Sep 19 2019

Social Media Open 2020

The Cashen Course’s 16th Hole

The Social Media Open returns next April for its 8th Annual Tournament! The venues of 2016, 2017 & 2018 and 2019 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 tremendous tests of golf. The dates for the Event will be Tuesday 21st – Friday 24th April 2020.

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 21st April 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 10th Green & 11 Tee

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 22nd 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 23rd 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 2020 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 24th April!

There will be a new format for the Event from previous years – Par 4s & Par 5s:
Both players tee off and pick one 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 both scores on holes 9 & 18 and 1 score to count on the other holes each (3/4 Handicaps apply) – while the Tournament packages are as follows:

Golf Only – €409 per person / €818 per Team of 2
Play & Stay 3 nights – €579 per person sharing / €1,158 per Team of 2
Play & Stay 4 nights – €689 per person sharing / €1,378 per Team of 2 (includes Prize Giving Dinner)
Play & Stay 5 nights – €749 per person sharing / €1,498 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 2020 Social Media Open please email info@experienceirelandgolfandtravel.com or call +353-64-6622830.

Oct 10 2017

Social Media Open 2018

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. You can check out details of our previous tournaments below via the following links – Inaugural Social Media Open; 2014 Social Media Open; 2015 Social Media Open; 2016 Social Media Open & 2017 Social Media Open.

The Social Media Open returns again next April for its 6th Annual Tournament! The venues of 2016 & 2017 return once more as well – namely, The Old & Cashen Course at Ballybunion Golf Club, along with Dooks Golf Links and Tralee Golf Links to make up 4 fabulous tests of golf. The dates for the Event will be Tuesday 24th – Friday 27th April 2018.

Day 1 of The 2018 Social Media Open will involve a 2-course start at the Cashen Course & Old Course at Ballybunion Golf Club on Tuesday 24th April 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!”

The 2nd Day of The 2018 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 26th 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”.

The 3rd Round of The 2018 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 Thursday 26th April!

The Final Round of The 2018 Social Media Open will once again take place at the tremendous Tralee Golf Links on Friday 27th 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!!

Defending 2017 Champs – Jim Dunne & John Howard

The format for the Event will continue as in previous years – Team of 2 with both scores on holes 9 & 18 and 1 score to count on the other holes each (3/4 Handicaps apply) – while the Tournament packages are as follows:

Golf Only – €670 per Team of 2 (€335 per person)
Play & Stay – €1,150 per Team of 2 (€575 per person, includes 4 nights’ accommodation – 1 night in Ballybunion & 3 nights in Killarney – and Prize Giving Dinner in Killarney, Venue TBC)

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 2018 Social Media Open please email smopen@tomkennedygolf.com or call +353-87-6453537.

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!

Nov 10 2014

The Social Media Open 2015

After 2 successful tournaments in Ireland the Social Media Open returns in April of 2015 for its 3rd Annual Tournament. The event has taken in some of the finest golf courses in the Emerald Isle over the first 2 stagings of the tournament and next year will be no different. The dates for next year’s event are Tuesday 14th – Friday 17th April 2015 which is the week after The Masters.

Day 1 of the 2015 Social Media Open will take place at the Cashen Course at Ballybunion Golf Club on Tuesday 14th April. 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!”

The 2nd Day of the 2015 Social Media Open will be played at the World famous Old Course at Ballybunion Golf Club on Wednesday 15th 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”.

Adare Golf Club will once again be one of the venues for the Social Media Open, hosting Day 3 on Thursday 16th April 2015. Adare GC is the last design by the legendary Robert Trent Jones Senior (also designer of Ballybunion’s Cashen course) and it has consistently ranked as the top parkland course in Ireland over the years. Opened in 1995, this exquisite parkland is set amongst magnificent mature trees and incorporates many water hazard including the River Maigue itself on quite a few occasions! An evening in Collins Bar in Adare village is very likely after golf with hopefully a few good golfing tales to tell at one of the bars in Ireland.

The Final Round of the Social Media Open will take place at the Old Head Golf Links once more, next year on Friday 17th April 2015! The Old Head Golf Links is built on a 220-acre diamond of land, jutting out over two miles into the Atlantic Ocean. The promontory is almost an island with numerous caves running beneath your feet as you play the course. The links and practice area occupy 180 acres and the remaining 40 acres of unspoilt cliff (rising in places to over 300 feet) frame the course. Old Head, par 72, comprises five Par-5s, five Par-3s & eight Par-4s – stretching to over 7,200 yards from the tips, with a minimum of six tees per hole. Nine holes play along the cliff tops, and all eighteen holes provide stunning ocean views. With the ever-changing sea breezes, the course provides a stern test to the touring pro and the high handicapper alike and will definitely do so during the Final Round of the 2015 Social Media Open – we can’t wait!!

The Tournament Packages for the 2015 Social Media Open are Golf only – €578 per Team of 2 (€289 per person) – or Play & Stay with 4 nights’ accommodation – €998 per Team of 2 (€499 per person sharing). There are just a few team spots left so if you are interested in taking part in the #SMOpen2015 drop us a line on socialmediaopen@gmail.com, Tweet us on @SMOpen or check us out on Facebook!

Mar 11 2014

Upcoming Irish Golf Events

Apart from the usual top amateur or professional tournaments going on in Ireland over the coming months there are also some superb events open to all golfers, amateurs and even some pros as well. Here’s a quick snapshot of some of them over the next few months in Ireland.

Social Media Open 2014

Following on from their successful Inaugural Tournament during Masters week in April 2013 the 2nd Annual Tournament takes place again during Masters week this year. There are a few small changes to the itinerary with Doonbeg replacing Mount Juliet and Adare being the venue for Day 2, swapping with Castlemartyr which host the 3rd Round. Old Head Golf Links once more provides the crescendo to the week by hosting the Final Round. Schedule as follows:

Wednesday 9th April 2014 – First Round at Doonbeg;

Thursday 10^th April 2014 – Second Round at Adare;

Friday 11^th April 2014 – Third Round at Castlemartyr;

Saturday 12^th April 2014 – REST DAY!

Sunday 13^th April 2014 – Final Round at Old Head Golf Links

Golf only is €275pp (€550 per team of 2) with Play & Stay packages from €505pp (€1,010 per team of 2). Any queries email socialmediaopen@gmail.com or you can give them a follow on Twitter or like on Facebook.

Causeway Coast Challenge

The Causeway Coast Amateur Golf Tournament is 46 years old, which puts most of the other events in the shade of terms of their longevity! It has always mainly been sponsored by a drinks company so has been better known as the “Remy Martin“, “Black Bush” and “Tullamore Dew“. This year’s tournament will be played over the Valley Course at Royal Portrush, Castlerock, Ballyliffin and Ballycastle – the dates for their 2014 event is from Monday 2nd – Friday 6th June.

The entry fee is £150pp for GUI Members; £200pp for Overseas Members and £80pp for Host Club Members. This deal also gives you 4 practice rounds along with the 4 competition rounds so is fantastic value! You can also check out their website, email info@causewaycoastgolf.com or call +44(0)77 3941 9727 with any queries.

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