Big summer for - Backspin Golf Magazine

2012 SUMMER ISSUE €2.95 incl. VAT 

Salute to 

GOLF’S BIG 3 

Masters champion 

BUBBA WATSON 

OPEN SEASON 

THE IRISH OPEN & 

THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 

Also inside: 

PARKLAND PARADISE 

SNAG JUNIOR GOLF 

FAIRWAY FOCUS 

THE MAJORS 

Big summer for 

ISSN 1393 - 9122 

07 

9 771393 912027 

FOCUS ON CALLAWAY AND PING PRODUCTS

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THE FACE OF GOLF IS 

CHANGING. AND 

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INTRODUCING 

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#1 PUTTER IN GOLF. ®

ISSN 1393 - 9122 

EDITOR’S COMMENT... 

sets his sights on a 

spectacular summer 


BUBBA WATSON 

2012 SUMMER ISSUE €2.95 incl. VAT 

Salute to 

GOLF’S BIG 3 

THE MAJORS 

Big summer for 

OPEN SEASON 

THE IRISH OPEN & 

THE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 

Also inside: 

PARKLAND PARADISE 

SNAG JUNIOR GOLF 

FAIRWAY FOCUS 

9 771393 912027 

FOCUS ON CALLAWAY AND PING PRODUCTS 

FRONT COVER: 

Photo of Rory McIlroy supplied by © Getty 

Images/The European Tour on the 

announcement of his participation in the 

Irish Open at Royal Portrush (June 28th- 

July 1st) 

The Heritage Resort 

07 

Rory McIlroy’s primary focus in the months ahead will be 

chasing Major titles, but you can bet your bottom dollar 

that victory in the Irish Open at Royal Portrush would rank right up there alongside 

his finest achievements. 

Reigning USPGA champion Keegan Bradley and Irish Major winners - Padraig 

Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke - will headline the starstudded 

event from June 28th - July 1st. 

McIlroy, who returned to the World No. 1 spot as this issue went to press at the start 

of May, has many fond memories of the famous Dunluce course on the beautiful 

North Antrim Causeway coast. He fired an incredible 61 around the fearsome links 

as an amateur. 

When Royal Portrush was announced as the venue for this year’s Irish Open, Rory 

remarked, “It would be incredible to win. I haven’t played competitively at Royal Portrush 

since 2005, so to go back there and have the chance to win my National Open is something 

that is very, very important to me. Hopefully I can give it a real good go this year.” 

“For the Irish Open to come to Portrush is a huge thing for any golfer from Northern 

Ireland. So for myself and the likes of Graeme [McDowell], Darren [Clarke] and Michael 

Hoey to play the Irish Open in Northern Ireland is a dream come true for us.” 

It promises to be a wonderful festival of golf with huge numbers of fans expected to 

attend from north and south of the border. 

For the players it will provide a glorious opportunity to 

get to grips with one of the finest links courses in the world 

in the countdown to The Open Championship at Royal 

Lytham & St. Annes in July (see pages 10 & 11). 

Royal Portrush hosted The Open Championship in 1951 

and the Senior British Open on six occasions in more recent 

times. There are hopes that The Open may return to Royal 

Portrush in the future, but for now the focus is on the 2012 

Irish Open being a spectacular success and a great 

advertisement for Irish golf. 

Yours in Golf, 

PARKLAND PARADISE Pages 30-36 

DECLAN O’DONOGHUE, Publisher / Editor 

Publisher / Editor: 

Declan O’Donoghue 

Guest Writers: 

Mark Jones, Ewen Murray, Philip Quinn, Colm Smith 

Photography & Art: 

Reuters-Action Images (London), Alan Bleakley, 

Pat Cashman, Noel Kelly 

Creation & Design: The Golf Business 

Typesetting & Colour Repro: Esther Behan 

Printers: GPS Colour Graphics 

Distribution: EM News, Newspread, The Golf Business 

Advertisement Sales: The Golf Business 

Cover Price: €2.95 (incl VAT) 

NEXT ISSUE: Majors Review/Autumn 2012 

DISCLAIMER: The copyright of all matter appearing in BACKSPIN is reserved by The Golf Business, and no matter may be reproduced or stored in any way without the 

written consent of the editor. The articles which appear in this magazine reflect the opinions of their authors and the Publisher. The Golf Business assumes no 

responsibility for the contents or accuracy of advertisements appearing in BACKSPIN, nor for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, art or photography. 

BACKSPIN | 1

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Bubba Watson 

became the 27th 

first-time Major 

winner since the 

start of 2001, 

but to date only 

four of the other 

26 have tasted 

success again in 

the Majors. 

Right: Bubba Watson 

acknowledges the galleries 

on his way to becoming the 

2012 Masters champion. 

Facing page: Bubba with his 

caddie Ted Scott seconds 

after he defeated Louis 

Oosthuizen in a dramatic 

play-off to become the 2012 

Masters champion. 

Photos courtesy of GMS. 

4 | BACKSPIN

The Major Championships 

It’s not easy becoming a 

BUBBA 

WATSON 

Only a select few Major winners strike again 

Newly crowned Masters champion Bubba 

Watson became the 27th first-time Major 

winner since the start of 2001, the 11th since 

the start of 2009 and the 4th first-time winner of 

The Masters since 2007. 

But don’t be fooled by these stats. Winning a 

Major Championship remains an elusive target for 

many top class golfers and the majority of those 

who crack the code then find it extremely difficult 

to win another Major. 

All eyes will be on Bubba as he chases back-toback 

Major wins in the US Open in June, but to 

date only four of the other 26 first-time winners 

since 2001 have tasted success again in the Majors 

- Goosen, Mickelson, Cabrera and Harrington. 

Retief Goosen broke his duck in the 2001 

US Open at Southern Hills and won the title again 

at Shinnecock Hills in 2004. 

It took Phil Mickelson 47 attempts to become a 

Major winner. Since his breakthrough victory at 

Augusta in 2004 he has become a three-time 

Masters champion and he won the USPGA 

Championship in 2005. 

In 2009 Angel Cabrera added a Masters Green 

Jacket to his 2007 US Open victory at Oakmont. 

And, of course, Padraig Harrington successfully 

defended The Open Championship in 2008 and 

added the USPGA title a few weeks later to become 

a three-time Major winner in the space of thirteen 

months. 

continued... 

BACKSPIN | 5

The Majors continued... 

Opposite: 

2011 US Open champion Rory 

McIlroy in action during the 2012 

Honda Classic, which he won at PGA 

National in Palm Beach Gardens, 

Florida. 

Below: 

Left-hander Bubba Watson executes 

a spectacular recovery shot from the 

trees on the second sudden death 

play-off hole - the 10th - at this 

year’s Masters at Augusta National. 

All photos on these pages by 

REUTERS/ACTION IMAGES 

The proliferation of first-time Major 

winners in recent times is great for golf and 

for the players the challenge immediately 

switches to becoming a serial Major winner. 

New Masters champion Bubba Watson 

will relish this challenge. 

He served notice that his time was coming 

with three PGA Tour victories in the space of 

twelve months. He made his breakthrough in 

the Travellers Championship in June 2010. 

Later that summer Bubba fired rounds of 

68+71+70+68 to tie Martin Kaymer and 

Dustin Johnson in the USPGA Championship, 

but he lost out in a play-off. 

He edged out Phil Mickelson to claim his 

second PGA Tour title at the Farmers 

Insurance Open in January 2011, and won 

again a few months later in New Orleans. 

He showed his steel at Augusta this year 

by coming from three shots off the pace 

entering the final round to force a play-off 

with 2010 Open champion and PING 

equipment stablemate Louis Oosthuizen. 

It’s history now that Bubba claimed his 

first Major title by producing a stroke of pure 

genius out of the trees on the second tie hole 

in a pulsating play-off. 

For Louis Oosthuizen it was a painful 

shock to the system as a second Major title 

slipped from his grasp after a wonderful 

performance in regulation play. 

For Bubba Watson, like every first-time 

Major winner, it’s a whole new ball game 

now. The monkey is off his back, expectations 

are raised and there is a glorious opportunity 

to strike again and again while the iron is hot. 

RISING 

STAR 

RICKIE 

FOWLER 

Fowler a major threat 

As this issue went to press rising young 

American superstar Rickie Fowler scored his 

breakthrough victory on the PGA Tour with a 

play-off triumph over Rory McIlroy and 

D.A.Points in the Wells Fargo Championship 

in North Carolina. Watch for him in the 

Majors. 

BUBBA WATSON 

6 | BACKSPIN

RORY McILROY 

World top-25 stars 

chasing first Major 

The following 16 players in the 

top-25 of the Official World Golf 

Rankings after the Wells Fargo 

Championship in early May have 

not won a Major Championship. 

2nd 

3rd 

5th 

6th 

9th 

Luke Donald (Eng) 

Lee Westwood (Eng) 

Hunter Mahan (USA) 

Steve Stricker (USA) 

Webb Simpson (USA) 

11th Justin Rose (Eng) 

12th Adam Scott (Aus) 

15th Jason Day (Aus) 

16th Matt Kuchar (USA) 

17th Dustin Johnson (USA) 

19th Bill Haas (USA) 

20th Jason Dufner (USA) 

21st Sergio Garcia (Spain) 

23rd Nick Watney (USA) 

24th Rickie Fowler (USA) 

25th Brandt Snedeker (USA) 

For the top players it’s all about winning 

Majors and very fine margins define careers. 

Colin Montgomerie is a classic example. 

The eight-time European No. 1. suffered the 

agony of 5 runner-up finishes in the Majors 

including play-off defeats in the 1994 US Open 

and 1995 USPGA Championships. 

Sergio Garcia’s patience is also being 

tested. Thirteen years on from coming so close 

to victory as a 19-year-old rookie in the 1999 

USPGA Championship at Medinah, the wait 

continues for the hugely talented Spaniard 

Garcia features in the panel above which 

shows that 16 of the top-25 golfers in the 

World at the start of May are still gunning for 

their first Major victory. 

Lee Westwood seems destined to break his 

duck. He has scored 2 runner-up and 5 third 

place finishes in the Majors since 2008. 

Westwood will turn 40 next April but, of 

course, age is no barrier to success at the top 

level as Darren Clarke proved by winning 

The Open last July at the age of 42. 

At the other end of the age spectrum, Rory 

McIlroy will surely join the pantheon of serial 

Major winners in the future, but the immediate 

challenge for the 23-year-old Holywood star 

as he prepares for his US Open defence is to 

win a second Major title. 

