The Official Golf Thread

[Bord na Mona man]

Correct, Portmarnock with one laneway leading to it makes it unworkable for 100,000 attendees, players, equipment, emergency vehicles etc to all converge on it, or have to exit in an emergency.

I've heard one workaround proposal is to construct a temporary pontoon bridge from Baldoyle the coast across to the peninsula, where people can cross on foot. Maybe vehicles too.
If the R&A are on board, money and willpower will be no issue. The government would lash the cash to get it over the line. The Portmarnock club are also willing to alter their course layout (even diminish it) to make it big tournament friendly.

[An Watcher]

Sure doesn't it have the railway line nearby.  Then the motorway isnt a million miles away.  The airport couldnt be closer plus no shortage of hotels in dublin city centre.  Malahide Castle has all the wide open space they may need for camping and things.

Not sure about the course but all of the above would surely only be positives, no?

[dec]

The R&A also organise the Amateur Championship which has been held at Portmarnock twice.

[Bord na Mona man]

The main (only) reason the old farts in Portmarnock dropped the ban on women members is because it would become a blocker on them hosting R&A tournaments and ultimately the Open.
Once Muirfield got sanctioned in 2016 for the same rule, they knew they needed to change tack.

In the build up to rule being lifted, they were discussing strategies like taking in a glut of new male members, pausing new admissions for a few years, then lifting the ban on women just after the pause came into effect.

[shark]

The main (only) reason the old farts in Portmarnock dropped the ban on women members is because it would become a blocker on them hosting R&A tournaments and ultimately the Open.
Once Muirfield got sanctioned in 2016 for the same rule, they knew they needed to change tack.

In the build up to rule being lifted, they were discussing strategies like taking in a glut of new male members, pausing new admissions for a few years, then lifting the ban on women just after the pause came into effect.

They have very low membership numbers compared to other clubs. I guess they don't need member subs when visitors pay so much. It's quite easy to get a round there as a visitor at a few days notice. Compared to The Island just up the road, where it is really hard to find a slot , as members (rightly) need more designated slots.

[Bord na Mona man]

The main (only) reason the old farts in Portmarnock dropped the ban on women members is because it would become a blocker on them hosting R&A tournaments and ultimately the Open.
Once Muirfield got sanctioned in 2016 for the same rule, they knew they needed to change tack.

In the build up to rule being lifted, they were discussing strategies like taking in a glut of new male members, pausing new admissions for a few years, then lifting the ban on women just after the pause came into effect.

They have very low membership numbers compared to other clubs. I guess they don't need member subs when visitors pay so much. It's quite easy to get a round there as a visitor at a few days notice. Compared to The Island just up the road, where it is really hard to find a slot , as members (rightly) need more designated slots.

That wouldn't surprise me. A decent wedge of Portmarnock members are big shots who don't play there regularly. Another cohort are the very aged and decrepit who go there for meals and functions but would no longer be able to lift a club.

Of course, it's their own call how many members they take in. There's no shortage of people willing to bend over at every angle to gain admittance.

[thewobbler]

Correct, Portmarnock with one laneway leading to it makes it unworkable for 100,000 attendees, players, equipment, emergency vehicles etc to all converge on it, or have to exit in an emergency.

I've heard one workaround proposal is to construct a temporary pontoon bridge from Baldoyle the coast across to the peninsula, where people can cross on foot. Maybe vehicles too.
If the R&A are on board, money and willpower will be no issue. The government would lash the cash to get it over the line. The Portmarnock club are also willing to alter their course layout (even diminish it) to make it big tournament friendly.

I'm happy to be corrected here as I've never yet darkened Portmarnock's doors. But wouldn't a single lane entry at the end of a rural road not be the case in question for most championship links courses? Would the last mile really be more important than the 30-50 miles that bring and filter the footfall?


Turnberry, Portrush I'm familiar with and they're not even remotely able to handle a surge of traffic to their area like Portmarnock would be.

