The Irish Open - Baltray

Baltray, or as it is officially known - 'County Louth Golf Club', will be hosting this year's Irish Open which begins on May 14.

New sponsors, "3", (an innovative mobile phone company) have generously put forward a sponsorship package that will see some of the world's top golfers arrive on the east coast of Ireland to compete for a 3 million Euro prize fund. The favourites for the tournament may well come from the strong home contingent which includes the likes of Harrington, McDowell, McIlroy, McGinley and Clarke. Perhaps John Daly could throw a spanner in the works after recently accepting an invite. Although his patience levels will have to be turned up to an all time high in order to deal with the unpredictable Louth links.

Many of Ireland's best known courses such as Ballybunion, Portmarnock and Adare Manor have all hosted the Irish Open down the years, but this is only Baltray's second staging of the prestigious event. It was previously held here in 2004 when Australian Brett Rumford emerged victorious after providing a masterclass in the art of scrambling, an important skill that is often called upon around this testing links course. Padraig Harrington names it as "one of the most exciting links courses in Ireland".

One of the simple reasons that makes Baltray such a fearsome test of golf is it's layout. Like Muirfield over in Scotland, it's two loops of nine make almost every hole play in a different direction. With the gusting winds from the Irish Sea, you will be faced with a new challenge every time you address the ball.

The present course was designed in 1938 by the renowned Tom Simpson. It speaks highly for his design that he saw need to introduce only fifty bunkers to bolster the course's defences, but the terrain at his disposal was so suited to links golf that a sprawling mass of sand pits was not necessary. In 2003, Donald Steel was brought in to complete a course upgrade under the guidance of Tom MacKenzie. Little alterations were made here and there, but nothing too dramatic. These subtle changes are quite often the best when dealing with a classic links course. The addition of several new tees did stretch the course to over 7000 yards however, a level most tournament organisers deem suitable for modern professional play.

When the tournament hits our screens, keep an eye out for the 14th hole. Depending on the wind direction, you will see most of the players have a go at this 330 yard par 4 off the tee. It's one of many holes where aggression can result in birdie or bogey.

Should you wish to attend in person, Connoisseur Golf can design bespoke packages including tournament tickets, 5* accommodation and your own personal chauffeur in addition to tee-times at some of the top links courses in the country. For late availability on Irish Open packages or to include Baltray on your personal itinerary, e-mail me direct at jim@connoisseurgolf.com.

Castlerock

The Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland is blessed with a number of golf's finest links courses. Royal Portrush and Portstewart are famous the world over, but on your next trip, be sure not to overlook the wonderful layout at Castlerock.

It is situated within a drive and three-iron of the back nine at Portstewart, but because both are separated by the mount of the River Bann, it requires a 25 minute drive to get there. However no journey is more worthwhile. In fact it may no longer be termed a 'hidden gem' , because word is getting out and visiting golfers can be found there on a daily - if not hourly - basis.

Castlerock plays shorter and more rugged than Portrush, but this only adds to it's character and charm. My favourite element of the course is it's suitability for matchplay golf. There are so many risk-reward shots on the course that you have to keep your wits about you at all times. A few weak tee shots and you can be staring down the barrel of an 80. But there are birdies to be made also. One of Northern Ireland's most recent golfing starlet's - Graeme McDowell - dismantled the field here in the 200 World Universities Championship with a total of 12 under par.

The most picturesque and aesthetically pleasing holes are found down where the River Bann meets the Atlantic Ocean, but perhaps the best hole on the course is the 4th. "Leg O Mutton" is a 200 yard par 3 that is loaded with trouble. On the right (and not far off the line of your shot) you have the railway line. A meandering burn runs down the opposite side and collects anything hit with a trace of right-to-left. The green is heavily bunkered, and is far from a simple two-putt once found. It's not really what you like to be facing just half an hour into your round, but it is most definitely a hole that sorts the men from the boys.