First-time Major winners since 2001 

THE MASTERS 

2003 - Mike Weir 

2004 - Phil Mickelson 

2007 - Zach Johnson 

2008 - Trevor Immelman 

2011 - Charl Schwartzel 

2012 - Bubba Watson 

US OPEN 

CHAMPIONSHIP 

2001 - Retief Goosen 

2003 - Jim Furyk 

2005 - Michael Campbell 

2006 - Geoff Ogilvy 

2007 - Angel Cabrera 

2009 - Lucas Glover 

2010 - Graeme McDowell 

2011 - Rory McIlroy 

BRITISH OPEN 

2001 -David Duval 

2003 - Ben Curtis 

2004 - Todd Hamilton 

2007 - Padraig Harrington 

2009 - Stewart Cink 

2010 - Louis Oosthuizen 

2011 - Darren Clarke 

USPGA 

CHAMPIONSHIP 

2001 - David Toms 

2002 - Rich Beem 

2003 - Shaun Micheel 

2009 - Y.E. Yang 

2010 - Martin Kaymer 

2011 - Keegan Bradley 

Statistics compiled before the 2012 US Open 

BACKSPIN | 7

Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold 

Palmer still having fun and thrilling the 

galleries during Masters week at Augusta . 

8 | BACKSPIN

The debate about who is the 

greatest golfer of all time - 

Jack Nicklaus or Tiger Woods 

- will continue to stimulate 

lively discussion even if Tiger 

goes on to surpass the Golden Bear’s 

haul of 18 Major Championship 

victories. 

If you are old school, you might be 

inclined to argue that Nicklaus 

amassed his cache of Major titles in 

more challenging times than the 

modern day pretender to his throne. 

Nicklaus had to beat Palmer, 

Player, Trevino and various other 

legends of the game and sustained 

his challenge in the Majors for over a 

quarter of a century. Bear in mind, 

too, he was runner-up in 19 Majors. 

It could be argued that Tiger was 

virtually in a league of his own for 

much of the time between 1997 and 

2006, when he swooped for twelve of 

his fourteen Major titles. 

O’Meara, Els, Singh, Goosen and 

Mickelson were all multiple Major 

winners during that period, but Tiger 

was the dominant force in the game. 

No matter where you stand on the 

Jack v Tiger debate, there’s little or 

no room for discussion on the subject 

of Golf’s Big 3....Arnold Palmer, Gary 

Player and Jack Nicklaus. 

They transformed and popularised 

golf during the 1960’s, taking the 

game to a whole new level...Palmer 

with his wonderful charisma and 

cavalier style of play, Player with 

his dogged determination and 

remarkable strength of character, 

and Nicklaus with his raw talent, 

tenacity and durability. 

Palmer won his seven Majors in a 

glittering period between 1958 and 

1964. Player’s winning run in the 

Majors spanned a 20-year period 

from 1959 to 1978, while Nicklaus 

announced his arrival on the world 

stage with victory in the US Open in 

1962 and celebrated his last Major 

win twenty-four years later in the 

1986 Masters at Augusta National. 

Remarkably, Nicklaus finished just 

four shots off the pace at Augusta 

twelve years later at the age of 58! 

Between them Golf’s Big 3 won 

34 Major titles. 

Their success, charisma and 

influence created the template for 

modern day golf, and even today - 

with Nicklaus the youngest of the 

triumvirate at a youthful 72, or level 

fours as he might prefer to be 

described - they continue to serve as 

wonderful ambassadors for golf. 

Of course, every period has its 

great players. Fast forward from the 

Palmer, Player and Nicklaus era 

and Johnny Miller, Tom Watson, 

Seve Ballesteros and Greg Norman 

were strong forces for a time. Then 

there was the European influence in 

the shape of Faldo, Lyle, Langer, 

Woosnam and Olazabal. 

More recently Els, Woods, Singh, 

Mickelson and Harrington have been 

outstanding figures in the game - 

both in terms of their success and 

influence - but, like every new 

generation of touring professionals, 

they owe a tremendous debt of 

gratitude to Golf’s Big 3...trailblazers 

Arnold Daniel Palmer, Gary Player 

and Jack William Nicklaus. 

by BACKSPIN editor Declan O’Donoghue 

Arnold Palmer 

Date of birth: 10-09-29 

Joined Tour: 1955 

Masters 

1958, 1960, 1962, 1964 

US Open 

1960 

British Open 

1961, 1962 

Gary Player 



Masters 

1961, 1974, 1978 

US Open 

1965 

British Open 

1959, 1968, 1974 

USPGA 

1962, 1972 

Jack Nicklaus 



Masters 

1963, 1965, 1966, 1972, 

1975, 1986 

US Open 

1962, 1967, 1972, 1980 

British Open 

1966, 1970, 1978 

USPGA 

1963, 1971, 1973,1975, 1980 

Left: Tiger Woods in action during 

this year’s Masters at Augusta. 

Photos taken by 

REUTERS / ACTION IMAGES 

during this year’s 

Masters Tournament 

at Augusta National 

BACKSPIN | 9

Darren Clarke 

2011 Open champion 

Pic by Pat Cashman 

IRISH SEEK TO CRACK THE CODE AT 

Royal Lytham & St.Annes has not been a 

happy hunting ground for Irish tour 

players in the past, but all that could 

change in spectacular fashion in July when the 

famous links on the Lancashire coast stages 

The Open Championship for an eleventh time 

from July 19th-22nd. 

Remarkably, following a gap of sixty years 

since our only previous Major Championship 

victory by Fred Daly at Hoylake in 1947, Ireland 

has celebrated six Major triumphs since 

2007 including, of course, three victories in 

The Open Championship. 

At 42 years, 11 months and three days 

Darren Clarke became the oldest Open 

champion since Roberto de Vicenzo at Hoylake 

in 1967 when he cradled the famous Claret Jug 

at Royal St. Georges last July. 

It was Darren’s 54th appearance in the 

Majors and his 20th attempt to win The Open. 

Experience is a huge factor in The Open and 

it’s interesting that ten players aged 40 or over 

were in the top-25 last year...Darren Clarke, 

Phil Mickelson, Thomas Bjorn, Davis Love, 

Steve Stricker, Richard Green, Tom Watson, 

Anders Hansen, 1996 Open champion Tom 

Lehman and Miguel Angel Jimenez. 

Other seasoned campaigners crowned 

Open champion in recent times were Padraig 

Harrington, who was in his mid-30s when he 

scored back-to-back victories in 2007 and 

2008, and Stewart Cink, who was 36 when he 

won at Turnberry in 2009. 

This year’s Open Championship returns to Royal Lytham 

& St. Annes on England’s magnificent Lancashire coast, 

where Christy O’Connor Snr came agonisingly close to 

capturing the famous Claret Jug in 1958. 

Perhaps Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, Graeme 

McDowell or Rory McIlroy - buoyed by six Major victories 

between them since 2007, including three triumphs in the 

last five Open Championships - will crack the code at 

Lytham in July and deliver another winning Irish 

performance in the Majors. 

10 | BACKSPIN

Perhaps it will be the turn of 23-year-old 

Holywood star Rory McIlroy to strike a blow for 

golf’s rising superstars this year. If he were to 

be crowned Lord of the Links he would 

become the youngest Open champion since 

Seve at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in 1979. 

Seve announced himself as a dynamic new 

force in golf three years earlier at Royal 

Birkdale when, as a fearless 19-year-old with 

film star looks and a dashing style of play, he 

led after three rounds. He eventually finished 

runner-up with Nicklaus behind a rampant 

Johnny Miller, who closed with a sizzling 66. 

But Seve was not to be denied at Royal 

Lytham & St. Annes in 1979 when he became 

the first European-based player to win 

The Open for ten years. A second round 

65 provided the springboard to a thrilling 

three-shot victory over Ben Crenshaw and 

Jack Nicklaus. 

Seve’s breakthrough victory at Lytham in 

1979 sparked a golden era for European golf. 

The swashbuckling Spaniard added four 

more Major titles to his haul during a glittering 

career, including a second Open title at Lytham 

in 1988 which was to be his last victory in the 

Majors. 

During the 1980s and 1990s, undoubtedly 

inspired by Seve’s exploits, fellow Europeans 

Sandy Lyle (2), Nick Faldo (6), Bernhard Langer 

(2), Ian Woosnam (1), Jose-Maria Olazabal (2) 

and 1999 Open champion Paul Lawrie stepped 

up to the plate in the Major Championships. 

Bernard Darwin, the doyen of golf writers, 

once famously described Royal Lytham & St. 

Annes as a “beast of a golf course, but a just 

beast.” An entirely fitting description of this 

rugged and magnificent jewel. 

Royal Lytham & St. Annes has produced 9 

great Open champions since 1926, including 

Bobby Jones, Bobby Locke, Peter Thomson, 

Bob Charles, Tony Jacklin, Gary Player and, of 

course, two-time winner Seve. 

More recently, Americans Tom Lehman 

(1996) and David Duval (2001) etched their 

names into Open folklore at Lytham. 

It has not been a happy hunting ground for 

Irish players in The Open Championship but 

things could have been a lot different. 

So much for the luck of the Irish. If Christy 

O’Connor Snr had enjoyed even a modicum of 

the famous elixir at crucial moments in the 

past he might have won The Open twice at 

Lytham. He came agonisingly close in 1958. 

Sparkling opening rounds of 67+68 followed by 

a 73+71 finish left him tied 3rd with Eric Brown 

just a shot behind champion Peter Thomson 

and play-off runner-up Dave Thomas. 

The Royal Dublin maestro was 6th to Bob 

Charles in 1963 and produced another rousing 

performance at Lytham in 1969 when he 

finished 5th behind Jacklin, Charles, Thomson 

and De Vicenzo with rounds of 71+65+74+74. 

Royal Lytham & St. Annes owes us one. 

Over to you Darren, Padraig, Rory and 

Graeme! 

Royal Lytham & St. Annes 

PREVIOUS OPEN 

WINNERS AT LYTHAM 

1926: Bobby Jones (USA) 

1952: Bobby Locke (SA) 

1958: Peter Thomson (Aus) 

1963: Bob Charles (NZ) 

1969: Tony Jacklin (Eng) 

1974: Gary Player (SA) 

1979: Seve Ballesteros (Sp) 

1988: Seve Ballesteros (Sp) 

1996: Tom Lehman (USA) 

2001: David Duval (USA) 

2012 SPECTATOR 

INFORMATION 

Seve 

Official Website: 

www.TheOpen.com 

Visit the Website 

for complete information 

on tickets and all other 

spectator arrangements 

Nearest Airports: 

Blackpool and Liverpool 

Rail links to the Open: 

For timetables / information 

on rail travel to the venue visit 

www.nationalrail.co.uk 

www.northernrail.org 

Accommodation: 

For details regarding hotel 

& B&B accommodation 

www.visitlancashire.com 

BACKSPIN | 11

DAVID KEARNEY 

with PAT CASHMAN 

On these pages we feature a selection of 

photographs taken by Pat Cashman at various 

events on the domestic amateur scene. 

