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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