Winter Series completes missing links
Portmarnock tournament offers chance to hone skills in company of top talent, writes Brian Keogh
ASK great amateurs or top professionals what they truly love about the game and many will come up the same answer – people. It was a point well-made by the late, great Christy O’Connor Snr during the 2009 Irish Open, at County Louth when he was asked about his impending induction into the World Golf Hall of Game.
“You know, the highlight I think is meeting nice people,” O’Connor Snr said. “When you’re a professional golfer, you travel a good part of the world, and being as lucky as I have been on the Tour and to be so successful, which was not bad, I suppose, I must have been quite all right.
“But really, it’s meeting people, because no matter where you go, no matter what country you went to, golfers are golfers. So to answer your question, it’s meeting people, really. That’s what I really appreciate. It’s a gift. It’s great.”
O’Connor was one of the founding members of the Links Golf Society which not only raised millions for charity thanks to the sterling efforts of the late Cecil Whelan and many others, but it also gave many of our future stars a chance to see a top professional up close.
This winter, several of our tour stars are likely to be seen at Portmarnock Links for the Taylormade Golf sponsored Portmarnock Links Winter Series, which starts again on Tuesday next, October 3
The series, which has become a hardy annual of winter golf in Ireland, attracted almost all the leading names in the Irish game since it started in 2003.
Not only has Pádraig Harrington used the Winter Series to hone his skills over his winter break but Damien McGrane and former Walker Cup players Gavin Moynihan, Gary Hurley, Jack Hume and Paul Dunne have been regular participants in recent years.
Who knows what gems you could pick up playing with such players over the winter months.
Des Smyth admits he learned much watching O’Connor Snr during his early days with the Links.
“The only intimidating part about playing with him was seeing at close quarters how talented Christy was,” Smyth said.
“It made you realise how much you’d have to do to make the grade.”
Harrington learned from watching O’Connor that it wasn’t so much talent as hard work that made the difference.
“One of the first times I played with Christy Snr, I saw him warming up beforehand,” Harrington recalled of an early meeting at Royal Dublin.
“It was just poetry in motion, and after the round, I came in and said, ‘Wow Christy, you have such a natural golf swing.’
“He held on to me for an hour telling me this was not a natural golf swing and he basically went through every bit of practice he ever did to get his golf swing. It was a tremendous bit of advice.”
Who knows what pearls of wisdom the participants will glean from this
year’s Series at Portmarnock Links.
If anything, the involvement of Taylormade means players will get to see the company’s latest equipment and test its newest golf ball, the TP5.
Speaking on the announcement of Taylor Made’s sponsorship of the elite event, John Caulfield said: “We like to associate our brand with the serious golfer, and Portmarnock Links plays home to these players for the competitive winter season.
“Our new TP5 golf ball is a must play, and we look forward to hearing feedback from all the players who test the ball over the course of the series.” The format of the series is singles strokes with three gross and three nett prizes every week.
It is open to both male and female professionals and amateurs (handicap limit 9) and all competitions are counting for handicap purposes.
This year will see the creation of Order of Merits for both the professionals and am- ateurs with the overall winners decided by a player’s top six finishes. An average of 90-100 players are expected to tee it up each week, many attracted by the fact that there is no placing or mats. “This is undoubtedly a major attraction as it gives serious players the opportunity to hone their games under proper playing conditions on a Championship class course,” said Portmarnock Links professional Conor Russell. “We pride ourselves on the quality of the course and the speed of our greens during the winter months. “Every year the Winter Series attracts terrific fields. Over the years those playing have included many players who have gone on to play at the highest levels of both amateur and professional golf in Ireland – and wider afield. “I think it is terrific to have Taylormade on board. I believe one of their slogans is ‘serious clubs for serious people’. At the Links we always think of the Winter Series as ‘serious golf for serious players’ – a perfect partnership.” Entries can be made immediately by directly contacting the Pro’s Shop at the Links on 01-866 6592.