Big summer for - Backspin Golf Magazine

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
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