Feb 6 2019

All Ireland Golf Challenge

Experience Ireland Golf & Travel is delighted to launch the Inaugural All Ireland Golf Challenge! 4 Provincial Qualifiers will take place from May to August with The All Ireland Final taking place on Friday 20th September at The Heritage where the All Ireland Champions will be crowned. This will be a Team of 4 Event, who wants to be our Inaugural Champions??

We will be off to the superb Slieve Russell first for the Ulster Qualifier on Friday 24th May. The county Cavan course is synonymous with hosting great Golf Events and was recently voted the 2018 Golf Resort of the Year in Ulster. Forming part of a magnificent 300 acre estate, including 50 acres of lakes, our highly acclaimed 18-hole championship course is sensitively wrapped around the lakes and the drumlins of the County Cavan landscape. The course presents a wonderful challenge and the devilishly tricky greens present a searching examination of accurate approach play, which adds to the enjoyment factor. To book your place at our Ulster Qualifier please email info@experienceirelandgolfandtravel.com or call +353-64-6622830.

Next up will be the Connaught Qualifier at Galway Bay Golf Resort on Friday 7th June. Galway Bay is a golfing gem in the West of Ireland and has come in for rave reviews of the past few years. No stranger to hosting big Events it will host the Connaught U16 Open this year among other Tournaments. Designed by Irish golfing legend Christy O’Connor Jnr, the man himself had this to say about Galway Bay: “This is a true championship golf course with a fair test of golf to all who discover this gem. Washed on three sides by the wild Atlantic ocean laden with pot bunkers together with natural water hazards combines to make Galway Bay one of the truly great courses of Ireland“. To book your place at our Connaught Qualifier please email info@experienceirelandgolfandtravel.com or call +353-64-6622830.

The Leinster Qualifier will take place in July when we visit The Heritage on Friday 5th July. This Seve Ballesteros designed masterpiece, his first and only design in Ireland, is a great golfing test from start to finish with the highlights hole being the par-4 9th & 18th which run parallel to each other towards the amazing Clubhouse separated by a large and wonderful water hazard. The Heritage is a wonderful venue and has hosted many Tournaments down the years including the Seve Trophy in 2007 and The Heritage Pro-Am for many years. To book your place at our Leinster Qualifier please email info@experienceirelandgolfandtravel.com or call +353-64-6622830.

The final Qualifier will take us to Munster and the Killeen Course at the superb Killarney Golf & Fishing Club on Friday 16th August. This will present Teams the last chance at making it to our All Ireland Final in September, in stunning surroundings. The Killeen has hosted The Irish Open 4 times, in 1991 & 1992 (both won by Nick Faldo) and also in 2010 & 2011 (won by Ross Fisher & Simon Dyson respectively). The Killeen course is one the most scenic inland courses in Ireland, surroundings by the marvellous Macgillycuddy Reeks and also the Lakes of Killarney, it truly is a golfing treat! To book your place at our Munster Qualifier please email info@experienceirelandgolfandtravel.com or call +353-64-6622830.

The Winning Team from each Qualifier will then contest The All Ireland Golf Challenge Final on Friday 20th September at The Heritage. The Format of our Provincial Qualifiers is simple – Team of 4 Event with 2 scores to count on each Hole. Max Handicap for Ladies is 36 and 28 for Gents, you must have an Official Handicap to compete in the Event. The cost to enter is €125 per person / €500 per Team and includes the following:

Team Entry
Soup & Sandwiches on Arrival
BBQ at the Halfway Hut
Goody Bag & Druids Golf Shirt for Each Member of your Team
Dinner & Prize Giving after Golf

If you have any queries on our All Ireland Golf Challenge or if you would like to book your place at any of the Provincial Qualifiers please email info@experienceirelandgolfandtravel.com or call +353-64-6622830.

