Killarney looks to a new synergy
Dawn of a new era as one of Ireland’s true golfing jewels aims to restore its sparkle
IMAGINE a golf resort set in one of the most beautiful places on earth – surrounded by majestic mountains on the edge of shimmering lakes, snugly situated next to a town boasting the largest number of hotels in the country outside the capital.
It’s not fantasy at all, of course, but the reality of what the members of Killarney Golf and Fishing Club enjoy daily as they play away in the shadow of the majestic MacGillycuddy’s Reeks on the banks of Lough Leane.
It’s a privileged location and unique place in Irish golf. After all, the Killeen Course hosted four editions of the Irish Open to go with those picture postcard flashback images of Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf when Joe Carr played Al Geiberger and visitors such as Bing Crosby and Bob Hope put Killarney on the map for US visitors
It was the flagship Irish golf resort for more than 40 years but the advent of shining new gems such as Adare Manor, the Old Head, Mount Juliet and The K Club, plus increased competition from the great links venues, heralded a steady decline in green fee income.
The members took over the running of the club from majority shareholders Fáilte Ireland more than five years ago although the state body still retains 74 percent of the ownership with members owning 16 percent and the remainder in private hands.
The members agreed to a 15-year lease with Fáilte Ireland but with just a decade of that remaining, the club has endured a recent fraught period – much of it leaked to and played out with no holds barred in the local media, leading to the departure of the PGA professional David Keat- ing and the general manager, Cormac Flannery.
With the 1,700 strong membership keen to see the Management Council focussing all energies on getting back to the business of making Killarney a viable proposition, the club this week announced the arrival of new PGA professional Mark Heinemann and golf management company, Synergy Golf as they strive to create a brand new vision for the club.
Synergy Golf, which successfully runs Grange Castle for South Dublin County Council and has dramatically improved the fortunes of St Margaret’s Golf and Country Club over the past four-and-a-half years, will manage the day-to-day operations of the professional’s shop as well as marketing and revenue growth for the club through its sister company, My Golf Group.
Killarney generates around €1.1 million in membership fees, but while visitors green fees brought in another €1 million last year, the club needs far more business.
More than €1 million has been invested in the Killeen Course over the past five years, but another €3 million is required to complete the job, which means the club must boost its performance overall.
It all comes down to creating a quality product that will sell in a hugely competitive market place, and Synergy Golf believes they can help the club generate the revenue it needs and herald an end to the internal politics that have riven the club in recent months.
“This is a new era for Killarney,” said Andy Kenny (35), who is one of three directors of Synergy Golf alongside Ronan Branigan (43) and Garrett Donnery (38).
“We are setting out a new vision for Killarney, which is a four-time Irish Open venue.
“Killarney has enormous potential, and while it had a considerable part of the golf market in that part of the country for many years, the
Killarney deserves to be right up there with the very best
numbers are not as good as they were two, three or even four years ago.
“The club’s Management Council has taken a fresh approach to how they are looking at the business as a whole and looking to create a shared vision with Synergy Golf for the long term future.”
Together, the club and their new management partners will invest €200,000 over the next few months with the golf shop set for a complete redesign.
“That’s where the upgrading of the club begins,” Kenny added. “It sets a positive tone for the members and phase one means getting that re-opened and ready for the season ahead.
“Tralee invested significantly in its golf shop not that long ago, and Hogs Head is not that far away and not that old, so that’s going to take a piece of the market.
“If you stand still, you are going to get left behind, and Killarney is a magnificent place, so it deserves to be presented to the public and the members in top class condition.
“There is enormous scope for improvement – a fresh approach to doing business and a clear pathway that will enable Killarney to recover its rightful place in Irish golf. Killarney deserves to be right up there with the very best.”
The new management company estimates that it can increase income by between 20 and 30 percent – an ambitious target but one which they believe is eminently achievable.
“We will have continuity across the board in terms of sales and marketing and promoting the venue,” Kenny explained. “We want to enhance Killarney’s relationship with local business, some of which have been let go a little in recent years – the local hotels and concierges, the tour operators – people who can promote Killarney to a broader audience.
“We will be using new technology in terms of booking online, using that to its full potential. We’ve worked with BRS for many years, and we will be enhancing that and improving the systems that are currently in place. Killarney hasn’t embraced that space, so we want to help them do that and believe that will have a positive impact on the business.
“We like working with people, and that’s what attracts us to a venue. Once that vision is shared, we feel we can make big strides very quickly. People have a lot of choices when it comes to spending their hard earned money on golf, and we respect that and believe we should be offering a good product in return.”
Men’s Captain James Curran and Ladies’ Captain Mary Sheehy both noted the need for changes at the club and believe the new appointments can herald a new dawn.
“The golf industry has had a difficult few years, we ourselves experienced a decline in revenue and visitor numbers,” they said in a joint statement.
“To tackle these issues, we reviewed the overall approach and knew we needed a new vision for the club. Hence, we are delighted to engage with Synergy Golf and Mark Heinemann.”
Heinemann, an advanced PGA professional and just the fourth in the club’s 126-year history after Christy O’Connor Snr, Tony Coveney and David Keating, cannot wait to get started with plans to set up the Killarney Golf Academy at the Lackabane Course already in train.
“Killarney has always held a special place in my heart, and I’ve been waiting for the right time to re-join the club,” said Heinemann, who already coaches two of the club’s international stars in Valerie Clancy and Mairead Martin.
“I’ll be investing in the coaching facilities and equipment, combined with the soon-to-be-completed improvement programme of the practice facilities, all with the aim of helping the members and guests achieve their golfing goals for 2019 and beyond.
“It’s exciting to be part of the new management team, and I’m looking forward to working together with the club and the guys at Synergy Golf to bring new changes, enhanced improvements and success to this exceptional facility.”