Why Reddan still has drive to succeed
BARRY Reddan is steeped in golf, a leading amateur golfer over several decades and a retired building society manager who attained golfing nirvana in 1987.
It was back then that he won the South of Ireland Championship and was selected on the Irish senior team which included a 17-year-old Darren Clarke and was the first to win golf’s Triple Crown.
All this in a year when he held the captaincy of his home club, County Louth.
‘Absolutely it was the outstanding year – golfing wise - of my life,’ he agreed.
During his career he also won the West and East of Ireland titles in 1978 and 1984 respectively, holing out his second shot for an eagle on the 16th and birdieing the last on his way to victory by six shots in the latter tournament, crowning a scintillating finish on his home course.
Furthermore, he captured six Seniors (over 55) Championships, two Connacht, two Ulster and two Leinster and played with Ireland for four or five years and won the Home Internationals.
Wife Valerie, a former international swimmer who narrowly missed out on qualifying to compete in the Olympics in 1972, plays off 12. They have two children Paul, and Nicola, who are both living and working abroad.
Paul, a software engineer, is in Oregon in the US and Nicola, an accountant, is based in Sydney. Nicola played off 7 when she emigrated and Paul had a handicap of 15.
‘They enjoyed golf but never took it serious, doing other things. Nicola was into football, camogie and running,’ Barry explained. He says that there is ‘nothing more enjoyable’ than a family fourball at Baltray when Paul and Nicola are at home.
From Baltray, where he is an honorary member and filled the role of president in 2003, Barry was also a member of Dundalk which he loved and played a good bit there and at the peak of his golfing career his handicap was down to +1.
‘I normally tried to play in the captain’s prize and I used to practice there and had a lot of good friends there,’ he said.
As for the here and now, well these are very interesting times for golf and we asked Barry to share his views on different aspects of the sport, including involvement in teams, club administration and issues facing golf, ranging from the new handicap system, rules and etiquette, plus the DeChambeau factor and the long-hitting phenomenon and its implications for courses. He also talks of his abiding passion to strive to find ‘some little secret’ that drives his love of practice, and also of his golfing hero.
Covid and closure of golf
‘I feel golf has been harshly treated in being closed down. I just kind of feel they were really afraid to keep it open. I feel maybe Golfgate had something to do with it.
‘It is a sport where four fellas hit off the first tee and go in different directions. They are out in the fresh air. They probably felt if we do it [open golf] we have to do it for tennis and shooting.
‘While I disagree with it, I understand. It’s hard to make a decision. You are between a rock and a hard place.
‘When you consider golf was one of the early sports opened up the last time I was surprised it was closed down. I didn’t mind closing the clubs. I thought they’d let people go and play and get in the car and go home. I’d say they thought about it long and hard.’
I have this feeling of pride of being part of your own club and everybody should feel that - not just play golf and get in your car and go.
New handicap system
‘Under the new system I’m down from four to three. It’s the third system I have played under and there will be teething problems with it. To me it sounds a lot fairer than the previous system.
‘I hope it gets rid of the guy who is always looking to get a shot back. Golf isn’t meant to be like that. Golf is a game where everybody wants to improve and play to their potential. I hope the new system makes it more even for everybody.
‘At the end of the day what’s the point going out and winning a captain’s prize when you know your handicap is four or five shots higher than it should be. If you want a prize you can go out and buy one.’
Etiquette and the Rules
‘I think Golf Ireland need to do something about etiquette and the rules of golf. Once you lose that, golf is on a slippery slope. A lot of new golfers don’t know the rules or understand the etiquette and need some direction in this area.’
The De Chambeau factor and what long hitting means for courses and the way the game is played today
‘Imagine De Chambeau standing on the first tee in Dundalk and driving off. He’d be pitching his ball on the green (a distance of some 360 yards).
‘I don’t know what they [golf authorities] are going to do because it is more complicated than changing the ball and equipment. They are going to have to do something about these issues for the long-term benefit of golf.
‘I miss the imagination and variation of shots from modern golf.’
Long-time involvement in club and teams
‘I always feel you should give something back to your club. You pay your sub and the club do a lot for you. I feel most people should be making an effort to be on a committee or a sub-committee. Somebody has to do it.
‘A lot of people are critical of those on committees. It’s too easy to criticise. In general most people do their best.
‘I have played on teams, winning three Senior Cups (1974, ‘77 and ‘99). I also played on Louth teams that won five All-Irelands, including four in a row. I have this feeling of pride of being part
of your own club and everybody should feel that – not just play golf and get into your car and go.
‘Golf is very important, but there are other important aspects, like supporting teams and the use of various facilities in the clubs.
‘When I won Senior Cups it was fantastic the number of members supporting the team. You wouldn’t get 10 now. It’s sad, the whole thing, the tradition is dying a bit, which is a shame.
‘I look forward to the draws every year to see who we are playing, particularly in the Senior Cup and Junior Cup, but I’m interested in all the teams and go to watch all matches in the club, including North Leinster mixed foursomes.
‘I enjoy the cut and thrust of competition, irrespective of what the standard is like, because nobody is that good they can’t improve. You should respect every golfer, irrespective of the level they play. I enjoy watching golf.’
Play and practice
‘I keep telling people I’m past my sell-by date but still enjoy competition, even if playing for a fiver. I love practice. In normal circumstances I practise three times a week for an hour to an hour and a half a session.
‘I enjoy it. I’m always looking for some little secret.’
Choice of course
‘When it comes to a choice between parkland and links it is links all day long. The championships are all played on links and when I was growing up it was on links I played. It’s a different game.
‘It’s the scenery, the variety of shots and the visualisation that’s required to judge the wind -a wedge one day, a four-iron the next. It’s magic.’
Barry was born about 300 yards from County Louth Golf Club and his mother Clarrie Reddan was one of Ireland’s great lady amateur players.
He recalled: ‘I played when I was young, but went to work in Dublin when I was 18. I worked in insurance and played soccer in the inter-insurance leagues. I was okay at it. I used to enjoy the craic and atmosphere and was on the winning team a couple of times.
‘A long-time supporter of Drogheda, I used to go when they were in the Lourdes Stadium. My friend John Given played with Drogheda. I used to go to all the international matches when Don [John’s brother], a good friend, was on the team, and Tony Dunne (the latter was a member of the Manchester United team that won the European Cup in 1968). I played a bit of golf with them.
‘I didn’t take golf serious until I was in my mid-20s and started playing senior cup and winning a few matches against players better known than me. I then took it a bit more serious when I stopped playing football.’
Is Arnold Palmer your golfing hero?
‘Yes. He played an exhibition in Baltray with Des Smyth, Christy O’Connor snr and Lee Trevino in 1987 and he was everything I thought he would be. He was bigger than golf - an American icon, full of charisma. I have a picture with Arnie at Baltray that is one of my most treasured possessions.
‘I was fortunate to play with some fantastic modern players. I played in pro-ams at the Irish Open at the K Club with Retief Goosen (twice US Open champion) and Angel Cabrera (also US and Masters Champion).
‘More recently I played with Sergio Garcia, another Masters Champion, in Royal County Down, along with Matt Fitzpatrick in Portstewart and last year with Tyrell Hatton in Lahinch who was very pleasant to play with.
‘I was fascinated how good he was from 70, 50 and 30 yards. He was absolutely brilliant. He had nine birdies and then goes out and misses the cut.
‘That’s golf!!!’