Aug 28 2018

Social Media Open 2019

The Cashen Course’s 16th Hole

The Social Media Open has been going since 2013 at some of the finest golf courses in Ireland – Adare GC, Ballybunion, Castlemartyr, Dooks, Doonbeg, Mount Juliet, Old Head and Tralee. Next year is no different!

The Social Media Open returns next April for its 7th Annual Tournament! The venues of 2016, 2017 & 2018 return once more as well – namely, The Old & Cashen Course at Ballybunion Golf Club, along with Tralee Golf Links & Dooks Golf Links to make up 4 fabulous tests of golf. The dates for the Event will be Tuesday 9^th – Friday 12^th April 2019.

Day 1 of The 2019 Social Media Open will involve a 2-course start at the Cashen Course & Old Course at Ballybunion Golf Club on Tuesday 9^thApril with half the field playing on the Cashen and the other half taking on the Old Course for the 1st Round. The Cashen Course, opened in 1982 and designed by renowned golf architect Robert Trent Jones Senior, requires acute precision especially off the tee as fairways frequently disappear around corners. The careless tee shots can easily run out of fairway and find their golf ball buried in the marram grass, hopefully there won’t be many of them next April! The ‘BallyB’ website puts it well in that “if the Cashen Course at Ballybunion Golf Club was anywhere else it would attract far more attention and plaudits than it does. It’s hard on a girl if her older sister is Sophia Loren!”

Ballybunion’s Old Course, 7th Hole

The 2nd Day of The 2019 Social Media Open will again involve a 2-course start taking in the World famous Old Course and Cashen Course at Ballybunion Golf Club on Wednesday 10^th April. The famous English golf writer, Peter Dobereiner said of BallyB’s Old Course: “If sheer pleasure is the yardstick, then Ballybunion’s Old Course gets my vote as the No. 1 in the world”. According to Ivan Morris’ editorial on the Ballybunion GC website, “by the mid-1970s, there was a growing trickle of well-read, international visitors that overnight turned into a flood in 1982 when Tom Watson made his famous off the cuff eulogy after accepting the Claret Jug at Royal Troon: ‘Nobody can call himself a golfer until he has played at Ballybunion; you would think the game originated there!’ Ever since, the North Kerry links has been one of the most lucrative and recognizable brands in world golf. Knowledgeable golfers realize that if they haven’t played golf at Ballybunion their golfing education is gravely incomplete”.

Tralee’s iconic 17th Hole

The 3^rd Round of The 2019 Social Media Open will take place at the tremendous Tralee Golf Links on Thursday 11^th April! Course designer, Arnold Palmer, claims credit for the front 9 but has always maintained that “God designed the back 9”, unfortunately for all golf fans Mr Palmer has now passed on but we can luckily still enjoy his amazing work in County Kerry. Tralee Golf Links only opened in 1984 but has been getting rave review ever since, as PGA Tour player Kevin Stadler attests to…. “My favourite courses are Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Tralee Golf Club”. Not bad company eh! Beautiful views of Kerry’s picturesque surrounds and beaches are the perfect backdrop and the sounds of the Atlantic Ocean make up an ideal soundtrack to bring the curtain down on what we promise will be another excellent week of craic, with a bit of golf in between!!

Dooks’ Par-3 4th Hole

The Final Round of The 2019 Social Media Open takes us back to Dooks Golf Links in Glenbeigh. This beautifully located links course was a favourite of many a team last April and it promises to present a great golfing test once more along with the now famous Dooks welcome! Also known for its narrow links fairways and well contoured greens, you will get a real taste of traditional links golf at its very best. The west Kerry scenery and a scattering of gorse, heather and wild flowers will go down a treat as well. Dooks has been welcoming golfers since 1889 and the course has gone from strength to strength each year, we are very much looking forward to returning here on Friday 12^th April!