One special mention I should give to Castlerock is the most generous welcome that visitors receive from the members and clubhouse staff. There is an extremely friendly atmosphere about the place.

Its maybe not the toughest links course in Ireland, but is certainly championship standard and one of the most enjoyable. Be sure to add this on to your itinerary next time you visit the North of Ireland.

The R&A Clubhouse

A few years ago, I submitted my Masters dissertation on the History of Golf Clubhouse Architecture in St Andrews - with the Royal & Ancient Clubhouse taking centre stage. I think it's a fascinating building, and there is perhaps no other image so iconic to the game of golf.

It can be seen from as far as three miles away on your drive into town, and it induces the same excitement and expectation on every return visit. Once in sight, you know you've reached golf's original mecca - the Links at St Andrews.

However, it didn't always appear how it does today. In fact it's had many rebirths and additions made throughout it's illustrious history. The story of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews begins on May 14, 1754 , when a group of 22 noblemen and gentlemen of Fife presented a silver club to be played for over the Links. But the clubhouse did not originally stand on its current position of behind the first tee until 1854. This first edition was a one-storey building designed by George Rae that provided washing facilities and space to store boxes of clubs. There was also provision made for smoking, dining, billiards and cards. In fact for those of you that have been to Royal Troon, I am of the opinion that this original clubhouse appeared very similar to their building down on the west coast.

With each expansion however, less and less of George Rae's original building became visible. Jesse Hall and then J.L. Fogo were the next to turn their hand at expanding and improving the form of the building. Each architect added his own theme and ideas to the overall vision, but mainly the changes were of a functional purpose. Over the years, the clubhouse has seen almost a dozen major changes in form by seven different architects. It is a clubhouse that has evolved with the needs of the members, and the changing of the times.

I have read various accounts by art and architecture historians, very much more decorated than myself, who have described the building as 'unpleasing to the eye' or a 'Victorian Monster'. Perhaps you need to be a golfer to understand it's true beauty and connotations. True, it's somewhat of a 'tardis', pieced together by a collection of different designers with various motives and aspirations, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I think it paints a magnificent picture of Classical, Victorian and Neo-Classical architecture down through the years, an evolving masterpiece that is etched into the minds of millions of golfers around the world. Just something to think about next time you're teeing off on The Old Course...

Royal County Down

The toughest course in Ireland? No contest - Royal County Down.

The most picturesque course in Ireland? No contest - Royal County Down.

Situated on a rugged piece of links land below the Mountains of Mourne lies one of the most spectacular courses on the planet. However, for all it's aesthetic delights, Royal County Down is not for the faint-hearted. Japan's Noburu Sugai won the 2002 Senior British Open here with a 72 hole score of only -3, while the impressive names of Watson, Irwin and Co. were blown away with the wind. Had they played from the tips, it is a certainty that no player in the field would have broken par. Rumour has it that even the great Tiger Woods got through half a dozen balls on his last visit.

The difficulty here lies three-fold. Firstly, Royal County Down is one of the most demanding courses off the tee that you are likely to find. On several occasions you will find yourself hitting driver to a blind fairway. Secondly, many of the greens boast treacherous undulations. If the green keeper happens to be in a particularly bad mood, the pin positions can be brutally difficult. Add some Northern Irish wind and the odd shower of rain into the mix, and you are left with one of the world's most difficult courses. If you manage to play to your handicap on your first visit, you've been sandbagging off a high handicap for far too long.

I think one of the great tests of a course's greatness is how you feel about it after a bad round, or having played it in inclement weather. Believe me, you will walk away from this place astounded even if you end up shooting the dreaded three-figures. If you're blessed enough to catch it on a calm sunny day, there is no finer place to be on earth.

It doesn't earn it's No.1 position on The Top 100 Rankings for no reason... It's everything a golf course should be, and more.

Tour Photography

Connoisseur Golf are very proud to offer our clients the services of one of the world's leading golf photographers for personal and corporate golf trips.

