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.

Sep 26 2017

Social Media Open North

The Inaugural Social Media Open North will come to Donegal in July 2018 with Narin & Portnoo, Donegal Golf Club and Portsalon GC providing a considerable golfing test for 3 days from Thursday 19th – Saturday 21st July (Open Championship Week)!

Narin & Portnoo is a gem of a links course with amazing views surrounding the golf course from all angles. The County Donegal course will be the venue for Day 1 of #SMOpenNorth on Thursday 19th July 2018. The course is situated in a beautiful seaside resort in southwest Donegal and is considered one of the finest natural and scenic 18-hole links courses in Ireland, with sweeping views of Gweebarra Bay. A warm and friendly welcome awaits you from Daragh Lyons, PGA Professional, and his Team and we are very much looking forward to beginning our Inaugural Tournament at Narin & Portnoo next July!

Day 2 will be hosted at the delightful Donegal Golf Club, or “Murvagh” as it better know by the locals! We will be here on Friday 20th July 2018 for #SMOpenNorth “Moving Day”! The course was built on a promontory of 182 acres that extends out into the Atlantic Ocean. The land was inhabited in past centuries due to the land being of geological significance. The course is a par-73 for both ladies & gents and consists of five Par 5’s, four Par 3’s and nine Par 4’s, stretching over 7400 yards from the tips, with five regulation tees from each hole, plus a beginner tee. The outside loop plays along the dunes and the ocean, providing stunning views of the surrounding area.

The Final Day of The Inaugural Social Media Open North will take place at the picturesque Portsalon Golf Club on Saturday 21st July 2018! As the contenders for The Open Championship will be trying to make their move at Carnoustie the teams at #SMOpenNorth will also be trying to claim the trophy on this beautiful links course in County Donegal! Portsalon Golf Club was founded by Colonel B.J Barton in 1891. The course was designed by Charles Thompson, the Portrush professional. The links quickly earned a reputation as one of the best around and attracted visitors from near and far. In 2000 a major redesign of the links was undertaken under the guidance of renowned architect, Pat Ruddy. He was tasked with upgrading the links to keep pace with the modern game which results in the course being lengthened considerably while 9 completely new holes were added. It will provide a fitting finalé for Social Media Open North!

The Format will be Pairs so Team of 2, both golfers will hit off each tee then picking the best tee shot and playing Better Ball from there! 2 scores are to count on holes 9 & 18 with 1 score to count on holes 1-8 & 10-17, 3/4 Handicaps will Apply.

We have the following Tournament Packages available to you (accommodation on Play & Stay packages will be at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Letterkenny):

Golf Only – €338 per Team of 2 / €169 per person
Golf & 2 nights’ B&B – €578 per Team of 2 (€289 per person sharing)
Golf & 3 nights’ B&B – €698 per Team of 2 (€349pps)
Golf & 4 nights’ B&B – €798 per Team of 2 (€399pps)

If you would like to enter #SMOpenNorth please call +353-87-6453537 or email Tom Kennedy – Event Founder. We hope to see you in Donegal in July next year!

Oct 26 2015

The Social Media Open 2016

The 2016 Social Media Open will be the 4^th Annual staging of the ever growing tournament! The dates for your diary are Tuesday 19th – Friday 22nd April 2016. We will also see two new golf courses added to the 2016 roster with Dooks Golf Club and Tralee Golf Links joining forces with the previously visited golf courses at Ballybunion Golf Club – The Old Course and The Cashen Course.

Day one of The 2016 Social Media Open will start off the week on the wonderful Cashen Course at Ballybunion on Tuesday 19^th April 2016. Often lost in the shadow of its older sister, The Old Course, The Cashen serves up a great test for all levels of golfers. Opened in 1982 and designed by Robert Trent Jones Senior (who also designed Adare GC among other golfing design gems), The Cashen will set us up for a great week of golf and craic. Keep it on the fairways around here though, the Cashen course won’t shy away from punishing a careless golfer, not that that will be a problem next April!! The Cashen Course at Ballybunion is built on what Jones Snr called “the finest piece of links-land that I have ever seen, and perhaps the finest piece of links-land in the world.”

Day two of The 2016 Social Media Open will see us take on the aforementioned older sister, The Old Course at BallyB on Wednesday 20^th April! After tackling the Cashen Course, what better way to follow it up than to play this 1893 vintage classic? The Old Course has been voted one of the best in the world by every golf publication worth its salt and rightly so! Tom Watson, 8 time major champion is a former club Captain and he went on the record to say “Nobody can call himself a golfer until he has played at Ballybunion; you would think the game originated there!” Why not check it out for yourself and report back to Uncle Tom!!

Day Three, Thursday 21^st April, will have us travelling further into Ireland’s beautiful south west region. Dooks Golf Club, one of our welcome additions to the Social Media Open for next year and it will certainly be an exciting venture for golfers who have already play and also who have yet to play this fantastic links course. The Dooks website captures it perfectly by stating ‘’a truly magical location for a stunning golf course. Experience breathtaking views and a unique links challenge that golfers have enjoyed since 1889’’. Known for its narrow genuine sandy 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 also! It will be a perfect host after two spectacular days at Ballybunion.

