The Official Golf Thread

[Boycey]

He's still about 400k light of making the top 125 and getting a card. He will get into the next couple of tournaments cause a lot of top guys will be in Europe for the Open but after that be hard to see him getting into many tournaments unless he Monday qualifies

[laoislad]

I see Mcilroy only parred the 17th yesterday. I've birdied that hole before 

[JimStynes]

He won nearly a quarter million a few tournaments ago

The expenses of a pro golfer are ridiculous so he wouldn't be long going through that.

[TwoUpTwoDown]

Quality of field doesn't suit, but Mount Juliet doesn't work as an Irish Open venue IMO. We should just stick to links courses and try and get the best field possible. Carton, Mount Juliet, Fota Island and Killarney etc just don't work, despite their overall credentials as top quality courses.

We are blessed with some absolute Links belters in Ireland. Why not line 5 of them up and just alternate between them all?

[thebigfella]

Quality of field doesn't suit, but Mount Juliet doesn't work as an Irish Open venue IMO. We should just stick to links courses and try and get the best field possible. Carton, Mount Juliet, Fota Island and Killarney etc just don't work, despite their overall credentials as top quality courses.

We are blessed with some absolute Links belters in Ireland. Why not line 5 of them up and just alternate between them all?

This old chestnut again.

Some of the top quality links just don't have the infrastructure to support and don't want to put it in; what courses could just don't want to host it due to the impact on members, expense and loss of income.   

In order to attract a top quality field, the prize money and appearance fees need to be much higher. It also just is outside that window (in non covid) that anyone based in the US wants to spend in Europe preparing for The Open but too close to make a trip over and back again. 

[TwoUpTwoDown]

Quality of field doesn't suit, but Mount Juliet doesn't work as an Irish Open venue IMO. We should just stick to links courses and try and get the best field possible. Carton, Mount Juliet, Fota Island and Killarney etc just don't work, despite their overall credentials as top quality courses.

We are blessed with some absolute Links belters in Ireland. Why not line 5 of them up and just alternate between them all?

This old chestnut again.

Some of the top quality links just don't have the infrastructure to support and don't want to put it in; what courses could just don't want to host it due to the impact on members, expense and loss of income.   

In order to attract a top quality field, the prize money and appearance fees need to be much higher. It also just is outside that window (in non covid) that anyone based in the US wants to spend in Europe preparing for The Open but too close to make a trip over and back again. 

They had the prize pot pre covid to attract some of the world's best. I'm not saying we are hoping for every member of the world's top 10. But we should have ambitions to go further than we currently do. With a strong field will come strong viewing figures - which will in turn be brilliant advertising for any club. Green fees numbers should go up etc.  There are enough top quality links around main hubs to easily cater for this. Think of the options around Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports for example. Then a token gesture every so often in North West and you have it sussed.

There's no reason a resort like Rosapenna shouldn't be pushing for a rattle at hosting it either. Hotel beds are plentiful in the area, 3 championship courses, it ticks all the boxes apart from an airport, although this didn't stop Ballyliffin.

[thebigfella]

Quality of field doesn't suit, but Mount Juliet doesn't work as an Irish Open venue IMO. We should just stick to links courses and try and get the best field possible. Carton, Mount Juliet, Fota Island and Killarney etc just don't work, despite their overall credentials as top quality courses.

We are blessed with some absolute Links belters in Ireland. Why not line 5 of them up and just alternate between them all?

This old chestnut again.

Some of the top quality links just don't have the infrastructure to support and don't want to put it in; what courses could just don't want to host it due to the impact on members, expense and loss of income.   

In order to attract a top quality field, the prize money and appearance fees need to be much higher. It also just is outside that window (in non covid) that anyone based in the US wants to spend in Europe preparing for The Open but too close to make a trip over and back again. 

They had the prize pot pre covid to attract some of the world's best. I'm not saying we are hoping for every member of the world's top 10. But we should have ambitions to go further than we currently do. With a strong field will come strong viewing figures - which will in turn be brilliant advertising for any club. Green fees numbers should go up etc.  There are enough top quality links around main hubs to easily cater for this. Think of the options around Dublin, Cork and Shannon airports for example. Then a token gesture every so often in North West and you have it sussed.

There's no reason a resort like Rosapenna shouldn't be pushing for a rattle at hosting it either. Hotel beds are plentiful in the area, 3 championship courses, it ticks all the boxes apart from an airport, although this didn't stop Ballyliffin.

Only if you won. Only the players tied 9 and above made over 100k; that is not enough for a US based player to cover his and caddy's expenses; and as I pointed out it's not close enough to The Open. The appearance money pot, on top of the prize fund, is in the region of 20 million some of the middle eastern events to get the quality fields they get - that's not realistic for an Irish open.

"With a strong field will come strong viewing figures - which will in turn be brilliant advertising for any club. " - you are completely wrong here and the American market is where it is at. The data is there to back up it makes f**k all difference except potentially for the likes of Portrush as the non local market want to play a course on the open rotation (or at least hosted it).

Also the Irish open is hosted during prime golf season. A lot of the clubs don't want to give the best golf conditions of the year to host a tournament due to their members and loss of revenue from tourism.   

[Orior]

Anyone else watch Sky Sports?

Rob Lee has perfected the "always glance at the camera" move when interviewing anybody, lol.

[laoislad]

McIlroy 4/1 on Paddypower?? f**k away off!!

That's basically buying money. Get the house on him.

How'd that bet work out for you?

[Boycey]

Power 2 back with final round underway. However 20 players within 3 of the lead at this stage so here's hoping....

[straightred]

Power 2 back with final round underway. However 20 players within 3 of the lead at this stage so here's hoping....

Not seeing much of him but looking on the pga website he is putting very well (22ft on 10 and 8 ft on 11).

[Mikhail Prokhorov]

Australian double today 

Seamus getting closer every week

[JimStynes]

Played Baltray today. What a course! Definitely one of my favourites so far, although I didn't break 30 points 🙈

[thebigfella]

Played Baltray today. What a course! Definitely one of my favourites so far, although I didn't break 30 points 🙈

Yeah great course - very playable unlike a few of the other big links were it's just slog

ION, net -4 (gross -5) in a medal at the weekend and best gross by 4 stokes. Easily my best round this year and a round where I come away thinking I got the best out of what I had that day.......... beaten by a net -10 by a guy (mid 20s) playing off 32  and it wasn't even the 2nd best score  

The previous medal was won with a net -9 from a guy in his first ever comp off 30.

[bigfrank]

Played ardglass few weeks ago and playing the old course at ballyliffen next week,thought ardglass was class apart from the first 4/5 greens,weather was deadly and scenery etc stunning! We were playing in an open off the white tees so was very tough but a good test. Never played ballyliffen but heard both courses are brillant

Just a point on this new handicap system,the scores in the club im a member at this year have been mad,49 points stableford has been posted a few times,been a member there a while and rarely ever seen over 44/45 points until now,maybe everyone is getting better and I'm getting worse lol