Bill P. Knight, or 'The Shooter from St . Louis' as he is more famously known, will be available to capture those priceless moments on and off the course that will remain with you for a lifetime. In addition to providing individual albums and mementos for your group, he can also be on hand to present your clients with a lasting memory of their golf tour to Scotland should the occasion be of corporate significance.

Bill was the official PGA Tour Photographer from 1971-1998, and is responsible for many of the iconic golfing images you have seen down through the years. The above photograph perhaps gives you an indication of how close Bill was to the leading players of his generation. At the 1973 Ryder Cup in Muirfield, Scotland, Lee Trevino was playing the best golf of a star-studded American team. His confidence was so high he wagered with his fellow team members that he would win both his final day singles matches or face the humiliation of being subjected to a rather lewd act. Unfortunately for Lee, a brave performance by Peter Oosterhuis saw him held to a half point during the morning's play. After a commanding 19-13 victory, Bill was on hand in the US team room to capture the jovial moment of Trevino being invited to honour his bets! My thanks to Bill for letting me share this story and photo, surely one of the best 'inside the ropes' images ever to be caught on camera.

It just goes to show that it isn't always the obvious shots that let you re-live the best memories. Posing for snaps on the Swilken Bridge, and in front of the R&A clubhouse is all well and good, but giving a photographer license to roam with high-spec equipment can really take your album to the next level. Having a professional like Bill on hand - who knows his way around a golf course like no other - will be an invaluable asset for you and your guests.

If you would like to find out more about retaining Bill's services for your next golf trip or are perhaps interested in viewing his commercial portfolio, simply e-mail me at jim@connoisseurgolf.com and I will be delighted to answer your queries.

Jubilee Course - St Andrews

St Andrews now has four entries listed in the Top 100 Courses Outside the United States. Not before time, The Jubilee Course has moved into this elite category and is ranked at No. 92.

The course was named in honour of Queen Victoria, whose Diamond Jubilee fell in 1897. Originally a nine hole course, it was extended to the regular quota of eighteen in 1905 at a cost of £150. Through this period, it was widely regarded as a course for juniors and ladies, but in 1988 Donald Steel was brought in to develop the Jubilee into a championship layout. He stretched it to 6742 yards and raised many of the tee boxes, affording golfers panoramic view of the surrounding links and also to bring the wind more into play. Further changes were made at the turn of the century to the opening holes. The 1st used to play 440 yards into the wind, while the 2nd was a relatively weak par 4 that could be reached with a single blow. The difficulty of these two holes was evened out to provide a fairer test.

The course has went on to hold a selection of tournaments including The Scottish Amateur Strokeplay, The British Mid-Amateur and The Boys Home Internationals. It has also played host to the qualifying rounds of The Amateur Championship, and The St Andrews Links Trophy.

I believe it to be the toughest of the courses in St Andrews. When you combine the length with the ever-changing winds, it forces you to adapt your game on a regular basis. Unlike the Old Course, with it's severely undulating greens, the Jubilee's seem to slope in one direction and not short-siding yourself is crucial here.

Red numbers can be made on the way out, especially at the two par 5's, No. 3 and No.6. But some of the shorter par 4's require a degree of course management off the tee, and driver may not always be the correct choice. You certainly need to build the foundation of your score on the front nine because the closing holes pose a much more serious threat.

No. 15 in particular can be particularly lethal to the well-being of your scorecard. It may only play 360 yards, but you must hit the correct segment of a tight fairway to have a view of the green. A small green that tilts from back-to-front is surrounded by gorse to the back and sides. Strike your approach too well and the ball can screw back into a large gulley at the front, but leaving yourself above the hole will see you face a nightmare two putt. It's a fantastic matchplay hole because birdies are sometimes offered up, but doubles and triples just as likely.