There will be a slightly new format for the Event from previous years – Par 4s & Par 5s:
Both players tee off and pick 1 tee shot, from this spot both players then play their own ball from there. The first player to play will be the player whose tee shot is chosen (Play as Lie depending on the Local Rules on the day), the 2nd player may then place their ball within a scorecard not nearer the hole. Par 3s: Both players play their own ball for the duration of the hole. Team of 2 with Stableford Scoring – both scores on holes 9 & 18 and 1 score to count on the other holes each (3/4 Handicaps apply). The Tournament packages are as follows:

Golf Only – €379 per person / €758 per Team of 2
Play & Stay 4 nights – €639 per person sharing / €1,278 per Team of 2 (includes Prize Giving Dinner)
Play & Stay 5 nights – €699 per person sharing / €1,398 per Team of 2 (includes Prize Giving Dinner)

Other Packages available on Request – Contact Us for details.

Along with the great golf and awesome accommodation there will also be some “social gatherings” organised over the course of the few days, always something to look forward to post-round! We are looking forward to another great few days of golf & craic in the South West of Ireland and hope you can join us next April! If you have any queries regarding The 2019 Social Media Open please email info@experienceirelandgolfandtravel.com or call +353-87-645 3537.

May 25 2017

The Golf Guide Tour – Irish Event

The Golf Guide Tour makes it first stop in Ireland in June when it visits The Heritage Resort. This coincides with the relaunch of its Irish Edition of the Magazine with plans for further Irish Tournaments in 2018.

This 36 Hole event at The Heritage Resort in Killenard, Ireland – just 30 minutes south of Dublin – takes place on Sunday 11th & Monday 12th June 2017. Packages are as follows:

2 Rounds of Golf plus 2 nights B&B in the 5-Star Heritage Hotel £270 / €295 per person sharing
2 Rounds of Golf plus 2 nights B&B staying in The Ballesteros Apartments £220 / €240 per person sharing
Golf Only – £100 per person / €110 per person

The Competition Format is a Pairs Better Ball with Stableford scoring played off 90% handicap. The winners from each event are invited to the competition week on the Costa del Sol in November 2017 or February 2018, which includes a 3 night stay at the 4 star Tamisa Hotel Mijas including Breakfast, return flights, all transfers and 3 competitive rounds of golf.

To enter the Race to Mauritius, you must enter a minimum of 4 GGT events. After the St Andrews event, the top 10 pairs from our Order of Merit will then qualify for a UK Final to decide the overall winners of the amazing 7 day trip to Mauritius!!

You must have a current CONGU handicap to win any of the top three prizes. Non-handicap golfers are welcome to attend but can only win the other prizes on offer. Due to the increased popularity of the events, a £50 deposit per person is required to secure your place. Contact competitions@thegolfguide.co.uk for payment details.

Oct 11 2016

Links & Lakes Life Membership – Dooks & Killarney

Links & Lakes – International Overseas Life Membership

Dooks is one of the oldest Golf Links in Ireland, established in 1889, while Killarney boasts 2 of the best parkland courses in the South of Ireland. They are now offering a unique opportunity to join their 3 World Class Championship Courses.

The Links & Lakes Overseas Life Membership offers International golfers a Membership package that combines the natural raw links at Dooks Golf Links with the world renowned beautiful idyllic lakeside setting of Killarney Golf & Fishing Club.

DOOKS GOLF LINKS

Golf has been played in Dooks since 1889 which makes it one of the oldest Golf Links in Ireland. For the golfer who is seeking a beautiful and tranquil environment to enjoy great golf, Dooks presents just that. It is is a hidden Gem renowned for its friendliness, spectacular views and presentation standards all year round.

Dooks is not as exposed as some Irish courses and features an amazing variety of gorse, heather and wild flowers, the ‘gentle’ wind is never far away and the narrow sandy fairways and well contoured greens offer you a real taste of traditional links golf as its very best.