Visit www.cashmanphotography.ie 

Leinster crowned champions 

A 

youthful Leinster team triumphed in the Women’s Interprovincial 

matches at Cork Golf Club in April. 

Pictured above: ILGU National Coach David Kearney following the 

action. 

Below: A superb action study of Leinster’s Ariana Coyle Diez. 

Left: The Leinster team celebrate victory. (Back row, l-r): Louise 

Mernagh, Maria Dunne, Anna Courtney, Ariana Coyle Diez, Mary 

Dowling and Karen Delaney. (Front row): Aedin Murphy, Denise 

McCarthy (team captain) and Deirdre Smith. 

ARIANA COYLE DIEZ 

(Leinster) 

12 | BACKSPIN

New partnership a great boost 

for the Primary Schools Cup 

Anew partnership between the Golfing Union of Ireland (Leinster 

Branch), Irish Ladies Golf Union, Junior Golf Ireland and Haydon 

Chartered Accountants is designed to expand the Primary Schools Cup 

programme. 

Haydon Chartered Accountants initiated the programme in 

partnership with Castle Golf Club in 2004. 

The long term objective of the governing bodies is to implement the 

programme throughout the country in the years ahead. 

Pictured right at the announcement of this new sponsorship 

partnership were, left to right: Vivienne Cosgrave (Lady Captain, Castle 

GC), John Ferriter (Hon. Secretary, Leinster Branch, GUI), Hilary 

Haydon (Haydon Chartered Accountants), Paschal Taggart, swinging 

club, (Captain, Castle Golf Club), Anne Marie Hughes (Director of 

Development, Junior Golf Ireland) and Niamh Henry Bezy (Chairman, 

Junior Development, East Leinster, Irish Ladies Golf Union). 

Leona’s U-18 crown 

Leona Maguire was an impressive winner of 

the 2012 Irish Girls U-18 Strokeplay title at 

Roganstown Golf Club. 

Leona is pictured above receiving the trophy 

from Marjorie McCorduck (President, Irish 

Ladies Golf Union). Also pictured, Jane O'Shea 

(Lady Captain, Roganstown GC) and Gill Hess 

(Captain, Roganstown GC). 

Left: ILGU President Marjorie McCorduck with 

Jean O’Driscoll (Muskerry) who shows the club 

and ball she used to score a hole-in-one! 

Photos by PAT CASHMAN 

www.cashmanphotography.ie 

BACKSPIN | 13

continued... 

NEIL MANCHIP 

Stars of the future on learning curve 

Ireland finished second to Scotland and ahead of Wales and The Netherlands in the Four 

Nations U-16 Development matches at Hilton Templepatrick Golf Club in April. 

Ireland was represented by Marc Boucher, David Carey, Caolan Kennedy, Rowan 

Lester, Cameron Mills, Neil McKinstry, Tommy O’Driscoll and James Sugrue. 

A few weeks later Rowan Lester (Hermitage) won the 5th Faldo Series Ireland 

Championship at Lough Erne. 

ROWAN LESTER 

Top: Team members and supporters watching the climax of the Four Nations U-16 Development 

match at Hilton Templepatrick. Above Left: GUI National Coach Neil Manchip watching the action 

unfold. Left: Rowan Lester (Hermitage) in action; Below: The Irish team, officials and coach gather 

for a photocall in the clubhouse at Hilton Templepatrick Golf Club in Belfast 

Leinster Youths title 

for Colin Fairweather 

Michael McGinley, second right, (Sigma Wireless) 

presenting the 2012 Leinster Youths' Amateur 

Open Championship trophy to Colin Fairweather 

(Knock) after his victory at Woodbrook Golf Club. 

Also in the picture (from left) John Ferriter (Hon 

Secretary, Leinster Branch, GUI), Kieran Murphy 

(Captain, Woodbrook Golf Club) and Kevin 

McIntyre (Chairman, Leinster Branch, GUI). 



14 | BACKSPIN

Great honour for 

Fintan Buckley 

Fintan Buckley, pictured at his home 

club, Hermitage, at the start of his 

term as the 64th President of the 

Golfing Union of Ireland. 

Above: Marjorie McCorduck (President, Irish 

Ladies Golf Union) presenting Mary Dowling 

(New Ross) with her prize as Titleist Ladies 

Scratch Cup series winner. 

Left: Ann Carr (Lady Captain, Hermitage Golf 

Club) presenting the 2012 Hermitage Ladies 

Scratch Cup (sponsored by Dermot Kelly Ltd) 

to Paula Grant (Lisburn). Also in the picture 

are Colm Deignan (Captain, Hermitage Golf 

Club), Marjorie McCorduck (President, Irish 

Ladies Golf Union) and James Kelly 

(Sponsor). 

Left: Irish Boys International Rowan Lester 

is this year’s Junior Captain at Hermitage 

Golf Club. He is pictured with, from left: 

Simon Byrne (Club Professional), Ann Carr 

(Lady Captain, Hermitage GC) and Colm 

Deignan (Captain, Hermitage GC). 



BACKSPIN | 15

Discover new 

horizons with 

technology 

Below: Big hitting Callaway Golf staff player 

Alvaro Quiros had the RAZR Fit driver in his 

bag when he won the Dubai World 

Championship last year. 

16 | BACKSPIN 

CALLAWAY 

RAZR FIT DRIVER 

The remarkable advances being made year after year in golf technology 

means that new products are geared to benefit golfers of all standards, 

from leading tour professionals to ordinary mortals. 

Callaway Golf has a long history of creating products that are designed 

to make every golfer a better player and their revolutionary new RAZR Fit 

technology represents another significant breakthrough as it allows golfers 

to adjust the clubhead to suit their playing characteristics. 

Callaway’s much-anticipated RAZR Fit line of woods - launched 

worldwide in February -represents the Company’s most advanced products 

to date. By combining the performance benefits gained from several 

proprietary technologies with an easy-to-understand, adjustable hosel - plus 

moveable weights to promote draw or neutral ball flight - Callaway is 

empowering golfers around the world to dial in their game with RAZR Fit. 

Marking a new standard in performance customisation, RAZR Fit’s 

straightforward adjustability delivers optimum performance and real results 

for every golf swing. 

So, how will RAZR Fit technology 

benefit your golf game? 

RAZR Fit Driver and RAZR Fit Fairway 

Woods both feature Callaway’s renowned 

OptiFit adjustability system—designed for 

easy use and noticeable changes in 

trajectory for each of the settings. The 

system allows golfers to adjust the club’s 

face angle to three address positions: 

Open, Square or Closed. This adjustment 

is controlled within the “cog”, a rotatable 

element of the hosel that changes the 

angle of the shaft axis relative to the head. 

Rotating the cog enables golfers to choose 

a preferred look at address while also 

minimising a slice or hook generated by 

the club’s delivery to the ball. Because the 

shaft does not rotate with the cog, shaft 

graphics and grip reminders remain 

consistent to the player’s eye when they 

adjust the face angle. In the driverhead, 

RRP 

€379 

Introducing Callaway’s first ever adjustable driver 

OptiFit weights (12 grams and 2 grams) 

are included in the clubhead’s sole and 

are also adjustable, allowing golfers to 

shift the centre of gravity to promote a 

perceivable draw or neutral ball flight. 

With the launch of RAZR Fit, Callaway 

furthers its heritage in innovation by 

uniting multi-material design with the 

fundamental benefits of adjustability for 

every golfer’s swing. Specifically, the 

crown of the RAZR Fit Driver is comprised 

of Forged Composite, an advanced 

carbon composite material that Callaway 

developed over many years in partnership 

with Automobili Lamborghini. Light yet 

strong, Forged Composite allows 

Callaway engineers to save crucial weight 

and precisely control the thickness of the 

crown. These benefits give the RAZR Fit 

Driver a lower centre of gravity, making it 

more forgiving on off-centre hits.

Demo & Fitting Days 

Across Ireland 

Callaway Golf will be hosting a 

number of product demonstration 

and fitting days at venues across the 

country in the months ahead...the 

perfect opportunity to gain expert 

advice about their latest products. 

Here are some dates and venues... 

CALLAWAY 

RAZR X BLACK DRIVER 

A super alternative to the adjustable model 

The new RAZR X Black Driver - complete with dynamic Fujikura 

Motore F8 shaft - is perfect for golfers who want to benefit from 

Callaway’s latest advances in clubhead technology, but don’t wish 

to pay a little extra for the option of adjustability, 

RAZR X Black technology is geared to deliver unmatched ball 

speed, distance and accuracy. 

The head design on the RAZR X Black Driver inspires confidence 

and offers a remarkable degree of forgiveness on shots that slightly 

miss the sweet spot and come off the face high or low. 

The RAZR X Black range of premium golf equipment from 

Callaway incudes the Driver featured above, Fairway Woods and 

Irons. 

Appearance and performance are the two 

main characteristics of the new RAZR X 

Black Driver. 

Designed with a sleek, black PVD finish, 

the RAZR X Black Driver features a clean 

and traditional look at address, and it 

delivers the latest from Callaway’s 

technologically advanced Research and 

Development team at impact. 

The driver’s crown is made of Forged 

Composite, a highly advanced carbon 

composite material. Forged Composite 

allows Callaway engineers to precisely 

design a clubhead that produces optimal 

launch and spin characteristics for greater 

distance. 

The RAZR X Black Driver (pictured above) 

introduces the Company’s proprietary 

SpeedFrame Face Technology, which 

melds Callaway’s VFT® and Hyperbolic 

Face advancements to create a larger 

RRP 

€269 

sweet spot and increased ball speeds 

across the titanium face. Streamlined 

Surface Technology reduces energy loss 

from head drag during the downswing by 

23 percent compared to RAZR X Black’s 

predecessor, the Diablo Octane Driver, 

leading to higher impact speeds and 

additional distance off the tee. 

“The RAZR X Black Driver represents the 

best of what we’ve learned about making 

drivers—along with several completely new 

areas of improvement—all combined into 

one very fast-looking clubhead,” says Luke 

Williams, Senior Director, Global Woods and 

Irons, Callaway Golf. 