When including the Old Course on your itinerary, Connoisseur Golf also require that you play one of the other St Andrews courses. If you want to take on the challenge of St Andrews most difficult links course, I suggest you include the Jubilee. It's a beautiful rugged track and when played you will scratch your head, like me, and wonder why this glorious golf course only just creeps inside the Top 100. The boys at Golf Digest have some answering to do.

Carnoustie

Widely regarded as the toughest of the layouts on The Open Championship rota, Carnoustie is undoubtedly one of Scotland's must-play courses. It is perhaps not as aesthetically pleasing as say Turnberry, or doesn't carry the history associated with St Andrews, but there is no doubt that it provides a wonderful test of golf. During the 2007 Open, Colin Montomerie described it as "One of the toughest and best links courses we have in the world".

The name 'Carnoustie' is probably derived from two Scandinavian nouns, “car” meaning 'rock' and “noust” meaning 'bay'. It sits on an exposed coastal peninsula 12 miles east of the city of Dundee, and is easily accessible from St Andrews - a mere 45 minutes by road.

It has hosted the Open on seven different occasions and produced some of the most dramatic finishes in major championship history. In 1999, Paul Lawrie and Justin Leonard were leading in the clubhouse with a score of 290. Frenchman Jean Van de Velde was faced with the seemingly simple task of requiring a double-bogey six to win The Open. But things went from bad to worse as he plundered his way to a seven, including an exploratory trip to The Barry Burn in his bare feet. Local favourite Lawrie, who had earlier made his charge from ten shots back, played exquisite golf in the playoff, and became a surprise but deserved winner of the Claret Jug.

In 2007, it looked briefly as if Harrington was to suffer a similar fate to that of Van de Velde. He visited the water twice on the 72nd hole, but played one of the best pressure chips in the history of championship golf to secure a six, and found himself in a playoff with young Spaniard Sergio Garcia. The Irishman stepped through the gears in the playoff and picked up his first major at the expense of his Ryder Cup compatriot in what was one of the most exciting finishes to an Open since...well... the last time it was played at Carnoustie.

The 7400 yard course doesn't really offer respite at any point. You need to be straight and long off the tee. On several shots you are also required to shape the ball in order to avoid the sand on what Ernie Els calls "...the best bunkered course in the world." The prevailing wind seems to make the tough holes play exceptionally long, and even if you make it to the 16th tee unscathed, you are left with one the most difficult finishes in championship golf.

No. 16 is a 245 yard par 3 often played into the wind. In winning the 1975 Open after a playoff, Tom Watson failed in five attemts to make par here. In 1968 Jack Nicklaus was the only player to get past the pin during the final round. If you make three at this beast of a short hole, you will undoubtedly have earned it.

The beauty of No.17 is that you will typically have a mid-to-long iron approach regardless of the wind direction. This is due to the snaking Barrie Burn, that usually requires you to hit a lay-up shot off the tee. Ideally you want to work your approach from left to right into this undulating green, and overall it's a hole that doesn't give away too many birdies.

The 18th is brutal. 450 yards into the wind, with bunkers and thick rough to the left, and Harrington's favourite friend - The Barrie Burn - to the right. Any draw spin on the long approach can be accentuated by the wind and you can find yourself out of bounds, cruising to a triple or even worse. Into a strong wind, it's almost best playing for a five. Greed will be punished severely by the Carnoustie golfing gods. If you don't believe me, just ask poor Van de Velde.

Hell Bunker

The second shot on No.14 at St Andrews is not for the faint-hearted. If you've hit a good one off the tee then you can have a stab at going for the green in two. However, a not-so-perfect drive leaves you the ultimate risk/reward shot in golf - the carry over Hell Bunker.

The pit itself is enormous. Almost the size of your average green. But size isn't the issue here, it's the tall vertical faces. If you're far enough in, then you may only be able to play backwards. But the curvature of it's shape often interferes with the path of your swing, and sometimes the only option is to chip it back to the middle of the bunker.