KILLARNEY GOLF & FISHING CLUB

The club boasts 2 Championship courses – the 7,250 yard Killeen course which is a 4 time Irish Open venue (1991,1992, 2010 & 2011), and Mahony’s Point which, although a little shorter, offers ample card wrecking opportunities with its strategic bunkering, water hazards & large subtle breaking greens. These magnificent courses are nestled amidst the serene splendour of the famous Lakes of Killarney in the shadow of Ireland’s highest mountain range, the majestic MacGillycuddy Reeks.

In addition to the Championship courses, Killarney Golf & Fishing Club also offers a range of excellent facilities to enhance your golf experience such as extensive practice facilities, a Pro Shop, Bar & Restaurant and Golf Academy. Clud and caddy fire are also available.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

Members’ Tee Times available each day
Full use of club facilities at Dooks Golf Links and Killarney Golf & Fishing Club
Discount on food, beverage and Pro Shop purchases
Reduced lesson rates with Club Professionals
Golfing guests at significantly reduced green fee rates
Discounted green fees at Kerry Golf Clubs

MEMBERSHIP PACKAGES

Individual Life Membership: €20,000
Spousal Membership: €35,000

To enquire about our Links & Lakes membership, please email office@dooks.com or telephone +353-66-9768205.

Aug 31 2016

Society Challenge at Dooks Golf Links

The delightful Dooks Golf Links will host a Society Challenge on Saturday 29th October with the 1st Prize on offer being a FREE OUTING FOR 16 GOLFERS! The County Kerry course has been welcoming visitors since 1889 and is a fantastic venue for all levels of players.

The format of the day itself is a Team of 4 competition with 2 scores to count on each hole, full handicaps apply. The entry fee per Team is €200 (€50 per person) which includes a Breakfast Bap with Tea/Coffee on arrival, your Round of Golf of course and a Main Course after play in the Clubhouse. You can book your team in Online or if you have any queries please call +353-87-6453537 or email smopen@tomkennedygolf.com.

Make sure to check out Dooks on Twitter and Facebook as well along with their great Membership Offers too!

Jul 22 2016

GolfBirdie – Your Golf Eye in the Sky!

GolfBirdie is the first tee to green flyover guide of the world’s top golf courses. “It’s the modern stroke saver” and provides some amazing footage with their advanced drone video equipment. The amazing success of GolfBirdie has enjoyed in its early days doing business saw it getting to the Semi Final as part Virgin’s VOOM 2016 Campaign recently which was a fantastic achievement and shows just what a fantastic offering GolfBirdie provides!

Users simply download the Free App, search their favourite club and have a bird’s eye view with professional video commentary and local knowledge, it is a great promotional tool for any golf course or resort and also allows golfers to check out the courses before they play in a way they’ve never been able to do before. GolfBirdie helps you plan a golf trip anywhere in the word. No more looking at still images to decide where you would like to play. Each course has a 4k promotional video giving you the ability to see a course like never before.

So what can GolfBirdie do for your club?

GolfBirdie film a 4K tee to green flyover of your course, all of which will be included on our global app. The promotional video captures the true beauty of your course and its main features, providing great advertising material for your website, social media and TV advertisements. With clients such as the Old Head Golf Links, The Island Golf Club, the Oceanico courses and Vale de Lobo among others it is easy to see why GolfBirdie is getting increasingly popular as a means of promoting your Golf Club or Resort at the highest level.

The footage, which I have seen first hand is amazing and will definitely give you the edge over your competitors in the market by adding that “wow factor” to your promotional tools and Sales & Marketing plans! Being a part of GolfBirdie opens up a whole new market of potential customers planning golf trips to Ireland and puts your club in the spotlight when they are deciding where to play.

GolfBirdie have some fantastic pre-launch deals at present, contact tom@tomkennedygolf.com to discuss further and take your Golf Sales & Marketing to the next level! In the meantime check out their Website, give them a Follow on Twitter and a Like on Facebook.

Jun 14 2016

Product Review – P2 Putter Grips

I was lucky enough to be part of the team that organised The Heritage Pro-Am 2016 in aid of The Ballesteros Foundation recently at The Heritage Golf Club. And even luckier to get the opportunity to try out one of the P2 Putter Grips over that weekend as well.