“We’ve utilised our patented Forged 

Composite construction in combination with 

advances in aerodynamics and face 

technology to create a driver that delivers 

amazing ball speed in a design that suits a 

huge cross-section of golfers.” 

16th May - 4pm-8pm 

Mitchells Golf 

Newtown DR, Tramore, Co.Waterford 

21st May - 11am-8pm 

Andrew Morris Golf 

Laganview Golf Centre, Lisburn 

26th May - 12-5pm 

American Golf 

Boucher Road, Belfast 

30th May - 4pm-8pm 

Nevada Bob’s Golf at Elverys Sports 

Dundrum Town Centre, Co.Dublin 

5th June - 4pm-8pm 

Halpenny Golf (Swords) 

Fingal Golf Centre, Swords, Co.Dublin 

6th June - 12-4pm 

Nevada Bobs (Belfast) 

Boucher Crescent, Belfast 


American Golf (Cork) 

Blarney Driving Range, Cork 


McGuirks Golf Blanchardstown 

Celbridge Driving Range, Co.Dublin 

3rd July - 12-4pm 

Nevada Bobs (Bangor) 

Bangor, Co. Down 

For a full and up to date listing of all 

Callaway Golf demo and fitting days 

being hosted across Ireland this year 

please visit... 

www.mycallaway.eu 

The RAZR suite of golf clubs from 

Callaway also includes various 

iron designs which are 

featured on the next page... 

View the complete range of 

Callaway products at 

www.callawaygolf.com 

BACKSPIN | 17

XF 

X Black 

X HL 

The most sophisticated game-improvement 

irons ever produced by Callaway Golf 

Callaway have been at the forefront of iron technology for 

the past 18 years, and last year launched RAZR 

technology in their irons – moving weight lower and deeper 

in the clubface to enhance forgiveness and playability for 

every level of golfer. 

They currently offer six sets of pioneering irons, which are 

part of the RAZR X family that continues to receive rave 

reviews. Last year they launched the RAZR X Forged, RAZR 

X Tour and RAZR X irons designed for the better player 

and this year they have added to the RAZR iron family with 

the introduction of three performance improving sets. 

The original RAZR XF irons (right) blend exceptional 

forgiveness and accuracy with premium materials and 

impressive styling...the RAZR X Black model (bottom left) 

offers golfers the maximum precision and distance with a 

stylish, non-glare black PVD finish...and the RAZR X HL 

(bottom right) is a very forgiving, larger format iron that has 

a lower centre of gravity for higher-launching shots. 

RAZR X RAZR X TOUR RAZR X FORGED 

CALLAWAY 

RAZR XF IRONS 

The RAZR XF Iron offers the discerning gameimprover 

increased distance, improved accuracy 

along with super-soft feel and luxurious styling. 

This model is designed specifically to appeal to 

the improving golfer who demands a golf club 

constructed from the finest materials with the 

performance and playability to match. 

A key game-improvement feature of the RAZR XF 

Iron is its wide sole design, specifically engineered 

to position the centre of gravity low and deep (to 

enhance playability) to easily compensate for offcentre 

strikes. 

Neil Howie, Callaway Golf, says: “The RAZR XF is 

a statement of what is possible with a gameimprovement 

iron and we are proud to deliver such 

a high performance, premium product to the 

multitude of mid to high-handicap golfers we know 

will benefit from this incredible engineering.” 

RRP: €1299 (Steel) €1499 (Graphite) 

CALLAWAY 

RAZR X BLACK IRONS 

The new RAZR X Black Iron is an advanced gameimprovement 

club designed for precise accuracy 

and distance from any spot on the golf course. 

“Our RAZR X Irons line was hugely successful in its 

first year, and the new RAZR X Black Irons fit perfectly 

into the middle of that lineup,” says Luke Williams, 

Senior Director, Global Woods and Irons, Callaway 

Golf. 

“With a low centre of gravity and conventional 

shape, they are aimed at the large segment of golfers 

who seek distance and forgiveness in a club design 

that delivers the workability of a narrow sole iron. We 

really placed a premium on the aesthetics of this iron 

as well, and believe we’ve created an iron that looks 

as great as it plays.” 

18 | BACKSPIN 

RRP: €799 (Steel) €1049 (Graphite) 

CALLAWAY 

RAZR X HL IRONS 

The super game-improvement RAZR X HL Irons 

feature a cast stainless steel design with a wide, 

confidence-inspiring sole for smooth turf interaction. 

A low centre of gravity makes the sweet spot more 

accessible at lower impact locations on the face where 

many amateurs strike the ball, delivering longer, 

more consistent distance and improved accuracy. 

The RAZR X HL Irons also have a fully integrated 

clubface/undercut cavity system, enabling engineers 

to precisely position the centre of gravity and engineer 

the face of each individual iron to maximize ball 

speed. The multi-material medallion on the back of 

the clubhead is made of aluminum and 

thermoplastic polyurethane to fine-tune sound and 

enhance feel. 

RRP: €629 (Steel) €799 (Graphite)

K 

nightsbrook Hotel Spa & 

Golf Resort in Trim, Co. 

Meath, host venue of the 

prestigious PING Junior Solheim 

Cup last September, has become 

established as one of Ireland’s most 

attractive play and stay golf 

destinations. 

And little wonder as this superb 

resort offers an excellent range of 

facilities, great hospitality and 

outstanding value for money. 

Knightsbrook Resort, launched 

in 2007, is ideally situated in the 

picturesque Heritage Town of Trim 

in the heart of Co. Meath. 

A superb 18-hole championship 

course designed by Ryder Cup 

legend Christy O’Connor Jnr, forms 

the centrepiece of an impressive 

resort that is an ideal venue for 

society days, residential golf & 

leisure breaks and social occasions. 

Golf groups can avail of affordable 

green fee rates seven days a week 

and very attractive accommodation 

options. 

Lady golfers can plan a visit 

any day of the week and there will 

be ladies open team events at 

Knightsbrook on 11th May and 

15th June (€25pp). 

Visitors to Knightsbrook have 

the option of staying in a luxurious 

4-star hotel complete with 131 guest 

rooms, 11 suites, a leisure centre 

and River Spa...or in attractive 

holiday homes available on a self 

catering or fully serviced basis. 

Knightsbrook Hotel Spa & Golf Resort 

For full details regarding the resort’s facilities & packages visit 

www.knightsbrook.com 

Or contact Gavin Hunt (Director of Golf) on 046.9482100. Email: ghunt@knightsbrook.com 

BACKSPIN | 19

THE 

PRO 

RAZR X FORGED 

THE 

PLAYER 

RAZR X TOUR 

THE 

MAVERICK 

RAZR X BLACK 

DECEMBER 15, 2011. WATCH TOMMY GAINEY 

TAKE ON A PAR 4 CHALLENGE OVER THE 

ROOFTOPS OF LAS VEGAS. SCAN OR VISIT 

CALLAWAYGOLF.COM/ROOFTOPS 

© 2012 Callaway Golf Company. Callaway, the Chevron Device, RAZR X, RAZR XF and VFT are trademarks and/or 

registered trademarks of Callaway Golf Company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owner(s).

INTRODUCING 

OUR MOST 

ACCURATE 

FAMILY OF 

IRONS. EVER. 

THE 

ORIGINAL 

RAZR X 

THE 

FORGIVER 

RAZR X HL 

THE 

ULTIMATE 

RAZR XF 

WHICH RAZR IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Busy season for the 

Mount Juliet to host Irish Championship 

Above: Mount Juliet will host this 

year’s Irish PGA Championship 

from October 11th - 14th. 

Support your local 

PGA professional 

22 | BACKSPIN 

The Irish PGA Championship will break fresh 

ground this year when it takes place at 

beautiful Mount Juliet for the first time. 

The showpiece event on the domestic circuit 

will take place from October 11th-14th and, 

fittingly, it will serve as the climax to a busy year 

for our PGA professionals. 

Mount Juliet will bring an exciting dimension 

to this year’s Championship with the battle for 

the Irish PGA Order of Merit title likely to serve 

as a dramatic sideshow over the four days. 

The world class Thomastown resort has, of 

course, staged the Lexus Race to Mount Juliet 

in association with PING for the last two years. 

This special event brought a thrilling climax to 

proceedings last October when Barrie Trainor 

dethroned David Higgins as OOM winner. 

The Irish PGA Championship is steeped in 

history. It was inaugurated in 1907. Originally it 

was played in matchplay format but it has been 

played as a strokeplay event since 1910. 

Many of the country’s finest courses have 

hosted the Irish PGA Championship down the 

years and it has been won by many of our top 

touring professionals. 

Christy O’Connor Snr and Harry Bradshaw 

hold the record for most victories - ten apiece - 

with three-time Major champion Padraig 

Harrington and Des Smyth next in line with six 

victories apiece. 

Other multiple winners in the modern era 

have included European Ryder Cup stars Philip 

Walton and Paul McGinley, who have both 

celebrated victory in the Irish Championship on 

four occasions. 

Other Ryder Cup legends whose names are 

inscribed on the famous trophy include Fred 

Daly, Norman Drew, David Feherty, Eamonn 

Darcy and Darren Clarke. 

European Tour player Simon Thornton (Royal 

County Down) capped a fine season last year by 

adding his name to the roll of honour.

Irish PGA Calendar 2012 

Mount Juliet 

Looking ahead, Irish Region Secretary 

Michael McCumiskey remarked: “Mount 

Juliet is regarded as one of the best golf 

resorts in the world and we are delighted 

they are hosting this year’s Irish PGA 

Championship. It is a resort with a rich 

tournament history. It was the venue for the 

Irish Open from 1993 to 1995 and two World 

Golf Championships in 2002 and 2004, 

when Tiger Woods and Ernie Els were 

triumphant.” 

McCumiskey added: “The Mount Juliet 

course is always in pristine condition and 

we look forward to staging another 

successful Irish PGA Championship.” 

In view of the popularity of the event it is 

necessary to stage qualifying rounds at 

Mount Juliet on September 4th and 25th. 

The Championship proper at Mount Juliet 

in October will involve a field of 102 

professionals. 