The local caddies are so worried about their player finding Hell that many of them actually recommend that they play down the adjoining 5th fairway. It lengthens the hole and leaves a shot of around 150 yards for the third, but it does provide the best angle for approach and more importantly takes the cavernous beast out of play completely.

To make matters worse, the 14th fairway sits on a plateau above the second half of the hole which makes the bunker disappear from sight. A golfer playing here for the first time could finish up in Hell without even knowing it was there.

From the back tee, this sandy grave will be on the minds of even the world's top golfers. Jack Nicklaus needed four blows to escape from here during the Open Championship in 1995, and finished up carding a ten. Ben Crenshaw commented, "When you're in perdition like he was, sometimes there's no way out. You can get in there and stay in there, that's why they call it hell".

Kinnettles

Some of our clients occasionally require a level of privacy that is perhaps not afforded at many of the major resorts and hotels across Scotland. Achieving this exclusivity whilst maintaining a top level of service has been difficult in past, but the facilities on offer at Kinnettles House are second to none. Situated just twenty minutes from Dundee Airport, and within comfortable reach of the courses at St Andrews and Carnoustie, this mansion house provides the ultimate base for a golfing trip to Scotland. The surrounding 66 acre estate provides the perfect countryside retreat within striking range of the country's best championship courses.

Accommodation is offered in nine contemporary-styled bedroom suites, each with super-kingsize beds and a 42' plasma screen. A host of public rooms are made available for your group including a spacious lounge with fully stocked bar, a casino room with roulette and card tables, a snooker room, and a sun lounge. A private chef and his staff will prepare meals to your specification which are served in the most magnificent dining room, and of course your on-site concierge from Connoisseur Golf will be available for any transfers that you may require. Basically this is a luxury home away from home, and we regard it as the finest exclusive occupancy venue in Scotland - perfect for a corporate golf trip.

Augusta & St Andrews

The Masters is only a few days away, and it is interesting to note the links between two of the world's most famous courses - Augusta National and The Old Course. When you watch the rolling green fairways and the array of beautiful flora on display at Augusta, it is sometimes easy to forget that a lot of the inspiration for this golfing masterpiece actually came from St Andrews.

Augusta National was the brainchild of Bobby Jones, and he dearly wanted to differentiate it from the countless other cloned golf courses that were appearing throughout America. The most notable architect of that time was Donald Ross, but Jones required someone with the vision to design a tough layout that still gave the golfer options from any point on the course - a thinking man's course. Jones had an ideal in his head of spacious fairways with severely undulating greens and cleverly placed hazards that punished poor approach shots. Ross was known for lining fairways with hundreds of bunkers, a design that suited the robotic straight hitter. But he chose Dr. Alister Mackenzie for his love of St Andrews and his ability to take the best aspects of great holes from around the world and fine-tune them to the land available.

At least five holes from The Old Course were used as inspiration in building Augusta National. Perhaps the most obvious is the the par 3 4th, which is very similar in nature to the short 11th on The Old Course. A large sloping kidney-shaped green is protected by two punishing bunkers. One short and right (relating to Strath) and one on the left (Hill bunker), where Jones famously tore up his scorecard and walked off the course in 1921. This version at Augusta plays much longer at 240 yards, but possesses all the characteristics of it's cousin back in Scotland. Every year I enjoy watching Ken Brown's (BBC Commentator) previews of the holes at Augusta. He is always of the belief that an imaginative short game is more important than raw power around this 7400 yard track. Shots such as the 'bump-and-run' with a seven iron are employed just as often here as at The Open Championship. The course plays fast and fiery, and that's exactly what Bobby Jones envisaged when he hired Mackenzie.

The fairways are large, but simply hitting them isn't good enough. Like St Andrews, being in the centre of the fairway is sometimes the worst place to be. The angle of attack is usually much easier from one side or the other, i.e. adding difficulty to your tee shot will benefit the following approach shot. Take the 9th for example - unless you are on the extreme right hand side of the fairway, you can't see the green due to the bunkering on the left apron. Being centre-cut will also leave you with a hanging lie, and a pin-point approach to a green that runs away from you. I think this is very similar to the 4th at St Andrews, probably where the blueprint of the hole originated.

