The sister course to the Old Course at Ballybunion, the Cashen Course, has introduced two new greens. The Trent Jones Cashen Course is now open for play with newly designed 2nd and 15th greens. The course has also had work carried out on the 1st and 16th tee boxes.
If you are travelling to the South West of Ireland this year, take a trip to Ballybunion and experience both of their fantastic courses.
The Scottish Open will be held at Castle Stuart for at least the next two years after a major sponsor was found for the event. Global investment management group, Aberdeen Asset Management, have agreed to sponsor the event for three years, with the first two definitely being held at the Highlands links course, with an option to continue for a third year.
The announcement was made at Edinburgh Castle at the weekend and is a major coup for the tournament as it was without a main sponsor until now after Barclays ended their 2013 association with the tournament, leaving serious doubt hanging over this year’s event.
George O’Grady (European Tour Chief Executive) said “We are delighted to welcome Aberdeen Asset Management, an eminent global company based in Scotland, as title sponsor of the Scottish Open, one of the most prestigious tournaments on The European Tour International Schedule which, this year, will once again be played on the spectacular links layout at Castle Stuart.”
By Keith Baird. Keith has been with PerryGolf for over 13 years and is one of our Golf Travel Specialists.
Travel and Leisure readers have voted the Turnberry Resort as the number one hotel in Scotland. In the 10th annual listing the hotel appears, not only for the very first time, but as the Scottish leader amongst the 500 best hotels and resorts in the world.
The awards are based on the data collected from the World’s Best Awards survey by the magazine’s readership.
Last year, Travel and Leisure named Turnberry as one of Europe’s top 30 hotels, so this will be another accolade to add to the trophy shelf.
If you are going to be in Northern Ireland between the 3rd and 7th of June this year, the arrival of the Olympic torch will be a sight to behold.
The flame will journey over from Greece to arrive at Land’s End on the 18th of May 2012. Here will begin the 70 day trip around the UK.
Travelers to Northern Ireland this year can expect to see the torch-bearers arrive into Belfast on the 3rd of June; it will then be carried through more than 60 towns and villages until the 7th of June where it will leave for Cairnryan in Scotland.
Travelling for around 12 hours per day, the torch will ultimately arrive at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford for the lighting of the cauldron at the opening ceremony.
List of destinations in Northern Ireland through which the torch will be relayed:
3rd June – Holywood, Bangor, Newtownards, Comber, Dundonald, Stormont, Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus, Glynn, Larne, Drains Bay, Ballygalley, Glenarm, Carnlough, Glenariff, Cushendall, Ballycastle, Dervock, Bushmills and Portrush.
4th June – the torch will be taken across the River Bann and then on to Coleraine, Articlave, Castlerock, Downhill, Ballarena, Limavady, Ballykelly, Greysteel and Londonderry.
5th June – New Buildings, Magheramason, Bready, Ballymagorry, Strabane, Sion Mills, Omagh, Dromore, Irvinestown, Enniskillen, Fivemiletown, Clogher, Augher, Aughnacloy, Caledon, Armagh, Portadown, Gilford, Banbridge and Newry.
6th June – after leaving Newry, the flame will be taken to Lisburn and Belfast.
7th June – the final leg of the relay will take in Newcastle, Dundrum, Clough, Downpatrick, Crossgar, Saintfield, Ballynahinch, Templepatrick, Antrim, Ballyronan, Magherafelt, Ballymena and Moorfields.
Many of our clients who are looking to golf in the South West of Ireland will stay in Killarney as it offers access to many of the great courses in this area.
In September last year, The Minister for the Environment awarded Killarney with the title of ‘Ireland’s Tidiest Town’; beating 821 towns and villages that entered The Tidy Town awards.
A week prior to winning this award, Killarney also received the accolade of the country’s cleanest town by the Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL), proving that the community really have done themselves proud.
It’s always good to know when travelling to an unknown destination that its residents treat the area with the highest regard.
