Membership Options - Seapoint

Seapoint is a private members links golf club which offers different types of membership as follows;

Ordinary (Shareholder) Membership: 

This is where the holder becomes a shareholder in Seapoint Golf Club. The most common type of membership, it entitles the holder to play golf any day of the week throughout the year. Guests can be taken onto the course for a reduced green fee rate.

Full Membership (non-share)

This is a special non-share special category which gives members access to full 7 day playing rights, unrestricted entry into all club competitions and interclub teams. There is no joining fee - just an annual subscription of €1500. Terms and Conditions apply.

5 Day Membership: 

The 5-day member will be entitled to play golf Monday to Friday any time of the year. There is no joining fee - just an annual subscription of €800. Terms and Conditions apply.

Family Membership: 

Similar to the ordinary membership, the only exception being a family holding means two shares in the club and the second annual subscription is at a reduced rate. Children between ages 10-18 are covered.

Overseas Membership: 

Holders enjoy the same privileges as ordinary members but at a reduced rate subscription. This category is for those living outside the country for most of the year.

Junior Membership: 

This category is open to children between ages of 10 - 18.

The golfing calendar is a full on affair with weekly competitions, presentations and great social occasions. Membership is a great investment. If you would like try it out we offer an introductory three month 5-day membership for those considering full membership. Our Secretary Manager would be delighted to discuss any of the above options with you.

www.seapointgolfclub.com

Club Focus - Leinster Hills

Leinster Hills Golf Club is an eighteen hole championship golf course based in Carlow, Co Carlow established in 2004 utilising the natural local landscape to achieve a truly unique golf experience and is set in the beautiful surroundings of the Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford mountain ranges. 

Open All Year Round we are very fortunate to have a naturally dry terrain even in winter and this is ideal for societies and groups as the need to cancel a golf day is very rare.

In 2006 a new club house was opened with a fully licensed bar and restaurant for the use of our members and visitors. 

www.leinsterhillsgolf.com

Up Close and Personal - P. O'Hagan

Peter O'Hagan

Peter O'Hagan has been a member of the Professional Golfers' Association Irish Region for more than 30 years.

He has been a member of the executive committee and in 1991 he was elected Captain on the Irish Region. He represented the Irish Region at the 1991 Walker Cup at Portmarnock G.C. as well as the opening of Mount Juliet and The K Club.

Peter is still an active member of the Irish Region and has been the Head Professional at Bandon G.C. in West Cork, Malone G.C. in Belfast, Highfield G.C. in Kildare and most recently at The K Club, home of the 2006 Ryder Cup.

Peter left The K Club in 2006 to follow a playing career on The Champions Tour in the USA and the European Senior Tour with success on both continents.

As Golf director in Glasson Golf & Country Club in Athlone, he was instrumental in directing the resort in their opening year.

Peter then went to Citywest Hotel & Golf Resort in Dublin as Golf Director where he spent two seasons helping to develop and promote golf in what is now the biggest hotel in Europe.

2011 Tuition Programmes : Luttrellstown Castle Golf & CC

2 Day Course choose any 2 Days

3 Day Course choose any 3 Days

5 Day Course Monday - Friday

Programmes begin Monday 14th March 2011

Format:

Monday:09.00 - 11.00 Foundation - Address/grip/posture/balance

11.00 - 12.00 Brunch (Soup/sandwiches/tea/coffee)

12.00 - 14.00 Driver & Fairway woods

Tuesday:09.00 - 11.00 Short Irons - 8/9 & Pitching wedge 

11.00 - 12.00 Brunch

12.00 - 14.00 Pitching 100 metres & in

Wednesday: 09.00 - 11.00 Long Game - Driving and long Irons

11.00 - 12.00 Brunch

12.00 - 14.00 Mid Irons - 6/7/8 irons

Thursday: 09.00 - 11.00 Increasing distance and curing a slice

11.00 - 12.00 Brunch

12.00 - 14.00 Awkard lies and rescue shots

Friday: 09.00 - 11.00 Pitching/chipping & bunker play

11.00 - 12.00 Brunch

12.00 - 14.00 Putting - reading lines/ professional styles 

Costs: 2 Day Courses: €300.00 per person

€400.00 per couple (€200 pp)

€600.00 per group of 4 (€150 pp)

3 Day Courses: €425.00 per person

€600.00 per couple (€300 pp)

€800.00 per group of 4 (€200 pp)

5 Day Courses: €550.00 per person

€800.00 per couple (€400 pp)

€1200 per group of 4 (€300 pp)

Terms & Conditions:

Payment in full must be made at time of booking

Cancellation policy:

Full refund (less 10% handling fee) if cancelled up to 14 days before day one of the chosen course; 50% refund if cancelled up to 7 days before day one of the chosen course; No refund if cancelled less than 7 days before day one of the chosen course.

