already at the top of the heap with 16 worldwide wins, including four major championships. Should the Northern Irishman win the Masters next month, he’ll complete the career Grand Slam and have won his third straight major championship.

2. Padraig Harrington. He was the first Irishman to win multiple majors, capturing the Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship in 2008. He has 30 career wins and reached as high as No. 3 in the world.

3. Christy O’Connor Sr.: None of his 44 career titles include a major championship, but he did finish in the top 10 at The Open Championship 10 times in his career, including second in 1965. He also played in every Ryder Cup between 1955 and 1973 for Great Britain & Ireland.

4. Darren Clarke: The Northern Irishman has 22 wins around the world, including the 2011 Open Championship at Royal St. George’s. He also finished second at the 1997 Open Championship and third at the 2001 Open Championship and has two World Golf Championships titles to his credit. He also played in five Ryder Cups and was on the winning team four times.

5. Graeme McDowell: The Ulsterman won the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and two years later finished second at Olympic. He has 13 career wins as a professional and has played in four Ryder Cups, playing on the winning team three times. McDowell has reached as high as No. 3 in the world.

Featured

Playing golf on the Emerald Isle

Golf in Ireland – The Home of Irish Golf

Seaside_14-554x363

by Michael Brassil, 7.14.2014

Playing golf on the Emerald Isle

It’s been a particularly memorable couple of years for Irish golf, what with the 2006 Ryder Cup at The K  Club and Padraig Harrington winning back-to-back Open Championships.

Consequently,  interest in golf in the country has never been higher and, luckily, Irish Golf Courses is here to answer all the questions you might have about golf in Ireland.

We’ve got comprehensive, authoritative and bang-up-to-date information on ALL of the golf clubs in Ireland with reviews of each and every one of them thrown in for good measure.

You’ll find all of the big names here, including Royal Portrush – the only golf course outside of mainland UK to have hosted The Open Championship, incidentally – Royal County Down, which staged the 2007 Walker Cup, Ballyliffin, the European Club, Carton House, St. Margaret’s and, of course, The K Club. But as well as them, you’ll also find a whole host of ‘hidden gems’ tucked away just waiting to be discovered.

As if all that wasn’t enough, each individual course page also includes an exclusive link to local accommodation providers so you don’t have to go to any more effort than clicking the button of your mouse a few times to find somewhere to rest your head at night. Yes, that’s right, we’ve pretty much thought of everything that the discerning golfer could wish for!

Truly, golf in Ireland is just too good to miss. Indeed, the country is home to two-thirds of the world’s total links courses, for a start. That’s why we would urge you to do yourself a real favour and make it the destination for your next golf break with your family, friends, society or club. We can guarantee that you won’t be disappointed in the slightest.

Top N. Irish Golf Courses

 

ghby Michael Brassil

1.ROYAL PORTRUSH GOLF CLUB

2.ROYAL COUNTY DOWN GOLF CLUB

3. ARDGLASS GOLF CLUB

4. PORTSTEWART GOLF CLUB (STRAND COURSE)

5. CASTLEROCK GOLF CLUB

The country also has more links golf coming, and not soon enough. Bushmills Dunes, located between Giant’s Causeway and Royal Portrush, features a David McLay Kidd design currently under construction, as well as a fantastic, eco-friendly hotel. Sadly, Alistair Hanna, the founder of the project who spent 20 years working to get it built, passed away in July at the age of 69 after a four-year battle with cancer. But the project is in good hands with Mark Parsinen (who built Kingsbarns and Castle Stuart) and Mike Keiser, who is serving as an advisor.

Ireland Golf Update

by Michael Brassil

gh

Update: Golfing the Emerald Isle:

Golfing in Ireland: Our near neighbours and settlers, the English introduced golf in Ireland in the 19th century and with nature has played its role, the South West of Ireland is what is best in Irish golf and home to some of the finest links and parkland courses. Wonderful links courses, Lahinch,  Ballybunion, Tralee, Dingle, Old Head,  and Waterville combine with traditional and beautiful parkland courses of Killarney, Adare Manor, Dromoland Castle, Cork and Ring of Kerry to present a mouth-watering menu of top class golf.  Did you know that Ireland’s Royal County Down is ranked as the third best course by Top 100 Golf Courses, an independent website dedicated to ranking the best places to play on the planet. For the record, that’s third place out of roughly 32,000 golf courses dotted around the globe.

For wives, Ireland is an unforgettable experience. The scenery alone is breathtaking and it is a natural place for outdoor pursuits with a wide range of activities to choose from including biking, walking, , horseback riding, shooting, fishing, surfing, horse racing,  shopping and sightseeing trips as well as visits to historic sites and great museums.

The climate of Ireland ensures golfers can play most of the year round. A great lifetime experience not to be missed!

Top Irish Golf Courses in Northern Ireland

New_Golf-2
by Michael Brassil

1.Royal Portrush Golf Club 

2.Royal County Down Golf Club

3. Ardglass Golf Club

4. Portstewart Golf Club (Strand Course)

5. Castlerock Golf Club

The country also has more links golf coming, and not soon enough. Bushmills Dunes, located between Giant’s Causeway and Royal Portrush, features a David McLay Kidd design currently under construction, as well as a fantastic, eco-friendly hotel. Sadly, Alistair Hanna, the founder of the project who spent 20 years working to get it built, passed away in July at the age of 69 after a four-year battle with cancer. But the project is in good hands with Mark Parsinen (who built Kingsbarns and Castle Stuart) and Mike Keiser, who is serving as an advisor.