MAY 

21 Woodbrook Pro Am 

24 PGA Sprint, Bunclody 

27 Foxrock Pro-Am 

JUNE 

16 - 17 Corrib Gas Pro-Am, Carne 

20 Wexford Pro-Am 

21 Bunclody Pro-Am 

28 - 1 Irish Open, Royal Portrush 

JULY 

2 Moran Cup, Royal Dublin 

4 PGA Sprint, Dundrum House 

5 Dromoland Castle Pro-Am 

8 Cahir Park Pro-Am 

11 St. Helen’s Bay Pro-Am 

13 Kinsale Pro-Am 

14 Blarney Pro-Am 

15 Castlewarden Pro-Am 

16 PGA Sprint, Carlow 

17 - 18 Philip Walton Dundrum House 

Pro-Am, Co. Tipperary G&CC 

19 Curragh Pro-Am 

21 - 22 City of Derry Pro-Am 

23 Skins PGA Fourball Qualifier, 

Headfort (New) 

28 - 29 Ballyliffin Pro-Am 

AUGUST 

2 - 3 The Etihad Airways 

Cairndhu Pro-Am 

5 Hermitage Pro-Am 

9 Fred Daly Memorial Pro-Am, 

Balmoral 

10 Crumlin Hospital Pro-Am 

Rathsallagh 

11 Newcastlewest Pro-Am 

12 Adare Manor Pro-Am 

13 Cork Pro-Am 

15 Tullamore Pro-Am 

17 Kilcock Pro-Am 

20 PGA Pro Captains Challenge 

Qualifier, Roganstown 

21 The Etihad Airways PGA 

Challenge Pro-Am, Carton Hse 

22 - 23 PGA Challenge Tournament, 

Carton House 

24 Balbriggan Pro-Am (provisional) 

26 Ethiad Airways PGA Southern 

Championship Pro-Am, 

Powerscourt 

27 - 28 PGA Southern Championship, 

Powerscourt 

31 Naas Pro-Am 

SEPTEMBER 

3 PGA Tankard, Carlow 

6 3 T’s Qualifier, St. Margaret’s 

10 PGA Tankard, Royal Tara 

13 3 T’s Qualifier, Slieve Russell 

14 St. Margarets Pro-Am 

17 Seve Ballesteros Foundation 

Pro-Am, Kirkistown Castle 

18 3 T’s Qualifier, Co.Tipperary GC 

20 - 22 Spanish Tourism Trip, Majorca 

22 PGA Junior Series, 

St.Helen’s Bay 

29 - 30 Connemara Pro-Am 

OCTOBER 

2 PGA Ulster C’ship Pro-Am 

3 - 4 PGA Ulster Championship, 

Hilton Templepatrick 

10 Irish PGA C’ship Pro-Am 

Mount Juliet 

11 - 14 102nd Irish PGA Championship 

Mount Juliet 

DUNDRUM HOUSE HOTEL GOLF & LEISURE RESORT 

Host venue of the Philip Walton Pro-Am in July 

BACKSPIN | 23

Equipment Focus... 

G20 RANGE 

ticks all the boxes 

PING is a brand name that has been 

synonymous with golf for over half 

a century and each year the 

company's innovative engineers push 

back the boundaries a little further in 

terms of game improvement technology. 

The whole emphasis is on finding new 

ways to assist golfers of all standards 

lower their scores and, ultimately, enjoy 

the game even more. 

On these pages we focus attention on 

PING's stylish G20 and i20 product lines, 

which are engineered to deliver 

enhanced feel and forgiveness. 

You may not aspire to the same dizzy 

heights as PING staff players like Lee 

Westwood, Bubba Watson and Louis 

Oosthuizen, but PING's beautifully 

crafted product range provides golfers 

with the opportunity to play with cutting 

edge technology that is designed to 

inspire confidence. 

G20 Driver 

G20 Fairway 

Play Your Best. 

G20 DRIVER 

Launch your tee shots straight and long with the G20 

driver which offers many striking features including... 

Forgiveness - A large, thin face generates faster ball speeds and 

increases MOI for maximum forgiveness 

High Launch - An external weight pushes the CG low and back for 

high launch and low spin to maximise distance and accuracy 

New Ti811 Alloy - A lighter, high density alloy, Ti811 allows for 

additional weight to be strategically placed to increase the MOI 

on both the vertical and horizontal axes 

Aerodynamic Head Design - A key power generator is an 

aerodynamic 460cc head that reduces drag to increase clubhead 

speed 

Larger Face - The G20’s club face is larger, creating forgiveness 

across the club face 

High-Balance-Point Shaft - PING’s proprietary shaft design is 

lighter which allows their engineers to allocate additional weight 

to the clubhead and position the CG closer to the grip end. This 

promotes faster ball speeds and longer, straighter tee shots 

24 | BACKSPIN 

G20 FAIRWAYS 

The G20 Fairways are beautifully crafted and offer golfers 

dynamic playing characteristics including... 

High Ball Speeds - The object of the G20 Fairways is to enable 

golfers hit the ball as far as possible off the turf. A large club face 

helps ensure higher ball speeds across the entire club face 

Forgiveness - The large 17-4 stainless steel clubhead increases 

the MOI to ensure high launching, long carrying shots from all 

conditions 

High Launch - External weighting locates the CG low and back to 

produce high launch and low spin for long, straight results 

External Weight - Weight concentrated low and back positions 

the CG to ensure the high launch and low spin needed for distance 

and control 

Higher MOI - The large face and high MOI maintain consistent ball 

speeds to provide performance across the hitting surface 

Specifications - G20 Fairways are available in RH and LH models 

in the following options...3-Wood 15°, 4-Wood 16.5°, 5-Wood 18° 

and 7-Wood 21°

G20 Iron 

G20 Hybrid 

All golfers aspire to hitting crisp, 

clean iron shots and PING's 

stylish G20 irons (above) offer 

many distinctive features 

Hybrids can transform your 

game. They are designed to 

produce higher launching, 

softer landing shots from 

all conditions 

View the complete range of 

PING equipment, clothing 

and accessories at... 

www.ping.com 

G20 IRONS 

All golfers aspire to hitting crisp iron shots and the new 

G20 irons come with distinctive features including... 

Solid Feel - A multi-material cavity badge made of aluminium 

with soft elastomer heel and toe sections improves feel 

Distance Control - The thin face is backed by a floating CTP 

structure that generates fast ball speeds and allows for 

consistent, precise distance control with every iron 

Accuracy - The extreme perimeter weighting of the 17-4 stainless 

steel head ensures forgiveness and accuracy 

Transition - The hosel-to-head transition inspires confidence at 

address that the ball will launch easily from any lie 

Optimised GC Position - Weight saved by keeping the face thin 

allowed PING’s engineers to redistribute weight to the perimeter 

and the back flange, which positions the CG low and back to 

launch the ball higher without compromising distance 

Specs - G20 irons are available in RH and LH models, with 

Graphite or Steel shafts, and the complete set includes 3 to 9- 

iron, Pitching Wedge, Utility Wedge, Sand Wedge and Lob Wedge. 

G20 HYBRIDS 

Hybrids have become popular weapons for golfers at all 

levels and the G20 line offers great features including... 

Performance from any lie - Generous bounce and sole camber 

provide exceptional ground impact and smooth transitions in all 

playing conditions 

Confidence - A flatter lie angle improves eye appeal while 

ensuring control and confidence 

Optically Pleasing - A smooth, blended crown design improves 

optics for easy alignment 

Forgiving - A large, internal toe weight inside the 17-4 stainless 

steel head provides forgiveness and distance 

Offset Hosel Design - Keeping the hosel axis forward of the deep 

CG and the centre of the clubface creates the dynamic launch and 

low spin necessary for higher trajectories and long carries 

Flat Lie Angle - A flatter lie angle and softer crown shape ensure 

a confidence-building design that produces higher launching, 

softer landing shots from all conditions 

Specs - G20 Hybrids come in 17°, 20°, 23°, 27° and 31° lofts. 

BACKSPIN | 25

Equipment Focus 

Great response to 

i20 range 

In the i20 series, PING has 

combined workability, distance 

and forgiveness with the goal to 

make any golfer a more 

versatile and complete player. 

PING’s new i20 driver, fairway woods, hybrids and irons bring an 

exciting new dimension to game improvement for golfers of all 

standards. This stylish new line relies on innovation and custom 

engineering to ensure that every design attribute helps to optimise 

performance, right down to the colour of the clubs’ finish. 

“In the i20 series, we’ve combined workability, distance and forgiveness 

with the goal to make any golfer a more versatile and complete player,” 

saysJohn A. Solheim, PING Chairman & CEO. “We’ve engineered the i20s 

with a solid feel and generous forgiveness but also a degree of workability 

for the player who wants full command of the clubface for controlling 

trajectory and shot shape. Anyone who is passionate about their game is 

going to be very confident and capable with this game-improvement 

technology.” 

The matt-black finish of the driver, woods, and hybrids is eye-catching 

and there’s a real performance benefit. John A. Solheim explains: “The 

non-glare finish absorbs light, allowing the player to focus without 

distraction. Our tour pros are very enthusiastic about the finish – but 

even more so about the i20s’ performance. Players are able to execute 

any shot they want with confidence.” 

The 460cc driver head is highly aerodynamic to reduce drag, which 

generates clubhead speed and ball velocity for maximising distance. 

“The i20 driver is incredibly long but also highly accurate,” Solheim 

says. “We gave the fairway woods and hybrids the same 

matt finish, and their designs offer the highlaunching 

forgiveness that makes them reliable 

from all turf conditions and from the tee.” 

Play Your Best. 

In the multi-metal irons, a progressive set design features long irons that are 

slightly larger, high launching and more forgiving. The smaller short irons feature 

less offset and provide exceptional control. 

“Distance control, a key to consistent iron play, was a priority in the irons’ 

design,” Solheim says. “The stabilising bars and the thicker face offer great feel 

and ensure that golfers can hit to precise yardages. Distance control is an absolute 

must for better players, but precision is going to help anyone lower their scores.” 

To emphasise the importance of a proper fit with any i20 product, PING offers 

two stock shaft options. In the driver, fairways, and hybrids, golfers can choose 

PING’s TFC 707 series, or the Project X Black from True Temper. “Both shafts 

deliver a solid, stable feel and consistent performance,” Solheim explains. “Our 

TFC series is slightly heavier, stiffer and generates lower launch and less spin 

than Project X Black.” In the irons, PING’s CFS (Control, Feel and Stability) shaft 

and the TFC 169i are available. 

View the complete range of PING equipment, clothing and accessories at... 

www.ping.com 

26 | BACKSPIN

The Island Golf Club 

HOUSE & GOLF LINKS 

A CLASSIC LINKS EXPERIENCE 

The Island is a Championship Links surrounded by the sea on 

three sides. Until as recently as 1973 the club was approached 

by boat from Malahide across the estuary. 

