THE lure of Ireland as a golfing destination is well documented with almost 328,000 tourists last year alone sampling the delights of our fairways. But howl many are so taken with the country's charms that they actually want to buy their own course here? Richard E. Taylor, an attorney from Phoenix, Arizona, wishes to do just that.
Born and raised in the desert, Taylor - unlike 46 million fellow Americans who claim their ancestors hail from these shores - has no roots here, but he was instantly captivated on his introduction to Ireland, some 10 years ago. It was a visit belatedly added onto a scheduled golfing trip to England and Scotland. He has been back every year since.
"I just fell in love (with Ireland)," explained Taylor, speaking during the week from his law practice in Phoenix. "At this stage, I have played almost all the top courses, apart from The K Club and Druids Glen, but that's a situation I intent to rectify shortly."
Now, Taylor, a seven handicap member of Forest Highlands in Flagstaff, is on the look out to purchase a nine hole golf course in Ireland. "It's something I've had in the back of my mind for some time. I don't want the expense of an 18 hole course but there are some very interesting nine hole courses and I'm in the market. I'd like to buy one, perhaps build a home adjacent to it. I'm not going to have Jack Nicklaus or anyone like that come in to redesign it. But I like informality and I wouldn't mind at all if I could have my dog walk with me while I played a round of golf."
His belief is that some privately owned or municipal nine hole course may wish to sell and use the money to contribute towards the construction of an 18 hole course elsewhere. "I have quite a large law firm and am now in a position to semi retire. My wife and daughter are willing to move to Ireland for one part of the year, so I'd like to put the word out and commence the search for a course in earnest.
Taylor did previously own a golf course, in California. "It was an 18 hole course and was a big headache: the county wanted me to build a bridge costing $1 1/2 million and the course was also on an earthquake fault." Should his search in Ireland prove fruitful, it is unlikely he will encounter a repeat of such problems.
"It's the worse piece of mess I've ever seen. I think they had some sheep and goats there that died - and they just covered them over." Scott Hoch's acerbic verdict on St Andrews, one which is unlikely to find favour with traditionalists.
Speaking of golf's spiritual home, the St Andrew's Links Trust is to launch a site on the global information highway next month. The internet site will provide around 70 pages of pictures and information to surfers and has been nine months in the planning stage.
"There are many golfing sites already providing a variety of information about St Andrews links," said Peter Mason, the Trust's external relations manager. "Unfortunately, much of the information is incomplete, inaccurate or out of date, leading to confusion and disappointment. We will strive to ensure that golfers are fully and accurately informed."
The Trust's internet site address will be http.//www.standrews.org.uk
GIVEN Ireland's exalted history in the Ryder Cup, it is fitting that Minister for Sport Bernard Allen should make a formal approach to the PGA European Tour to consider this country as a future venue.
Minister Allen's letter to the tour's Executive Director Ken Schofield provides the first formal indication that the Irish Government is willing to back the hosting of the event here.
If Ireland does get the go ahead and there is no reason why the 2005 event should be held anywhere else, although we are four years away from a decision on that year's venue - the next questions to be resolved are twofold: (1) Where will it be staged? (2) Who will captain the team?
There is no shortage of top quality courses, ranging from links (Portmarnock, Ballybunion) to parkland (Mount Juliet, The K Club, Druids Glen). But, equally, there is no shortage of potential home grown captains.
Christy O'Connor Senior has played in more consecutive: matches than anyone in the history of the Ryder Cup - from 1955 to 1973 inclusive - and one of his biggest regrets is that he never got the chance to captain a team. However, nephew Christy Junior, a Ryder Cup hero in his own right, could well be a viable candidate for captaincy, while Des Smyth and Eamonn Darcy would also have their supporters.
Readers of this column will, no doubt, join with all his colleagues in D'Olier Street in sending best wishes to Dermot Gilleece, The Irish Times Golf Correspondent, who is recuperating from surgery. We wish him well in his recovery and a return to his computer terminal and, also, the fairways of Clontarf Golf Club.
Who was he fooling? Just a couple of months ago, Tiger Woo's was akin to a hurler on the ditch as he pooh poohed - suggestions that he was poised to make the move from the amateur ranks in to the professional sphere.
"What people don't understand is that I'm not exempt anywhere on the (USPGA) tour. It would be very difficult to come out and play a limited tour schedule and earn my card by making the top 125 on the money list. If I failed, I would have to go to qualifying school," he said.
That was then. Last Sunday, Woods won an unprecedented third successive US Amateur title, stated there were "no more challenges left" in the amateur game and turned professional. It was an obvious move for a player judged, by no less a person as Jack Nicklaus, as potentially one of the game's greatest ever talents.
Woods made his professional debut in this week's Greater Milwaukee Open and has also received an invitation to play in next month's Quad City Open. A win in either event would give him a two year exemption on the tour. Alternatively, he could make that dreaded visit to the tour school at the end of the season to secure his card.
If the worse came to the worse and Tiger failed to win his card - unthinkable, really - he can always rely on invitations. Given his status in the sport already, they'll be queueing up to have him compete.
Ben Hogan returning from a near fatal car accident to win the US Open at Merton .... Europe winning the Ryder Cup on US soil for the first time at Muirfield Village in 1987 .... Arnold Palmer driving the first green en route to winning the US Open at Cherry Hills in 1960 .... Tom Watson's one stroke win over Jack Nicklaus in the 1977 British Open at Turnberry .... a sample of the 25 nominees for "MasterCard's Best of the Best in Golf" covering 250 years of the sport's history. The winner will be announced next January.
IN BRIEF: Professor John Cisar, University of Florida, will be the keynote speaker to three seminars in Dublin, Nenagh and Belfast next month. Organised by Teagasc, the GUI and the Golf Course Superintendents Association of Ireland, the seminars will discuss the concept of USGA greens in an Irish context ... The recently revived CBC Monkstown Past Pupils Union is hosting an outing to Dun Laoghaire Golf Club next Friday (contact Linda 280 5854) ... The Friends of St Luke's Hospital are holding a two ball scramble at Ballyhaunis on September 7th and 8th, time sheets 0907-30773 (midweek) and 0907-30014 (weekend) .... The qualifying rounds for the Jack Whites All Ireland Societies Championship (October 7th and 14th) and the Waterford Crystal Irish Seniors' Open Team Championship (October 10th and 11th) take place at The European Club, queries 0404-47415 .... Cairde Clanna Gael Fontenoy have organised their annual outing on September 14th, the eve of the All Ireland Football final, to St Margaret's Golf and Country Club ..
Luttrellstown Castle greenkeeper Gerry Byrne has joined Eamonn Coghlan's team to run in the New York City marathon on November 3rd. This is the fourth year the team will run in the marathon to raise funds of Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children.
