Golden Bear aware of North West charms
PROMOTING Irish golf abroad is key for tourism and there is certainly no excuse for Floridians to claim ignorance of the ‘aul sod’ after last week’s Honda Classic.
The popular PGA Tour stop is just one of several major events targeted by Tourism Ireland every year and representatives of North and West Coast Golf Links Ireland and SWING golf in the southwest were just two of the organisations promoting our courses at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens.
John McLoughlin, CEO of North and West Coast Links Golf Ireland, even caught up with Jack Nicklaus as the group, which promotes a host of courses in the northwest – including this year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open venue Ballyliffin, and 2019 Open Championship hosts Royal Portrush – spread the gospel.
The Irish golf marketing company also donated a prize to the charity auction at the star-studded dinner , attended by many PGA Tour players.
Nicklaus is more than familiar with the northwest having begun work on redesigning St Patrick’s Golf Links at Rosapenna in 2006 before all redesign works by Nicklaus Design ceased at the end of December the same year.
Rosapenna Hotel and Golf Resort, which will host a €40,000 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open qualifier over 36 holes from June 30 to July 1, acquired the 370 site adjoining its dunes in 2012.