So when you're drooling over the azalea's and cherry blossoms this weekend, take time to look out for ways in which Alister Mackenzie tried to make Augusta play like Bobby Jones' favourite course - St Andrews.

The Postage Stamp

It is the shortest hole in major championship golf, but what is it about the 8th hole at Royal Troon that makes it so incredibly dangerous? From the Championship tee it measures a mere 110 yards to the front edge of the green, so why does it strike fear into the world's top professional golfers?

For one, the hole has an extremely small putting surface - less than ten yards wide. It also plays into a prevailing wind, so with a middle pin position, you can find yourself gripping down the shaft on anything up to a six-iron. Add in some of the most treacherous bunkers imaginable, and hopefully you can begin to understand how it has earned it's reputation. Miss the green here and you can basically kiss your par goodbye.

The bunkers here make their famous cousin on The Road Hole at St Andrews look like a sand-filled divot. It is not only the depth and severity of slope, but also the difficult stances they often leave you in. From the two raised bunkers on the left, it is often tough to keep your ball on the green without it running off into those on the right. From this pair of bunkers, you require an almost vertical escape to clear the lip and find safety. Miss both green and bunkers, and you will find yourself attempting a Phil Mickleson special - only if you find your ball that is.

Of course you could simply hit the green, knock it in for a two, and wonder what all the fuss was about. But these stories tend to be few and far between.

Probably the most famous exponent of this particular hole was the late, great Gene Sarazen. In 1973, he aced this most famous of par 3's. Amazingly he was 71 at the time and it was exactly fifty years since he first played in the Open here back in 1923.

Whatever number you manage to rack up at the Postage Stamp, it is sure to be one of the defining moments of your golfing pilgrimage to Scotland.

62 on The Old Course

I witnessed Tiger Woods blow the field away at The Open Championship in 2000. I also thought Ernie Els was a masterful player of The Old Course in the old team version of The Dunhill Cup. But the most impressive performance I have seen in the flesh was Graeme McDowell's demolition of St Andrews during the opening round of The Dunhill Links Championship in 2004.

Every year, Jose Maria Olazabal's crisp iron play always stands out above all others on the range. But Graeme's ball-striking that Thursday morning was right up there. Unlike many players that have developed their game on a links course with a low penetrating trajectory, McDowell is just as equally blessed when it comes to delivering a high ball flight. It might not sound like a deadly weapon when the wind's up, but on a reasonably calm day with front pins, it's a pre-requisite for going low.

He got off to a smart start, taking things easy through the first four holes to be one-under. I always think these opening holes can catch you cold, and if you can perhaps pick one up on the first or third - then that's a bonus. Graeme did just that with a tidy birdie on No.3.

For a top professional like McDowell, six through twelve is like being a kid in a candy store. Birdies and even eagles are there for the taking, but you have to complement this attacking play with an equal measure of mental patience. Hitting one of the many pot bunkers at any of these holes can easily see you making a mess of a clean scorecard. But Graeme managed to avoid the sand, birdieing five, six and seven, and picked up the customary three at the ninth. In 2004, it was only playing 352 yards, so any of these guys hitting their driver relatively straight were pretty much guaranteed a birdie.

