Irish Sports
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Reading a bit about this recently . Talks on going apparently , Portrush favourite to host it as a prelude supposedly to hosting the British Open . Howver I read there is a problem with what the proposed tournament is titled . Anyone real out there ?
The Irish Open has a proud history , and has been staged North of the border on at least 4 occasions , the last being in 1953 --the first golf tournament I ever attended . Eric Brown won it at Belvoir Park , pocketing £750 as the winners prize , the British Open that year paid just over £300 to the winner ( some of them dont believe that over the water , but its true ) .
According to reportage the Irish government have been a factor in sponsoring or supplementing the pot recently , and there may be some in the south who would hate to see ANY money going out of the state for an event in Northern Ireland . Cant believe that , no-one doing any sums re net migration of tourist funds from north to south every year ?
If Irishness means anything , and with the GUI an All -Ireland body thankfully ( and very constructively ) there should be no debate . Do the sums , rotate a premium event fairly and to the benefit of all . After all if the northern golfers took the rust there are not many others to fill the high rank vacuum , and without Rory ( thankfully he has committed to 2012 Irish Open , wherever that may be ) our ( Irish ) Open would be greatly diminished .
Great opportunity to get the event back where it belongs , on a links course . We have 30% plus of the world links courses , most of them playable 80% of the year , unlike our parkland courses ( different turf ) . And up to 15 ( at least ) of our links courses are in the worlds top 100 . Dont understand the mentality that allowed the Carrolls ( which was the second most important event on the European tour in its heyday ) to disappear from a links around Dublin , the natural place for the event .
Why not have an Irish Open rota a la England and Scotland , with Portrush , Newcastle , Baltray , Portmarnock , Royal Dublin as core . Plus an odd one or two further afield , say Waterville , Doonbeg , Lahinch , and a couple of others in the west coast I am not personally familiar with , either location or quality wise . Huge possibilities , just requires a bit of nous , get up and go , applied logic , and occasional banging of heads for the greater ( national ) good . Does the Tourist Board not have any clout any more ?
Have the right spot now , 3 weeks before the British Open , might even get a few Yanks ( but the days of appearance money gone I am afraid , not worth it , they need practice here more than we need them , twas not always thus ).
The Irish Open has a proud history , and has been staged North of the border on at least 4 occasions , the last being in 1953 --the first golf tournament I ever attended . Eric Brown won it at Belvoir Park , pocketing £750 as the winners prize , the British Open that year paid just over £300 to the winner ( some of them dont believe that over the water , but its true ) .
According to reportage the Irish government have been a factor in sponsoring or supplementing the pot recently , and there may be some in the south who would hate to see ANY money going out of the state for an event in Northern Ireland . Cant believe that , no-one doing any sums re net migration of tourist funds from north to south every year ?
If Irishness means anything , and with the GUI an All -Ireland body thankfully ( and very constructively ) there should be no debate . Do the sums , rotate a premium event fairly and to the benefit of all . After all if the northern golfers took the rust there are not many others to fill the high rank vacuum , and without Rory ( thankfully he has committed to 2012 Irish Open , wherever that may be ) our ( Irish ) Open would be greatly diminished .
Great opportunity to get the event back where it belongs , on a links course . We have 30% plus of the world links courses , most of them playable 80% of the year , unlike our parkland courses ( different turf ) . And up to 15 ( at least ) of our links courses are in the worlds top 100 . Dont understand the mentality that allowed the Carrolls ( which was the second most important event on the European tour in its heyday ) to disappear from a links around Dublin , the natural place for the event .
Why not have an Irish Open rota a la England and Scotland , with Portrush , Newcastle , Baltray , Portmarnock , Royal Dublin as core . Plus an odd one or two further afield , say Waterville , Doonbeg , Lahinch , and a couple of others in the west coast I am not personally familiar with , either location or quality wise . Huge possibilities , just requires a bit of nous , get up and go , applied logic , and occasional banging of heads for the greater ( national ) good . Does the Tourist Board not have any clout any more ?
Have the right spot now , 3 weeks before the British Open , might even get a few Yanks ( but the days of appearance money gone I am afraid , not worth it , they need practice here more than we need them , twas not always thus ).
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I thought this was a done deal with the Stormont Exectuitive and European Tour giving it the go ahead in principal? Given the cost of running the event is nearly 3 million it would be in the best interests of everyone to give any course up North the oppurtunity to put the event together. Have I missed cold water being poured on the idea?
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Its gone quiet about the topic . Maybe there are discussions going on , but dont hear any news recently . Guess we will have to wait and see how it pans out . The opportunity is there , reckon its the financial aspects which might be hard to justify in some peoples eyes when there are strictures everywhere .
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Did I hear on the radio that Carton House got it
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On the RTE website......