The Final Day of the 2016 Social Media Open, Friday 22^nd April, will take place at the world renowned Tralee Golf Links, known affectionately to the locals as Barrow. The youngest of our selected courses for 2016, opening for business in 1984. Arnold Palmer was the designer but only takes credit for the front 9, he says that God created the back 9 long before he got there! The world famous back 9 is a stretch of some of the most challenge, quirky and sublime golf holes on the planet. During a recent interview PGA Tour member Kevin Stadler explained…. “My favorite 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!!

2015 Champs – Bob Leggett & Al McGovern

The Golf Only package is €598 per Team of 2 (€299 per person) while the Play & Stay package (4 nights accommodation) will be the same price of this year at €998 per Team of 2 (€499 per person). We have limited space and with team entries already flying in for 2016 we anticipate another hotly contested Tournament in April!

If you have any queries or would like to enter a team please EMAIL us, you can give us a follow on Twitter or a like on Facebook too!

Mar 3 2014

LD Golf – Rising Stars Programme

County Kerry based LD Golf is offering your school an opportunity to take part in a comprehensive introduction to the game of golf through their Rising Stars Programme.

A bit about LD Golf

Liam Duggan is a PGA Advanced professional and head professional at LDgolf. Liam turned Professional in 2003 and graduated in 2006, with distinction, with a degree in the P.G.A. Programme. During this training Liam excelled, finishing 3rd, 1st and 2nd overall in Great Britain & Ireland across the 3 years of the program. Since turning Professional in 2002, Liam has worked at a number of prestigious 5 star resorts such as Doonbeg Golf Club and The Kiawah Island Club in Charleston, South Carolina.

Liam’s tried and tested holistic approach to coaching has help quite a number of young golfers achieve their goals with many representing their provinces, representing Ireland and in some cases turning professional. Liam places great emphasis in furthering his understanding of his craft. In 2011, he completed the P.G.A. golf psychology certificate and in 2012 Liam completed the P.G.A. advanced diploma. Subsequently, In January 2013, Liam was awarded the title of P.G.A Advanced professional by the P.G.A of Great Britain & Ireland and is one of only a handful of professionals in Munster to hold this title. In June 2013, he became a T.P.I certified level 1 instructor, which focuses on the area of injury prevention and screening for biomechanical deficiencies and is a K-VEST level 2 certified instructor.

Rising Stars Programme-Golf made simple

The Rising Stars Programme gives a fun introduction to the game, from using modified equipment, games and activities, suitable to both indoor and outdoor use in a fun, safe manner to using full equipment with safe limited distance balls.. The emphasis of the instruction is “simplicity” through a games based approach to ensure lots of fun. the programme is about much more than the skills of golf and includes:

an introduction to the basic skills of the game including putting, chipping, pitching & full swing

emphasis on the development of fundamental movement skills

using guided discovery tasks to face and overcome specific golf related tasks

The real beauty of the programme is that it offers the opportunity for the development of a curriculum that reflects the schools needs.

The Programme

The Rising Stars Programme is built around four constants-the coach, the curriculum, equipment and progression:

LD Golf Rising Stars Coaches: ALL our coaches are P.G.A Professionals As members of the Professional Golfers Association our coaches have as a minimum requirement of a degree in Professional golf from the University of Birmingham. All our coaches have Garda Vetting, Public liability, First Aid and child protection certification.

the curriculum has been specifically developed by Liam, after over 10 years as a golf professional and having introduced over 13, 000 children to the game in that time.

LDgolf uses a range of golf equipment to help maximise the quality of learning. From cutting edge technology such as the Foresight GC2 golf simulator or IPads to traditional golf clubs. We ensure that everything utilised is age appropriate and ensures a fun learning environment.

Progression: We believe that it is key to ensure that there is a structured pathway in place to allow all participants the opportunity to move on to the game of golf. In all areas we provide instruction we develop school club links so we can give everyone the opportunity to move on to the game of golf.

At present LDgolf has a team of P.G.A Professionals offering programmes across Munster-they are constantly looking to add suitable coaches so if you are interested, drop Liam a line at info@LDgolf.ie

Jan 27 2014

Enniscrone Golf Club – Early Season Offers

Enniscrone Golf Club is one of my favourite courses in Ireland, and therefore the World! It is a true gem of a links course and has some of the most spectacular golf holes over its 18-hole layout.

They have some great early season offers at the moment. For the month of March 2 Players can play The Dunes Championship Course for only €80 including Golf Buggy and for Month of April 4 players can play The Dunes Championship Course for €200 to include Tea/Coffee on arrival, Round of Golf and a Main Course after play!

The Enniscrone Golf Club Open Week also starts on June 23rd. You can contact Christina on 096-36297 to book any of the above offers or to get more details about their Open Week. There are some fantastic Membership offers available too, so much so I’ll be considering Country Membership while I am in Ghana!! One fantastic membership deal is a new 1st year Full Membership for only €266!! This deal applies to ladies or gents that have not been a member of a golf club for at least 5 years, that’s one helluva way to get back into golf if you’ve taken a break from the game or take up the game itself.

Make sure to give the code TKSD to avail of their great early season offers! You can check out the Enniscrone Golf Club website for some more great photos, further details on their 2013 offers, membership packages and all what you wanted to know about this superb golf course on Ireland’s west coast.

tomkennedygolf

Golf Consultancy, Events & Golf Blog!

Tag Archives: ireland golf

All Ireland Golf Challenge

LD Golf – Rising Stars Programme

Enniscrone Golf Club – Early Season Offers