Being five-under through nine is an excellent start, but it's been done many times before. Jarmo Sandelin once turned in 27. It's the back nine here that decides your fate. Not only is it a much tougher stretch of holes but the wind tends to be into and off the right, as it was on this occasion. What impressed me most about this particular round was that it would've been simple for Graeme to sit back and coast in with a 67 and put himself in the mix. But he knew he was hitting the ball beautifully and holing out superbly from inside ten feet, so he continued to attack. He shaved the hole at ten to remain at -5, but his mindset was made apparent on the 11th. The pin was cut just four paces over Strath bunker, one of the most dangerous on the course. Behind the tee I watched Graeme line up his shot and couldn't believe to see him set up straight at the pin. It's an easy shot for a professional to hit the middle of the green here and leave a putt of thirty feet or so. It looked like a six-iron, and it set off like a bullet. One of those shots that doesn't deviate an inch. "Go...go...go was the shout from his caddie", but it was never in any doubt. It cleared the bunker and sat down a few feet from the hole. The sixth birdie of the round took him to the top of the leaderboard.

Twelve is another one of those reachable holes on The Old Course that is totally dependent on the quality of the drive. After yet another good swing, Graeme marched to seven under for the round. But this is where things got interesting. Thirteen is a tough par 4, that doesn't tend to yield too many birdies. A towering iron shot left him a relatively simple putt on the flat part of the green and the clenched fist was once again on view as he reached down to pick his ball from hole.

Fourteen, a 581 yard par 5 was a mere formality. Graeme is deceptively long off the tee, and like many of the bigger hitters he can turn these five's into four's. Long putting is of course very important at St Andrews, but look at a sample of the names on The Claret Jug when it's been played here - Nicklaus, Daly, Woods. Having length off the tee here often helps to take out some of the trouble, which many of the shorter players have to plot their way around.

I wouldn't be surprised if thoughts of 59 were running through his head at this point, but pars on 15 and 16 extinguished those dreams if they did indeed exist. However, his approach on 17 was incredible. As usual the pin was located behind the Road Hole bunker. There's a little room for error short and right, but from the fairway the green is a very thin looking target. For the amateur it's often too much to turn down, but Graeme went for this pin knowing he was in complete control of his game. A crisp seven iron, with a beautiful soft draw landed pin high and rolled left towards the hole. The guests in the hospitality tent directly behind the green finally had a reason to look away from the complimentary bar. When the putt dropped in the centre of the cup the gallery were in raptures, and McDowell walked to the 18th tee an incredible ten under par. An uphill putt from around ten feet at the last would've given him the course record outright, but it slid agonisingly past and he had to settle for a 62. "While I was out there it almost felt like blasphemy doing this at St Andrews", he later commented to the media.

After a quick start, it has taken him a couple of years to find his feet on tour, but his win at Loch Lomond and his outstanding play at the Ryder Cup have shown that he has the game to take on anyone and win anywhere. Could we see this Ulsterman picking up The Claret Jug at St Andrews this year? Who knows - he could even roll into The Auld Grey Toon wearing a green jacket...

North West Ireland

There is so much more to Ireland than the string of celebrated courses in Kerry. One area in particular that I feel always unfairly misses out on the headlines is the North West. In Mayo and Sligo, you can experience what I term 'real links golf'. Forget all these striped fairways and tee-boxes that look like they've been trimmed with a pair of hand scissors. Carne, Enniscrone and Rosses Point showcase links golf at it's best. Rugged, windswept, wholesome courses with beautifully kept greens.

Carne is a 15 year old golf course that looks as if it dates back to the 1800's. It was the final links course to be designed by the late, great Eddie Hackett, and many believe it to be his finest work. Some architects push the aesthetic boundaries too far, sacrificing the quality of the course itself. Hackett has a reputation for getting this balance just right.

He was also responsible for much of Enniscrone, although Donald Steel later reworked six of the holes. Both courses remind me a little of the fabulous front nine at Portstewart. Many of the fairways and greens are directly enclosed by an ampitheatre of sand hills and dunes. The rough is extremely penal, and like all true links links courses, the emphasis is on solid striking and straight hitting.