The key feature of the P2 Grips is the patented off-centre shaft design. This design increases the effective lie angle of the putter, elevates the wrist position at address, and secures them in a position where their unwanted movements are restricted. By positioning the wrists in this higher position, the shaft of the putter now runs directly up the forearms of both arms and allows the putter to operate as an extension of the lead arm, as a result putts will be stroke closer to the sweetspot and will start closer to the intended starting line.

This was definitely the case for me when I changed from my regular putter grip to the P2 Aware range. I found this to be particularly the case on longer putts when my distance control was good I would push or pull longer efforts, my new P2 grip definitely helped with this almost immediately and gave me a new confidence out on the course. I was able to get a few more long putts in on the day and keep those dreaded card-wrecking 3-putts to a minimum as well which was great!

So why would a P2 Grip suit you? P2’s testing with Quintic Consultancy has shown:
• Putts were struck closer to the sweetspot.
• Less twisting of the putter face open or closed at impact.
• Less hook or slice imparted on the golf ball.
• Putts start closer to the intended starting line.

That’s good enough for me anyway!

Check out the P2 Grip range to see what suits you best. P2 putter grips helps High Handicap Golfers as they often have a tendency to over rotate their lead wrist, instead of maintaining a square lead wrist through impact. The double flat sided design of the P2 putter grip, encourages both hands to be positioned squarely to the target making it more difficult to over rotate the wrist. As the off-centre shaft forces the wrists into a higher position, it limits the wrists range of motion which is crucial. P2 prevents the dreaded “wrist flick” at impact and encourages the lead wrist to continue working towards the target.

Low Handicap Golfers generally already know the outcome of a putt if they allow the putter face to close through impact. Often in an attempt to prevent the putter face from closing they will actually hold the putter face in an open position through impact. This means that the putt will likely miss to the right of the hole. This type of golfer when using the P2 putter grip, rotated the putter face more on approaching impact, leading to a more centred strike and a putt struck on line. The P2 Grip Team believe this improvement is again due to the grips flat sides and off-centre shaft design. With the lower hand positioned on the tapered section of the grip, it is encouraged to rotate the putter face to a square position at impact.

I’ve definitely got plenty of confidence in my new P2 Putter Grip and I think you will too. Don’t take my word for it of course, try them out for yourself and improve your putting!

Apr 1 2016

Masters Week 2016 at The Heritage

It’s that time of year again. Azaleas, Magnolia Lane, Amen Corner. It could only be Augusta and The Masters! In conjunction with the first Major of the year, The Heritage Golf Club are running a series of Open Competition that week and will also offer each golfers a voucher for a Free Round of Golf is Jason Day dons The Green Jacket!!

The schedule of Competitions are as follows:

– Thursday 7th April, Team of 4 for €30 per person

– Friday 8th April, Open Singles for €30 per person

– Saturday 9th April, Back Tees Challenge for €40 per person

– Sunday 10th April, Back Tees Challenge for €40 per person

Book by calling 057-8642321, online via our Website or by email on info@heritageresort.ie.

Dec 9 2015

Heritage Golf Resort 12 Days of Christmas 2015

The Heritage Golf Resort are back with their 12 Days of Christmas with 12 offers over the next 12 days! Check them out over the coming days. Along with the offers they will be offering Half Price Golf Buggies every day.