Carton set to be 2012 Irish Open venue Rory McIlroy - will play the Irish Open in 2012 It is expected that Carton House will be confirmed as the venue for the 2012 Irish Open later today. The 2011 event at Killarney Golf Fishing Club only went ahead with backing from the European Tour and Fáilte Ireland. The Kerry course had hoped to host it for a third year in a row but the European Tour was keen to secure a venue closer to Dublin. The event will take place from 28 June to 1 July in 2012 having been been moved back five weeks to avoid a clash with the London Olympics. The new date means it will take place three weeks before the Open Championship. Rory McIlroy recently provided a boost for the Irish Open by announcing that he would play in the event despite it clashing with a PGA Tour tournament at Congressional, scene of his US Open victory earlier this year. Carton House previously hosted the event in 2005 and 2006. From the Irish Times...... TOUR NEWS : MOST OF the I’s have been dotted and the T’s crossed for next year’s PGA European Tour schedule with just a little unfinished business, one of which is the venue for the Irish Open – which has a plum date on June 28th-July 1st, three weeks before the British Open – remaining to be confirmed. But official confirmation is expected over the coming days that the tournament, still without a title sponsor, will be returning to Carton House in Maynooth, Co Kildare, for the first time in six years. Killarney Golf Fishing Club – which played host to the tournament for the past two years – had put itself into the mix to stage it for a third year. However, the European Tour made contact last Friday to inform the club that they would not be hosting it in 2012 with, it is believed, a move back to the Dublin region considered more likely in an attempt to attract sponsorship. Carton House, which last played host in 2006 when Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn won, and Killeen Castle, host venue for the Solheim Cup won by Europe this year, had emerged as the two frontrunners. The official schedule for next year was released by the European Tour yesterday with just a small number of courses yet to be confirmed, most notably the Irish Open, the Madrid Masters and the HSBC Champions event in China. The 2012 schedule – starting with the Africa Open on January 5th-8th and ending with the DP World Tour Championship, Dubai on November 22nd-25th – currently features 46 confirmed tournaments on five continents, emphasising the global nature of the European Tour, and there is the prospect of a number of other events being added. |
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Carton House a good venue for 2012 if they cant organise a links . Never been there , but its close enough to the pale to do a good job attendance wise ( and interest wise ) .
I am interested though in the next year , particularly if its a dry run ( without diminishing it in any way shape or form ) for the British Open at Portrush . Would love to see the Irish Open settling in the spot just before the British Open , both on links courses . Natural fit . |
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Didn't it used to be in the week before the British Open back in the Portmarnock days which is why we used to have such a great field year after year. Then the Scottish Open usurped its spot.
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Is McIlroy committed to the Irish Open because of sponsors? Congressional must be very disappointed he's not plying in the US.
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Moving up to us Nordys, Kelly will be happy anyway & It'll give me a chance to give Pod some flak for all the money I've lost on him this past few years
 :http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/royal-portrush-to-host-2012-irish-open-16099619.html |
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great news, increases the chances of getting a british open there as well
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Have to change the post to 2012 . Unexpected , what happened to the previously announced arrangements for this year ?
Anyway good news for Portrush , anyone who goes will be welcomed and entertained . Top course , exactly where it rates versus other courses North and South has always been the subject of ( friendly ) debate , point being they are all good . Trust nobody tries to hop on a political band wagon , the Irish Open belongs to the people / golfers of Ireland with the imprimatur of the Golfing Union of Ireland , the oldest golfing union in the world . Hear it is going back to Carton House in 2013 , good course too and handy enough to a big centre of population . Hope the dates are good for that . |
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Great news that's it being played at the Port. The North West will benefit greatly from this
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Just booked some tickets , not expensive if you take it up before end March . And children under 16 free if in company of an adult .
European Tour site , had to register etc , took about 10 minutes in all . Parking may be the problem , although my son is a member there so might get some concession / space in that regard . |
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say Waterville (too remote, but great choice), Doonbeg (not good enough), Lahinch (do they need it ?), and a couple of others in the west coast I am not personally familiar with , either location or quality wise
Glaring omission - Ballybunion (again ?) - but many courses will not want (or can afford) it. |
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Catchmeifyoucan , Ballybunion certainly up to the mark , and it is on the west coast . Ballybunion in my top 10 that I have played ( and posted on here somewhere ) . Played it once , loved it as a traditional links . Trouble with the west coast venues is accessibility , bit like Portrush which is 60 miles from a big population centre ( Belfast and district ) .
Donegal venues also off the beaten track , Ballyliffin is truly on the edge of the world , Murvagh not soo remote . Brilliant courses but not anyway in the centre of things . Thought Doonbeg was a good course , Catchme , several people have advised me to play it some day . Cheers . |