Fred Hawtree, Eddie Hackett and more recently Martin 

Hawtree have made course design improvements, ensuring that 

the true nature and character of the links are enhanced. 

* To host R&A Regional Qualifying for 

The Open Championship in 2013 

* Voted amongst Ireland’s top-10 links 

courses by Backspin magazine (2012) 

* Boasts the highest sand dunes 

on the East Coast 

* Located 15-mns from Dublin Airport 

For enquiries / golf bookings contact the Club Secretary 

The Island Golf Club, Corballis, Donabate, Co. Dublin. 

Tel: 01-8436205 Email: louise@theislandgolfclub.com 

www.theislandgolfclub.com 

Visitors and Societies Welcome 

For Tee Times, Rates and Reservations 

Tel: 066-9474102 Fax: 066-9474482 

WATERVILLE, COUNTY KERRY 

Email: wvgolf@iol.ie 

www.watervillegolflinks.ie 

BACKSPIN | 27

Golf’s latest craze 

comes to Leopardstown 

Below: SNAG is an easy and 

quick way for kids to learn the 

fundamentals of the swing. 

Some golfers display an exceptional 

talent from an early age. Like Tiger 

Woods, who shot 48 for nine holes as a 

three-year-old and broke 80 at the age of 

8...and golf’s new poster boy Rory McIlroy, 

who hit a 40-yard drive at the age of 2 and had 

perfected the art of chipping golf balls into a 

washing machine by the age of 9! 

For most kids, however, golf is all about 

having fun, becoming involved in an active 

outdoor pursuit and making new friends. 

That’s certainly the emphasis at the 

famous Leopardstown Golf Centre in 

Foxrock, which is a hive of activity each 

summer with hordes of youngsters taking 

their first steps in the game at the centre’s 

immensely popular junior camps. 

In fact, the Leopardstown Golf Centre, 

which has been an institution in Irish golf 

since the 1960’s, provides coaching to over 

1,000 boys and girls each year. They are 

welcomed, encouraged and provided with top 

class tuition from an early age at Ireland’s 

Home of Golf. 

The focus at junior camps organised by the 

Golf Centre’s experienced PGA Professionals 

is on providing kids with an enjoyable and 

enlightening introduction to the game. 

From this summer onwards the latest 

craze sweeping golf will add an exciting new 

dimension to coaching youngsters. It’s a form 

of golf called SNAG. This catchy name is an 

acronym for ‘Start New at Golf.’ 

Below: The vastly experienced Pure 

Golf Leopardstown team of PGA 

professionals...Michael Kavanagh, 

Michael Allan, Michael McDermott, 

Maura Morrin and John Langan. 

28 | BACKSPIN

SNAG is a modified form of golf with its 

own simple rules and terminology, which 

adds to the fun. 

SNAG is an easy and quick way for 

youngsters to learn the fundamentals of the 

swing and develop an interest in golf without 

being burdened with too much technical 

detail. 

Pure Golf Leopardstown professional 

Michael Allan says, “We’ll be running several 

week-long junior camps this summer during 

which boys and girls, from 5-years upwards, 

will be given an introduction to etiquette, the 

rules of golf and the fundamentals of the 

swing. They’ll also have the opportunity to 

actually play golf on the new 9-hole SNAG 

course and dedicated pitch and putt practice 

area for juniors.” 

Kids will have the opportunity to immerse 

themselves in golf at the centre’s junior 

camps and they’ll enjoy the fun element 

associated with SNAG. 

Allan explains, “This excellent new concept 

helps kids make more athletic movements 

that benefit their swings. This is achieved 

through various exercises and games which 

develop athletic movement patterns.” 

It’s essentially a game created with kids in 

mind but SNAG can be enjoyed by all the 

family, which ensures that it will catch-on fast 

at the Leopardstown Golf Centre. 

Kids can be enrolled in the Golf Centre’s 

Junior Summer Camps now by contacting 

the Pro Shop on 01-2897452. 

Family fun the theme at 

Leopardstown Golf Centre 

The whole emphasis at Ireland’s 

premier game improvement 

centre is on providing the total 

golf experience in a friendly, family 

environment. 

Families are encouraged to 

embrace the centre’s full range of 

facilities and a typical scenario would 

involve dad honing his skills on the 

driving range, or taking a lesson with 

one of the resident professionals, 

while mum is enjoying a round of golf 

knowing that the kids are occupied 

and having fun at a coaching clinic. 

Golfers of all ages, aspirations 

and skill levels have access to 

a complete suite of game 

improvement services and facilities 

staffed by the Pure Golf team of 

PGA professionals. 

Indeed, whether you wish to 

improve your swing, mind or body - 

or all three - the most advanced 

technology, systems and expertise 

are available under one roof. 

You can practice anytime from 

early morning to late evening in the 

fully automated 74-bay floodlit 

driving range, and professional 

tuition is available on a one-to-one or 

group basis. 

You can introduce a real cutting 

edge to your short game by booking 

a course of lessons in the centre’s 

high spec Putting Studio, where 

every last detail of your putting 

SPECIAL OFFER 

Large basket of balls 

€6.00 

8am-4pm Mon-Fri 

incl Bank Holiday 

Mondays! 

stroke can be analysed. You can also 

avail of unlimited use of the centre’s 

tour-spec all-weather short game 

practice facility for just €5 per hour 

or annual membership for €100. 

The Pure Golf Leopardstown team 

place great emphasis on the 

importance of embracing custom 

fitting as part of an overall approach 

to game improvement. 

They provide a fascinating custom 

fitting service that involves ultra 

speed cameras, sensors and 

wireless strain guages to capture the 

physics of a player’s swing. 

Indeed, you can transform your 

game by having both your clubs and 

golf ball custom fit to your style of 

play by the Pure Golf PGA team. 

Visit www.puregolfireland.com to 

discover more about their services. 

The centre’s 22,000 sq ft 

clubhouse is a multi-functional 

facility that incorporates the popular 

100-seater Green Room restaurant, 

fashion boutiques, a travel agency 

and a fully stocked PGA golf shop. 

Many of the top golfing brands are 

available in this bright and spacious 

emporium, including equipment 

lines PING, Nike, TaylorMade, 

Titleist, Mizuno, Cleveland and 

Miura, along with leading fashion 

labels PING, Chervo, Rohnisch, 

Adidas, Footjoy, Nike, Daily Golf and 

Oscar Jacobsen. 

Great Value! 

Green Fee Rates (18 holes) 

Adults ........................................€15 

Students & Seniors.....................€12 

Juniors (aged 10-16 yrs).............€10 

Twilight Rate (after 7pm)...........€10 

Driving Range 

Large Basket of balls ....................€6 

(8am-4pm Mon-Fri, incl Bank Holiday Mondays) 

Loyalty Card (top-up as you wish) 

All-weather Practice Facility 

Short game practice (per hour).....€5 

Annual Membership Card........€100 

Leopardstown Golf Centre 

Foxrock, Dublin 18. Tel: 01-2895341 Pro Shop: 01-2897452 

Situated just off the M50 at Exit 14 (Southbound) for Dun Laoghaire 

www.leopardstowngolfcentre.com 

BACKSPIN | 29

SHOWCASING IRELAND’S WONDERFUL 

PARKLAND GOLF PRODUCT 

Six years ago BACKSPIN became the first 

publication ever to rank Ireland’s links and 

parkland courses separately. They are, after all, 

completely different forms of golf. 

This pioneering and imaginative approach to our 

biennial poll serves to showcase the Irish golf product 

in a completely new light to the world at large. 

Our many fine parkland courses now enjoy the 

stand-alone recognition that they richly deserve. 

On these pages a selection of parkland venues 

beckon visitors with great facilities and great offers. 

30 | BACKSPIN

Radisson Farnham Estate 

Knightsbrook 

First impressions are so important and in 

that regard the exhilarating Ballesteros 

Course at the 5-star Heritage Golf Resort 

has passed every test with flying colours 

since it was unveiled to rave reviews in 2004. 

In a relatively short space of time this 

luxurious 5-star resort in the heart of lovely 

County Laois has become firmly established 

as one of Britain & Ireland’s premier golf and 

leisure retreats. 

It has served as a superb host venue for 

several prestigious events, including the 2007 

Seve Trophy, and major champions Nick 

Faldo, Vijay Singh, John Daly and Padraig 

Harrington have showered praise on the 

stunning Seve Ballesteros / Jeff Howes 

designed jewel. 

THE HERITAGE GOLF RESORT 

The Ballesteros Course is presented in 

immaculate condition. It is a joy to play at any 

time as the limestone land provides great 

drainage ensuring a magnificent playing 

surface all year round. 

The multi-faceted resort is nestled at the 

foot of the Slieve Bloom mountains, and it is 

located within 40 minutes of Dublin off the 

main Dublin - Cork M7 motorway. 

Great practice and tuition facilities, a 

state-of-the-art 38,000 sq ft clubhouse, a 

luxurious hotel complete with opulent spa, 

and wonderful recreational amenities 

combine to create a perfect venue for golf 

outings, invigorating breaks, conferences, 

private business meetings, product launches 

and special family occasions. 

continued ➔ 

Main photograph 

shows the spectacular 

Ballesteros Course 

at The Heritage Resort 

BACKSPIN | 31

Mount Juliet 

MOUNT JULIET GOLF CLUB 

Jack Nicklaus takes great pride in his many 

golfing achievements and regularly 

acknowledges that Mount Juliet ranks 

amongst his finest parkland creations. 

Nicklaus has designed many wonderful 

golf courses around the world and he retains 

fond and vivid memories of the challenge he 

undertook at Mount Juliet. 

It was soon after he celebrated his sixth 

Masters victory and 18th Major triumph in 

1986 that he set about 

transforming the late Dr. 

Tim Mahony’s vision for 

Mount Juliet Estate into 

glorious reality. 

When he was informed 

recently that Mount Juliet 

had topped BACKSPIN’s 

biennial Irish parkland 

course rankings for a 

third consecutive time, 

Nicklaus remarked: “I’ve got a great deal of 

pleasure in watching the ‘old’ Mount Juliet 

transform into the modern and elegant 

version it has become. And it’s gratifying to 

know that others have enjoyed this 

transformation, be it in the tournaments 

played there or as guests of the resort.” 

Quite simply, the Jack Nicklaus Signature 

Course at Mount Juliet is a design 

masterpiece. 

The stunning Co. Kilkenny resort, host 

venue of the WGC-American Express 

Jack Nicklaus has designed 

many wonderful golf 

courses around the world 

and he retains fond and 

vivid memories of the 

challenge he undertook at 

Mount Juliet. 