Day 1, Wednesday 9^th December – Book your Society today for 2016 and get 1 in 12 free (based on groups of 12 or more), plus Half Price Golf Buggies today

Day 2, Thursday 10^th December – Get 12% off 12 months membership at the Golf Academy, plus Half Price Golf Buggies today

Day 3, Friday 11^th December – Friday Night Pizza & Pint at The Thatch Bar only €5 per person, plus Half Price Golf Buggies today

Day 4, Saturday 12^th December – 20% off all logo clothing & non-sale footwear in the Golf Shop, plus Half Price Golf Buggies today

Day 5, Sunday 13^th December – Book 4 for Sunday Lunch and pay for 3 at Sol Oriens Italian Restaurant, plus Half Price Golf Buggies today

Day 6, Monday 14^th December – FREE Pint with all Adult Main Courses, plus Half Price Golf Buggies today

Day 7, Tuesday 15^th December – 12% off all vouchers for Golf, Golf School and F&B in the Clubhouse (Phone orders only), plus Half Price Golf Buggies today

Day 8, Wednesday 16^th December – Book a Society outing or Play & Stay package today and be entered into a draw for a Green Fee Voucher for 12 golfers, plus Half Price Golf Buggies today

Day 9, Thursday 17^th December – Buy 1 Get 1 Free on all Rib Dishes, plus Half Price Buggies today

Day 10, Friday 18^th December – Get a voucher for 12 Large Buckets of Range Balls for Half Price, plus Half Price Golf Buggies today

Day 11, Saturday 19^th December – Fourball for €120 with Selected Main Courses for €12 in the Clubhouse, plus Half Price Golf Buggies today. Book online HERE!

Day 12, Sunday 20^th December – 12% off Leix Course Membership plus Half Price Buggies today

Any queries on the 12 Days of Christmas at The Heritage Golf Resort please call +353-57-8642321 or email info@heritageresort.ie.

Nov 12 2015

The Heritage Pro-Am 2016 in aid of The Ballesteros Foundation

“The Board members of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation are delighted and very grateful that The Heritage Resort and the PGA of Ireland are hosting the sixth annual Heritage Challenge Pro-Am in aid of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation. We wish you every success and our sincere thanks“. Javier, Miguel & Carmen Ballesteros

The Heritage Resort and the PGA in Ireland this week were delighted to reveal details of an exciting relationship with the Seve Ballesteros Foundation in 2016.

The sixth annual Heritage Challenge Pro-Am, which will take place on Saturday 4^th & Sunday 5^th June 2016, was already one of the highlights of the PGA in Ireland calendar and will now feature an increased prize fund of €50,000 and will support the charitable efforts of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation. A Gala Dinner and Charity Auction in aid of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation will take place at the conclusion of play on Sunday, June 5^th. Items donated thus far for auction include a fourball at Royal Pedrena Golf Club, a visit to the Seve trophy room in Seve’s house and a sculpture of Seve’s grip – all money can’t buy items.

PGA in Ireland secretary, Michael McCumiskey said; “Support for golf and playing the game has recovered in recent times and, as part of that, we look forward with great enthusiasm to the staging of The Heritage Challenge in aid of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation“.

The Heritage Resort is closely associated with the Spanish golfing legend as home to the Ballesteros Course, the only golf course in Ireland designed by the legendary five time major winner. The venue is consistently ranked among the top 10 parkland courses in the country by Golf Digest magazine and has previously hosted The Seve Trophy and Irish Senior Open.

The Heritage Golf Operations manager Dean Redmond added; “It is a great boost for the venue to be hosting The Heritage Challenge in aid of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation. The professionals and amateurs will find the Seve designed course a great challenge in 2016.”

Last year’s tournament was won by David Higgins (Waterville) who carded rounds of 68/75 to edge out Colm Moriarty (Drive Golf Performance) with Daragh Lernihan (Elm Park) back in 3rd place.

Entry for a team of 3 costs just €1,000 and includes a donation to The Ballesteros Foundation, 2 rounds of Golf with a top PGA professional, on-course refreshments each day, barbeque on Saturday 4^th June and Gala Dinner on Sunday 5^th June, special accommodation rates at partner hotels and a memento of the occasion. Places are limited, so to guarantee a place at this year’s event contact Dean Redmond on 057 8642321 or email info@heritageresort.ie.

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Golf Consultancy, Events & Golf Blog!

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