| A Ryder Cup Welcome  Want
a tee-time at Augusta National or Shinnecock Hills? Golf is the only major
sport in the world where amateur enthusiasts can experience the self-same
challenges posed by those courses where the sport’s top professionals
vie for glory. That is, if they can get to play on them.
Every serious golfer wants to challenge those famous venues that are the
storied lore of this wonderful sport. At many of the great courses in
America it is difficult, if not impossible, to get your name on the timesheet
for a round. Augusta National or Pine Valley? – forget it.
Not so in Ireland where there are more golf courses than days in the year
- and more courses listed in the Top 100 world rankings than you can shake
a nine-iron at. Some of the layouts in Ireland are old-established courses
that were being played before the 19th century was in the history books.
And, there are others that are modern masterpieces designed by the leading
golf course architects of our age including, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus,
Tom Fazio to name just some.
Ireland’s golf courses are easily accessible to our American visitors.
And, some of the greatest golf courses in the world are in Ireland. The
names are legendary and many, like Royal County Down, Ballybunion, Portmarnock,
Waterville, Royal Portrush, The K Club, Lahinch, The Old Head, Mount Juliet
and so many others.
Of course, this year, the Ryder Cup Matches will be played in Ireland
for the first time at The K Club near Dublin. We view this as a unique
honor marking Ireland’s special place in the game of golf and surely
reinforces the island’s claim as a premier golf destination.
With over 400 golf courses spread throughout the island golf is easily
accessible to all. Ireland has courses to suit all handicaps, from the
experienced player to the amateur golfer. Home to one in three of all
the links courses in the world, Ireland’s reputation as a golf paradise
in Europe has been copperfastened by the building of many new parkland
courses.
Above all else, though, golf in Ireland is fun. The mulligan, it is said,
was an Irish innovation. And, while the golf is clearly very important,
what happens after the game is also crucial to the enjoyment of a golf
vacation experience. And, this is where Ireland excels. The 19th Hole
may not have been invented in Ireland, but it surely has been perfected
there. So many of our American golf vacation visitors return to the United
States having enjoyed playing our courses, but have even fonder memories
of the fun time off the course after the last putt drops.
Some say that golf is less a sport than it is an addiction. And, nothing
feeds the appetite for golf better than a round on a true links course.
All around the coastline of the Emerald Isle, they are spread like gems,
created by nature and linked together to form a necklace of beauty. For
golfers, the lure of testing skill and talent against course and weather
on an Irish links is irresistible. At least once, the links experience
should be savored by aficionados who harbor aspirations of conquering
this most addictive of sports. The beauty of the country, the spectacular
golf scenery, the friendly and warm welcome – these are just some
of the ingredients that make golf in Ireland such a fun vacation experience.
The golf vacation traveler to Ireland may choose from a variety of travel
packages to suit all budgets. Pick a friendly golfing inn or a grand castle
hotel. Or choose a thatched cottage or a stately manor home.
Your golf trip to Ireland will come with a guarantee. You will get a friendly
and warm welcome, excellent food, great fun and the best of times. So,
come on over to Ireland for that special golf vacation.
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