The 2013 Portside Publications Golfers Guide to Ireland was published recently.
The guide has been in existence for 22 years making it one of Irelands longest established golf guides. The guide is distributed throughout Europe and in US. The guide provides golfers worldwide with a comprehensive listing of both links and parkland courses throughout Ireland and is a major a major link in Ireland’s tourism drive each year.
Mr Paddy Mc Court Portside Publications Director said ‘’the Guide had become an essential part of the travelling golfers kit. He said that the awards reflects our wish to recognise individual achievements on an annual basis by those involved in the industry’’.
The 2013 guide features a comprehensive listing of Ireland’s parkland and links golf course. The award scheme recognises leadership roles played by Irish Golf Clubs.
At a function in Donnybrook Dublin the Minister for Tourism & Sport Michael Ring TD presented awards under various category headings from all over Ireland to provincial links and parkland golf courses. The awards were won on an all-Ireland poll undertaken from within the golf and golf related community.
Continuing with our success in the Golf Digest top 100 courses the Portside Publications Golfers Guide has awarded Portsalon Golf Club with the Hidden Gem winner in Ulster. The overall winner of the best links course in Ulster went to Royal Portrush with Malone collecting the best parkland course.
The overall best links in Ireland also came to Ulster with Royal County Down the winner and Dun Laoghaire being the best parkland course in Ireland. Each of the winning clubs was presented with a Graham Knuttle created ceramic wall plaque crafted by Tipperary Crystal.
The Captain Joe Harkin would like to thank Paid Mc Menamin who represented Portsalon Golf Club at the recent presentation and to all who have helped Portsalon Golf Club in the promotion of the club to obtain this prestigious award.
Etiquette
Speed of Play – the acceptable standard is 4 hours for a four-ball game. Please keep pace.
Your position should be immediately behind the fourball in front, it is not acceptable to lose a clear hole.
Always be ready to play your shot.
Mark your scorecard on the next tee.
Replace divots, repair ball marks on the greens (not just your own) and rake the bunkers after playing your shots.
Players should have due regard to priority on the course in appropriate circumstances:
Three-balls have over four-balls. Two balls do not have any priority.
Those starting other than from the 1st tee have no standing on the course and should give way at all times.
Use of Trolleys and Buggies
Trolleys should not be taken between bunkers and greens.
Buggies – please observe the guidelines displayed inside the vehicles and the signs on the course.
Mobile Phones
The use of mobile phones is not permitted on the course
Members of the medical profession on call are deemed an exception to the above rule and are asked to use appropriate discretion when receiving calls.
Please respect the Club’s staff, who are required to ensure that these policies are observed at all times. Persons who are abusive to staff will be asked to vacate the Links.
November 2011
Portsalon rated 27th in Ireland in Golf Digests top 100 Irish Courses. Rated 21st best Links. An improvement of 8 places on our 2010 ranking, which was up 18 places on our 2009 ranking and up an increditable 45 places on our 2008 ranking. Portsalon Girls N Golf Initiative:
Portsalon Golf Club is delighted to announce the Girls N Golf initiative aimed at girls aged between 10-14years who are new to the sport of golf. The programme is funded by the Irish Sports Council’s Women in Sport initiative. Working with the Irish Ladies Golf Union, Junior Golf Ireland developed the Girls N Golf to increase the number of girls taking golf club membership. Portsalon Golf Club was one of only five clubs in Ulster to receive funding under this imitative and is currently putting the final touches to the ten week training programme just for girls in the Club.
Girls N Golf @ Portsalon Golf Club is an introduction to golf programme targeting girls aged between 10-14yrs and who are new to golf. Starting on Monday 9th May (6:30pm to 8:30pm) this 10 week programme includes professional lessons from PGA professional, Seamus Clinton where they will learn the basics of; pitch and putt/par 3 sessions, and an induction evening in the golf club and attend the Ulster Regional Girls N Golf Gala Day. Cost €30 pp, limited to 20 participants, (first-come first-served). For application forms contact: Deirdre O’Toole, GNG Coordinator, Portsalon GC, 087 9300756 or email: deirdre@activedonegal.com Portsalon GC and Mulroy College Golf Awareness Day:
The Club in association with Gary Lavery, Regional Development Officer with Junior Golf Ireland hosted a very successful Golf Awareness Day in Mulroy College, Milford, where 50 first and second year girls took part in the introduction to golf taster sessions which included instruction on chipping, pitching and putting and adding to the fun on the day was the golf Wii. The Portsalon Club would like to express it sincere thanks to the Principal, Rita Gleason and PE Teacher, Evelyn Crampsie and the students for making this a very worth while event and look forward to seeing some of the pupils in Portsalon for the Girls N Golf Programme in May. Many thanks to Gary Lavery, JGI who provided all the equipment and training advice and with the support of Club volunteers, Mary Barrett, Kathleen McCormick, Lady Vice Captain, Noreen McConigley and Deirdre O’Toole ensured that all the participants had a very enjoyable afternoon. On January 3rd 2011 Paul McGinley updated our Captain with course progress as follows:
From: Paul McGinley
Sent: 03 January 2011 13:45
To: McGinley, Hugh
Subject: Portsalon Golf Course
Dear Hugh,
As you and your members will have seen, the short term work, under the supervision of Johnny Shields, began in 2010. Since I was approached by your committee to review and comment on the golf course layout I have spent a number of visits and many hours in consultation with my McGinley Golf Design Project Manager, Joe Bedford, along with various members of your greens committee.
My aim is to achieve a number of things at Portsalon:
1. Enhance but not change the golf course.
2. ‘Open up’ the landing areas on fairways and greens whereby good shots are rewarded and off line shots are penalised.
3. Construct and improve the bunkering through the classic style of links bunkering ie. riveted bunkers.
4. Increase/decrease (not change) some green sizes where appropriate.
5. Make the golf course more ‘visible’ with each shot properly ‘framed’.
6. Make the golf course even more player friendly for both members and visitors, I don’t intend to make the golf course ‘easy’.
In order to achieve these goals I will be working closely with Johnny Shields and the greens committee.
Due to budget constraints, it is not possible to do all the work in a very short space of time or hole by hole. I ask for your patience along with that of the members whilst we incorporate these changes into the course. Short term, you may see more bunkers filled in for example, than created, this will be because I consider that their closure will enhance the hole. Re-mounding may be necessary before I construct new bunkers.
I look forward to us all working together in improving the golf course and I ask for constructive feedback from all the members as I feel that we should all do this as a project we will all be proud of when finished.
With kind regards,
Paul McGinley
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