I know it's a smaller scale, but Baltray and Ballyliffin have managed to host Irish opens in surely much more inaccessible places.

[shark]

Correct, Portmarnock with one laneway leading to it makes it unworkable for 100,000 attendees, players, equipment, emergency vehicles etc to all converge on it, or have to exit in an emergency.

I've heard one workaround proposal is to construct a temporary pontoon bridge from Baldoyle the coast across to the peninsula, where people can cross on foot. Maybe vehicles too.
If the R&A are on board, money and willpower will be no issue. The government would lash the cash to get it over the line. The Portmarnock club are also willing to alter their course layout (even diminish it) to make it big tournament friendly.

I'm happy to be corrected here as I've never yet darkened Portmarnock's doors. But wouldn't a single lane entry at the end of a rural road not be the case in question for most championship links courses? Would the last mile really be more important than the 30-50 miles that bring and filter the footfall?


Turnberry, Portrush I'm familiar with and they're not even remotely able to handle a surge of traffic to their area like Portmarnock would be.

I know it's a smaller scale, but Baltray and Ballyliffin have managed to host Irish opens in surely much more inaccessible places.

Ultimately I think they will make it work. But will be a serious logistical operation. They've already got the informal nod that they are getting it - although talk was 2030-2032 timeframe. Mutterings now of 2028/29 being possible. The members had to vote on changes to 2 holes, to make it more amenable , which they approved. 

[Bord na Mona man]

Correct, Portmarnock with one laneway leading to it makes it unworkable for 100,000 attendees, players, equipment, emergency vehicles etc to all converge on it, or have to exit in an emergency.

I've heard one workaround proposal is to construct a temporary pontoon bridge from Baldoyle the coast across to the peninsula, where people can cross on foot. Maybe vehicles too.
If the R&A are on board, money and willpower will be no issue. The government would lash the cash to get it over the line. The Portmarnock club are also willing to alter their course layout (even diminish it) to make it big tournament friendly.

I'm happy to be corrected here as I've never yet darkened Portmarnock's doors. But wouldn't a single lane entry at the end of a rural road not be the case in question for most championship links courses? Would the last mile really be more important than the 30-50 miles that bring and filter the footfall?

Turnberry, Portrush I'm familiar with and they're not even remotely able to handle a surge of traffic to their area like Portmarnock would be.

Turnberry and Portrush aren't stuck on peninsulas though. They have passing roads.
Portmarnock is very cut off. On a day with 100k attendees, one lane would struggle, and there would be safety implications too.
Imagine if Croke Park on All Ireland day could only be accessed by one of the back alleyways in Ballybough.

[thebigfella]

Correct, Portmarnock with one laneway leading to it makes it unworkable for 100,000 attendees, players, equipment, emergency vehicles etc to all converge on it, or have to exit in an emergency.

I've heard one workaround proposal is to construct a temporary pontoon bridge from Baldoyle the coast across to the peninsula, where people can cross on foot. Maybe vehicles too.
If the R&A are on board, money and willpower will be no issue. The government would lash the cash to get it over the line. The Portmarnock club are also willing to alter their course layout (even diminish it) to make it big tournament friendly.

I'm happy to be corrected here as I've never yet darkened Portmarnock's doors. But wouldn't a single lane entry at the end of a rural road not be the case in question for most championship links courses? Would the last mile really be more important than the 30-50 miles that bring and filter the footfall?


Turnberry, Portrush I'm familiar with and they're not even remotely able to handle a surge of traffic to their area like Portmarnock would be.

I know it's a smaller scale, but Baltray and Ballyliffin have managed to host Irish opens in surely much more inaccessible places.

Don't let on you hear these lads. They seem to have an issue with the golf club itself rather than The Open being played there. Kinda feels like the Casement Park/Euros all over again

Ultimately talks wouldn't have progressed this far if they couldn't make it work.

There

[Orior]

Probably should be in the "What the F&%$" thread, but Paul McGinley playing golf with Trump. Twat.