Perhaps the most well known of the three is County Sligo Golf Club, affectionately known as Rosses Point. It is famous in Irish golfing circles for it's hosting of The West of Ireland Championship, one of the four 'majors' on the amateur circuit. Both Harrington and McIlroy have won this title on their road to the paid ranks. In fact, throughout it's 85 year history it has consistently produced deserving winners - the sign of a great championship golf course. The club itself dates back to 1894, with Harry Colt redesigning the layout in 1927. Golf commentator Peter Alliss once remarked, "A tremendous test for the highest quality player and great fun for the modest competitor, Rosses Point stands at the very top of the list of Irish courses". The signature hole here is the par 4 17th. A testing uphill dogleg to the left that requires a tee shot to right of centre. From here, you must hit a long towering approach to a raised green, or be faced with a tricky up-and-down from their version of 'The Valley of Sin'. Possibly the best 17th hole in Ireland.

I like to offer my clients a range of high-end accommodation options when building an itinerary. For the discerning executive golfer, 'where to stay' is almost as important as 'where to play'. However, when it comes to this segment of Ireland - and Mayo in particular - I don't even bother listing an alternative to the magnificent Mount Falcon Country House Hotel & Spa. When you read through the guestbook and notice the name of a certain Tiger Woods, you know you've made the right choice. The location is ideal. Situated on the west bank of the River Moy, Mount Falcon sits nestled in a beautiful 100 acre estate close to the town of Ballina. It is the perfect base for playing the three aforementioned courses, and is also only 30mins from Knock Airport. The main part of the baronial house was commissioned in 1872 by a young Irish gentleman as a present for his bride. Recently, it has been sympathetically extended, and refurbished from top to toe. Inside, you couldn't wish for a more peaceful, charming environment. It's spacious, fresh and modern, but retains every last drop of it's rich Irish culture. The suites are enormous, and the hospitality is faultless. And did I mention the hotel has the exclusive rights to the best stretch of salmon fishing in Ireland? The K Club is a special place, as is The Merrion in Dublin, but I think Mount Falcon edges it for me. It's a heavenly retreat... and as I described above, the nearby golf isn't too bad either.

Galgorm Resort & Spa

High level accommodation has always been somewhat of a problem when it comes to building golfing itineraries in Northern Ireland. The suites at Slieve Donard located beside Royal County Down fit the bill, as do those in The Culloden and Merchant Hotels in Belfast. But until recently, staying a little closer to Royal Portrush has left many golfing tourists with a headache. I am happy to report that thanks to Galgorm Resort and Spa, this is no longer an issue.

The original Galgorm Manor was built in the early nineteenth century, and sits in over 160 acres of beautiful parkland and forest overlooking the River Maine. The recent 17 million euro refurbishment has made it one of the most attractive and comfortable country house hotels in Ireland. It is ideally situated within 40mins of the courses at Royal Portrush, Portstewart and Castlerock, and only 30mins from Belfast International Airport. It has managed to retain all the Manor's authentic Irish charm, whilst offering the spacious modern environment required by the modern golf traveller.

The most impressive addition is probably the new Spa and fitness suite. Here you can ease away your golfing aches and pains with an Infinity hydrotherapy pool, outdoor hot tub, five individual climate rooms, and 11 wet-and-dry treatment rooms. A full range of Spa treatments are available on demand.

It's also the perfect choice when considering the non-golfing members of your party. Galgorm boasts it's own equestrian centre, trout and salmon fishing, on-site clay pidgeon shooting and a series of country walks. Like Gleneagles in Scotland, it's the perfect place to relax for a few days within a busy golfing schedule.

Fine Dining is available at The River Room restaurant, or if you require something that little bit more rustic and casual you can enjoy a steak along with a creamy pint of Guinness at Gillies Bar & Grill. The latter has a fantastic vibrant atmosphere with a mixture of locals and residents at nights and weekends. It's great not having to leave your resort to find the hot-bed of local nightlife, but with the solace of having a quiet country house to return to after closing time.

Northern Ireland contains two of the top twelve courses in the world and is a golfer's paradise. With such fabulous accommodations now on offer, there is really no excuse not to visit.