One of my all-time favourite places on the planet, the amazing Adare Golf Club, is due to close on Wednesday 20th January 2016 for a course revamp while the awesome Adare Manor itself will also get a revamp including a proposed 40 new bedrooms along with a ballroom which is due to have a capacity for up to 350 guests. The plans for the golf course include some course redevelopment, due to be under the guidance of legendary golf course designer Tom Fazio, while the clubhouse will undergo extensive refurbishment. Interesting times indeed in County Limerick and as my good aul buddy Ollie Ryan said recently – “the old diamond is just going for a polish“!

Since local Limerick businessman JP McManus bought Adare Manor last year there has been much talk regarding what his plans were for the fantastic golf course, manor house, clubhouse and the overall estate as well. Rumours of a second golf course among other things abounded but now we know that the legendary Limerickman is investing further funds to turn Adare is something even more special that it already is, along with many other people I simply cannot wait for it to re-open!

Having worked at Adare for 6 years, from 1996-2002, I have had first hand experience of how special Adare is – as an employee and then over the past few years as a very happy customer. Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort has everything – an already phenomenal golf course (the last ever design by the one and only Robert Trent Jones Snr), a marvellous manor house that is a very unique place to stay or even visit briefly and facilities clubhouse and practice facilities as well. There is also something quite fantastic about Adare village, which ties in so well with Adare Manor itself. Many a night we spent in Pat Collins Bar spending our wages from Adare Manor in Adare village! We still spend our money in Collins Bar but it’s generally earned outside of Adare these days!

Featuring some of the finest holes to be found on any course, especially the near perfect par-4 13th and the best finishing hole in Irish golf in the par-5 18th, there is much the Irish golfing public and wider golfing public at large will miss while Adare is closed during the redevelopment work. It is tough to know exactly what JP McManus’ plans are for the County Limerick venue, in golfing terms it could point to a potential tilt for The Ryder Cup or a return of The Irish Open in the future. Is an unlikely staging of the PGA Championship outside of the United States likely at Adare? Whatever happens at Adare Manor, which I’m sure will be amazing, I’m just sorry I couldn’t make it to tee it up recently on a golf course that is so close to my heart for one last round!