Championship in 2002 and 2004, is a magical 

destination with a very welcoming ambience. 

The beauty of Mount Juliet is that the golf 

course is designed to provide an exhilarating 

challenge whether you are a top class 

professional or an ordinary mortal having fun 

with corporate or society friends. 

And, of course, visitors to Mount Juliet can 

enjoy the total relaxation experience with the 

magnificent golf facilities complemented by a 

wide range of sporting and leisure amenities, 

luxurious accommodation 

and the highest standards 

of service. 

The 1,500 acre Estate is 

a haven of peace and 

tranquility with various 

accommodation options 

including Mount Juliet 

House which offers 

twenty-nine beautifully 

presented bedrooms and 

two presidential suites. 

The hotel has excellent conference and 

event facilities, a state-of-the-art leisure 

centre and a luxury Spa, which offers 

traditional and alternative beauty treatments. 

Mount Juliet, located 15-minutes from 

Kilkenny and within an hour of Dublin, 

attracts a huge volume of bookings from 

societies and corporate groups. No surprise 

when you check out the attractive packages 

available throughout the year on the resort’s 

website www.mountjuliet.ie/golf 

32 | BACKSPIN

Headfort New 

HEADFORT GOLF CLUB 

Headfort Golf Club in County Meath is 

blessed with one of the most beautiful 

settings in Irish golf. 

Situated just outside the historic town of 

Kells, this magnificent 36-hole facility creates 

a very striking impression on visitors 

everytime. 

Golf has been played at Headfort since 

1928 and the sense of old and new blends 

beautifully. 

The Old Course is a joy to play with mature 

trees and a stunning landscape creating a 

delightful golfing environment. 

The New Course, opened in 2000, is a 

spectacular challenge with Headfort House 

(built in 1780), the River Blackwater and 

wonderful scenery creating a thrilling 

canvass and backdrop. 

The New Course, designed by Ryder Cup 

legend Christy O’Connor Jnr, has featured 

prominently in BACKSPIN’s 2008, 2010 and 

2012 Irish parkland rankings. 

Visitors are warmly welcomed and enjoy 

the complete package at Headfort. 

The Golf Club benefits from a very 

convenient location on the main M3 from 

Dublin. 

The combination of two wonderful 

courses, keenly priced green fees, an inviting 

atmosphere and excellent facilities in the 

chalet clubhouse attracts a large volume of 

groups and societies. 

Headfort hosts a busy programme of Open 

events (visit www.headfortgolfclub.ie) and it 

is an excellent option for groups planning an 

overnight visit or golfing break with lots of 

accommodation options nearby. 

The popular family run Headfort Arms 

Hotel, just two minutes from the Golf Club, 

offers very attractive play and stay packages. 

The hotel can arrange tee-times, luxurious 

B&B accommodation, and dinner if required, 

at very reasonable rates. 

The Headfort Arms is an institution in 

Kells. It offers 45 luxurious bedrooms, 

excellent dining facilities and relaxing spa 

rooms. It is a perfect base for golfers visiting 

Headfort and other County Meath attractions. 

Headfort Old 

continued ➔ 

BACKSPIN | 33

ww ww 

w.mountjuliet.i 

e 

34 | BACKSPIN

RADISSON FARNHAM ESTATE 

First time visitors to the 

luxurious Radisson Farnham 

Estate, just 3km from Cavan 

town, enjoy a marvellous sense of 

discovery. 

This superb resort blends the 

age old traditions of hospitality, 

welcome and natural beauty with 

contemporary comfort and 

service to create a very special 

destination. 

Located in the heart of this 

oasis of peace and harmony is a 

world class Health Spa and the 

stylish Radisson Blu Farnham 

Estate Hotel. 

Farnham Estate is a 

playground for the senses. From 

the softest fabrics to the most 

delicate local ingredients, every 

detail has been carefully chosen 

to create a sense of total wellbeing. 

Of course, golf is an important 

element of the estate’s appeal. 

The highly-rated 18-hole 

championship course is spread 

over 500 acres of rolling 

countryside and dense woodland. 

A meandering stream and no 

fewer than seven lakes are 

attractive design features. 

All residential packages incorporate use 

of the resort’s health facilities, which 

include a Water Mint Thermal Suite, 

indoor/outdoor hydrotherapy infinity pool, 

Gym and Relaxation Rooms. Guests can 

also avail of a library and 7km of nature 

trails. 

continued ➔ 

Killenard 

County Laois 

Ireland 

It’s all about the 

Golf and Open Days 

"This is a true 

championship course 

with which I'm proud 

to be associated." 

- Seve Ballesteros 

Phone: 

057 8645500 

Fax: 

057 8642350 

Summer Open Days 

Gents Open Singles Every Monday 

Ladies Open Singles Every Tuesday 

– SPECIAL €30 ENTRY FEE – 

Book online now at 

www.theheritage.com 

MEMBERSHIP OFFERS 

* Seasonal membership available from as little as €899 

* Introductory Ladies membership available at €500 

* Introductory Junior membership available at €100 

For further details contact: 

Niall Carroll on 057.8642321 

or email: membership@theheritage.com 

BACKSPIN | 35

BEAVERSTOWN GOLF CLUB 

Asplendid 18-hole course, fine clubhouse 

facilities, sensible green fee rates and a 

welcoming atmosphere is a formula that 

works very well at lovely Beaverstown Golf 

Club in Donabate, close to Dublin Airport. 

This progressive club has made great 

strides since it was formed in 1985. The 

original course, designed by the legendary 

Eddie Hackett, was attractively laid-out on 

132 acres bordering the shores of 

Rogerstown estuary. The land previously 

served as a fruit farm. 

In 2000 the club commissioned illustrious 

course architect Peter McEvoy to remodel the 

lay-out and the British golfing legend 

introduced many new features that have 

transformed the course into a more 

challenging test. 

The course winds its way through acres of 

mature apple trees. The orchards border the 

tees, fairways and greens on eight holes, 

while water features come into play on twelve 

holes. 

It’s a very welcoming club and a very 

popular venue for society outings. 

Beaverstown 

GLASSON GOLF RESORT 

Glasson Country House Hotel & Golf Club 

was presented with the ‘Golf Resort of the 

Year’ accolade at the IGTOA’s annual awards 

last year. 

A huge commitment by the Reid family and 

a dedicated team of staff over the last two 

decades has transformed a family farm in the 

midlands into one of Ireland’s most attractive 

golf and leisure resorts. 

Glasson is a very popular venue for 

society outings, midweek and weekend 

golfing breaks. 

A beautiful 18-hole championship course, 

designed by Christy O’Connor Jnr, and a 

4-star lakeside hotel with 65 luxurious 

bedrooms, combine to create an ideal play 

and stay destination less than an hour from 

Dublin on the M6 motorway. 

A warm welcome awaits you at 

Beaverstown 

Golf Club 

DONABATE, CO. DUBLIN 

GOLF RESORT 

OF THE YEAR 

Beaverstown Golf Club - a short drive and flick of a lob 

wedge from Dublin Airport - provides all the 

elements that combine to create a really 

pleasurable golfing experience...a challenging 

18-hole golf course in delightful surroundings 

featuring magnificent greens, excellent 

clubhouse facilities, the warmest of 

welcomes and very attractive 

green fee rates. 

Tel: 01-843 6439 Email: office@beaverstown.com 

www.beaverstown.com 

36 | BACKSPIN 

• Fantastic Lakeside Setting 

• Centrally located - take the M6 Motorway - 

less than 1 hour from Dublin & Galway 

• 65 luxurious bedrooms 

• Renowned for our Warm Glasson Welcome 

• Green Fees from €35 to €50 

Glasson, Athlone,Co.Westmeath. 

Tel: +353 (0) 906 485120 Fax: +353 (0) 906 485444 

Email: info@glassongolf.ie 

www.glassongolfhotel.ie

GUIDE TO 

GOLF & ACCOMMODATION... 

& 

Check-out the websites below for open fixtures, society packages, 

membership options, play & stay deals and family breaks 

ASHBOURNE GOLF CLUB 

Archerstown, Ashbourne, Co. Meath 

Tel: 01-8352005 (Ext 20) 

Open Week: June 9th - 17th 

www.ashbournegolfclub.ie 

THE HERITAGE GOLF & SPA RESORT 

Killenard, Co. Laois 

For golf & accommodation offers 

Tel: 057-864 2321 

www.theheritage.com 

BEAVERSTOWN GOLF CLUB 

Donabate, Co. Dublin 

For details of various Open Weekends 

Tel: 01-8436439 

www.beaverstown.com 

BUNCRANA GOLF CLUB 

Ballymacarry, Buncrana, Co. Donegal 

Tel: 074-9362279 

Open Week: July 16th - 20th 

www.buncranagolfclub.com 

THE CURRAGH GOLF CLUB 

The Curragh, Co. Kildare 

Tel: 045-441238 

Open Week: June 23rd - July 1st 

www.curraghgolf.com 

GLASSON HOTEL & GOLF CLUB 

Glasson, Athlone, Co. Westmeath 


Tel: 0906-485120 

www.glassongolfhotel.ie 

HEADFORT ARMS HOTEL 

Kells, Co. Meath 


Tel: 046-9240063 

www.headfortarms.ie 

KNIGHTSBROOK HOTEL,SPA & GOLF RESORT 

Knightsbrook Resort, Trim, Co. Meath 


Tel: 046-948 2100 

www.knightsbrook.com 

MALAHIDE GOLF CLUB 

Beechwood, The Grange, Malahide, Co. Dublin 

Tel: 01-8461611 

Open Week: August 4th - 10th 

www.malahidegolfclub.ie 

THE MALTON HOTEL 

Town Centre, Killarney, Co. Kerry 


Tel: 064-663 8000 

www.themalton.com 

MOUNT JULIET GOLF CLUB 

Thomastown, Co. Kilkenny 


Tel: 056-777 3010 

www.mountjuliet.ie 

RADISSON BLU FARNHAM ESTATE HOTEL 

Farnham Estate, Cavan, Co. Cavan 


Tel: 049-437 7700 

www.farnhamestate.com 

HEADFORT GOLF CLUB 

Dublin Road, Kells, Co. Meath 

Tel: 046-928 2001 

Open Week: May 27th - June 4th 

www.headfortgolfclub.ie 

* Golf Course Photography 

* Special Commissions for your Clubhouse 

WATERVILLE HOUSE & GOLF LINKS 

Waterville, Co. Kerry 

For tee-time reservations 

Tel: 066-947 4102 

www.watervillegolflinks.ie 

Email: golfbiz@eircom.net for details of Club/Hotel listings in our Autumn issue 

GOLF PHOTOGRAPHY 

* Captain’s Prize Days & Functions 

* Corporate Events & Society Golf Days 

For further details contact Alan Bleakley. Tel: 086.8117766 

BACKSPIN | 37

NEWS 

Desk 

PEOPLE * PLACES * EVENTS 

Email your news items and hi-resolution jpeg 

photos to golfbiz@eircom.net 

The Golfer’s Handbook 

With a pedigree dating back over 100 

years, The R & A Golfer’s Handbook 

is golf’s No.1 reference book. 

The 2012 edition, published by 

Macmillan and edited by Renton Laidlaw, 

provides a treasure trove of golfing facts, 

figures and information. 

In addition to comprehensive listings of 

past and present results for leading 

professional and amateur events, the book 

also includes... 

* The new, fully revised, Rules of Golf 

* Detailed entries on 5,000 clubs and 

courses throughout Europe 

* A Who’s Who of players past and 

present. 

The London Club is a ‘must visit’ resort 

Christy O’Connor Jnr. 

38 | BACKSPIN 

The Heritage course at the London Golf Club 

Nearest the Pin event... 

Each year over 5,000 golfers in golf clubs and 

societies take part in the National Nearestthe-Pin 

Competition, which is supported by the 

Irish PGA and Ryder Cup legend Christy 

O’Connor Jnr (left). 

This nationwide event, now in its eighth year, 

has already raised almost €200,000 for The Irish 

Hospice Foundation. 

This year’s event offers prizewinners an 

Philip Walton 

Senior Tour welcomes 

Ryder Cup hero Walton 

As this issue was going to press Philip 

Walton was gearing-up for his Senior 

Tour debut in the Mallorca Open and 

looking forward to contesting the $2,000,000 

US Senior PGA Championship at Harbour 

Shores Golf Club in Michigan (May 24th-27th). 

The 50-year-old Malahide legend - a 

three-time European Tour winner and hero of 

Europe’s famous Ryder Cup victory at Oak Hill 

in 1995 - will play a full schedule of European 

Senior Tour events this season. 

We wish Philip every success going 

forward. 

Photo above courtesy The European Tour / © Getty Images. 

If you’re attending the Olympics this summer 

or planning a golfing break in the UK, check 

out www.londongolfclub.com 

Located amongst 700 acres of rolling Kent 

countryside and just 20 miles south-east of 

central London, the London Golf Club is a 

truly magnificent 36-hole resort. 

The Heritage course (left) is a Jack 

Nicklaus Signature design which has hosted 

The European Open on two occasions (2008 & 

2009) and provides a great test for golfers of 

all levels. Its sister course, The International, 

has a distinctly inland links feel and is a 

tournament venue in its own right. It has 

staged the London Senior Masters. 

A luxurious 130-bedroom hotel and leisure 

development will complete the project. 

opportunity to win a round of golf for two on both 

the Palmer and Smurfit courses at the K Club. 

The competition will be held at a par-3 hole 

on any day or days chosen by each participating 

club or society up to 31st October 2012. The 

entry fee is €10 per competitor. 

Full details regarding the Nearest-the-Pin 

event can be obtained by contacting 

kirana.bhagwan@hospice-foundation.ie.

Irish team wins the Mary McKenna Salver 

The Irish Senior Ladies team are pictured above celebrating their Mary McKenna 

Salver victory over Scotland at Hilton Templepatrick Golf Club in Belfast. 

Left to right (standing) - Gertie McMullen (The Island), Suzanne Corcoran (Portumna), Carol 

Wickham (Laytown/Bettystown), Mairead MacNamara (Woodbrook), Sheena McElroy (Grange), 

and Pauline Walsh (Headford). Seated: Helen Jones (Strabane), captain Terry Sexton (Dun 

Laoghaire) and Pat Doran (Donabate). 

Sue Philips on the 

victory trail again 

Local star Sue Phillips was a 

popular and impressive winner of 

the Woodbrook Ladies Scratch Cup 

for the second time in three years. 

Sue is pictured receiving the trophy 

from Eileen Sheehy (Lady Captain) 

and Tom Pitt (President). 

Photo taken by ALAN BLEAKLEY 

Presentation to mark Tour’s 40th anniversary 

Aspecial presentation to mark 

the European Tour’s 40th 

anniversary took place during the 

Ballantine’s Championship in Korea 

in April. 

“The Ballantine’s Championship, 

now in its fifth year, in many ways 

represents the growth of The 

European Tour, which visits many 

different countries around the world, 

and we are thankful to sponsors 

such as Ballantine’s for supporting 

us in doing this,” said Tour CEO 

George O’Grady 

The annual Crumlin Children’s 

Hospital Golf Challenge, open to 

clubs nationwide and generously 

supported by Musgraves, provides 

captains with the opportunity to lead 

their club to the international final in 

the Algarve in October. For 2012 event 

details contact tournament organiser 

Pat Cashman now on 087-2424451. 

Above: European Tour Chief Executive George O’Grady 

is presented with a bottle of Ballantine’s 40 Year Old 

from Chivas Brothers Chairman and CEO Christian 

Porta to mark the Tour’s 40th anniversary. 

Pic by © Getty Images. 

Ballykisteen - 2011 Musgrave champions 

The Perfect Golf Links 

is a fascinating book 

Pat Ruddy is one of the most 

passionate, knowledgeable and 

interesting people in the world of golf. 

He has spent a lifetime immersed in the 

game as a writer, photographer, course 

designer and course owner. 

The evolution of The European Club in 

Brittas Bay is a great tribute to him. 

It has been a totally hands-on project 

and in the short space of twenty-five 

years Pat has established a links that 

ranks amongst the finest in the world. 

His vision for The European Club and 

his thought process as a golf course 

designer are superbly articulated and 

captured in his latest book, “The Perfect 

Golf Links”. 

This beautifully illustrated volume is 

a fascinating read. 

Pat explains: “ I bought myself a new 

camera last September and set about 

trying to get two or three decent pictures 

of every hole at The European Club 

taking care to shoot many images from 

the player’s perspective rather than from 

behind the greens..the easy option..in 

order to give the reader a pretty thorough 

visual walk through of the links. 

I then put some of the thoughts 

behind the design into the text so that the 

reader could get a more detailed insight 

to the design. The result is a pictorialarchitectural-philosophical 

volume”. 

“I am not sure if any other designer 

has gone to this extent to discuss one of 

his courses. I just loved the idea of 

nurturing the links, photographing it and 

in part explaining it. As the work 

proceeded I became aware that I was 

learning a lot more about my own links 

and my own work as I literally focused as 

never before on every detail of each hole 

and it was quite startling to watch the 

colours of the landscape change so 

comprehensively in the space of twelve 

weeks. I am now hugely more aware of 

the use of colour in design and the 

challenge of having everything vibrant in 

all seasons.” 

“The Perfect Golf Links” is on sale at The 

European Club and through the club’s website 

www.theeuropeanclub.com 

BACKSPIN | 39

PARTING SHOT from the Editor... 

PING’s wonderful boost 

for ‘Girls N Golf’ concept 

An excellent initiative designed to popularise and grow girls golf 

across Ireland is set to go from strength to strength with the 

support of iconic golf equipment brand PING. 

Karsten Solheim, 

founder of 

The Solheim Cup 

Following the unequivocal success 

of the 2011 Solheim Cup at 

Killeen Castle and the 2011 PING 

Junior Solheim Cup at 

Knightsbrook last September, PING 

have committed to supporting the 

growth of women’s golf in Ireland 

through the ‘Girls N Golf’ initiative. The 

manufacturer has been supporting 

Junior Golf in Ireland for a number of 

years, and this has been extended to 

include ‘Girls N Golf’ for the first time. 

This initiative will introduce Irish girls 

to the game through an introductory 

programme leading into the summer 

months. This is designed to increase the 

number of Irish girls playing golf, 

safeguarding the future of the women’s 

game and providing the 2011 Solheim 

Cup with the legacy it deserves. 

PING’s support of the programme 

clearly displays the manufacturer’s 

prolonged commitment to stimulating 

Junior Golf growth across Ireland, 

particularly among the female 

population. ‘Girls N Golf’ is an important 

initiative, and with PING now at the fore, 

it’s sure to go from strength to strength. 

The project is run in conjunction 

with the Irish Ladies’ Golf Union and 

supported by the Irish Sports Council’s 

‘Women in Sport’ programme. 

‘Girls N Golf’ is based around fun and 

activity. Participants will play games on 

a shortened course and gain an 

introduction to competition with several 

gala days over the summer months. 

Last year, 3500 girls took part in the 

taster element of the programme, with 

400 continuing on to the 10-week 

project at their local club. This is an 

impressive take-up rate that clearly 

displays the potential for growth in 

Ireland. With PING’s support now in 

place, this number is expected to rise 

yet again. 

John Clark, Managing Director of 

PING Europe, commented: “We’re 100% 

Lisa and Leona Maquire with the 

PING Junior Solheim Cup 

committed to giving the 2011 Solheim 

Cup the legacy it deserves. It’s vital that 

the girls’ game in Ireland continues to 

grow. The 2011 Solheim Cup and the 

PING Junior Solheim Cup were a 

fantastic platform from which to launch 

this campaign.” 

“We’ve supported Junior Golf in 

Ireland for many years. Given the 

success of the Solheim Cup last year, 

committing to further grow the 

women’s game in the region is an 

obvious progression.” 

Visit www.juniorgolfireland.com 

Editorial, Advertising 

& Accounts: 

“Birkdale”, 

4, Rathmichael Manor, 

Loughlinstown, 

County Dublin, Ireland. 

Email: golfbiz@eircom.net 

Tel: (00.353.1) 2827269 

40 | BACKSPIN 

CELEBRATING 13 YEARS ON THE IRISH MARKET 

www.backspingolfmagazine.com

Hundreds of miles of beautiful beaches, fantastic 

sightseeing and shopping in the shadow of the 

legendary Petronas Towers. Marvel at the Orang 

Utan, the ‘man of the forest’, the most gentle of 

creatures. A golfer will never be far from a green. 

Tee-off from the cool of the hills, from the sea 

shore or even from the edge of the jungle. 

The time is now. The place is Malaysia 

For more information please visit: 

www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my 

Tourism Malaysia Dublin 

Level 3A Shelbourne House 

Shelbourne Road 

Dublin 4 

Tel: + 353 1 237 62 43 

email: info@tourism-malaysiadublin.com

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