For more information and reservations

email: golf@peterohagan.com or telephone +353 87 8154366

www.luttrellstowncastleresort.com

Pro Tour - Poulter Speaks out on Rules

Ian Poulter at Volvo Golf Champions, Bahrain

Ian Poulter believes some golf rules need to be re-examined to avoid the kind of disqualifications the sport has seen in recent weeks.

Padraig Harrington and Camilo Villegas were both disqualified from events this month because of violations noticed by TV viewers.

“If you look at the scenarios and situations we’ve had in the last 12 months, I think a lot of rules certainly need to be looked at,” Poulter said ahead of the Volvo Golf Champions in Bahrain. “I think there’s no common sense involved with a number of the rules, so that needs to be addressed.”

Harrington was in second place after the first round of last week’s Abu Dhabi Golf Championships but was disqualified after a TV viewer pointed out that he did not replace his ball correctly when it moved after he picked up his marker.

Villegas was disqualified from the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii after he had swatted away loose pieces of grass while his attempted chip up a slope rolled back toward him – removing objects that could have influenced the movement of the ball.

Both players were disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard, because their violations should have resulted in a penalty.

Poulter said the rule was outdated, since there was no longer much of a need for an official scorecard handed in by the players.

He added: “Every shot is visible for everybody to see on television, we have walking scorers, and there are the stats people. Therefore, it’s not like you can cheat your score. Therefore, leave the door open if someone has made a mistake. If they get a two-shot penalty, they are still in the tournament. The tournament still benefits from having some of the world’s best players in the field.”

Poulter himself was given a one-stroke penalty during a two-way play-off at the Dubai World Championship in November after he dropped the ball on his coin marker on the green, effectively giving the victory to Robert Karlsson of Sweden. In that case, the Englishman immediately called over the referee to notify him of the violation.

Golf viewers have been warned not to turn on players if they see them grounding their clubs on sand in Bahrain this week as, for the inaugural Volvo Golf Champions, there are deemed to be no bunkers, just acres of sandy waste areas.

The European Tour’s ruling allows players to take practice swings, move loose impediments and ground the club 'lightly behind the ball’ in all sand areas.

Chief referee Andy McFee, the man who broke the disqualification news to Harrington in Abu Dhabi last week, said: “We have taken this decision to provide clarity for the players.

“The golf course is absolutely fine, but the blurring of the boundaries between desert and bunker, whilst visually attractive, potentially provides a major problem of definition. As this is common throughout the course and not restricted to the odd situation here and there, we felt this was the best way to exercise our duty to define the course properly. It will lead to some odd-looking situations, but that is infinitely preferable to players incurring penalties.”

By Telegraph staff

Equipment News - Callaway

JB Holmes

Callaway Golf Company announced it has reached agreement with PGA TOUR Professional J.B. Holmes. The winner of two PGA TOUR events and former Ryder Cup team member will play a full complement of Callaway equipment and compete with a Callaway branded staff bag and headwear when he makes his 2011 PGA TOUR debut this week at the Farmers Insurance Open in La Jolla, California. 

“I am thrilled to be a part of the Callaway Golf family,” Holmes said. “I feel honored to be joining such an elite PGA TOUR staff. Callaway has a rich history of winners playing their equipment and my goal is to add to that tradition.”

Born and raised in Kentucky, the long-hitting Holmes had perhaps his most consistent PGA TOUR season in 2010, notching ten top-20 finishes in 26 starts. Over two consecutive weeks last season, he finished tied for third at the Northern Trust Open and tied for second at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

His two victories on the PGA TOUR both came in front of the raucous crowds of Scottsdale’s FBR Open (now the Waste Management Phoenix Open). In 2006, his rookie season, Holmes won the FBR Open by seven shots in just his fifth professional start. He won the same event in 2008, making a birdie on the first playoff hole to beat Callaway Staff Professional Phil Mickelson. His ability to perform under pressure suited him well as a member of the 2008 Ryder Cup team, when he earned 2 1/2 points for a victorious U.S. team at Valhalla in his home state of Kentucky.

“J.B. is an exciting young talent that fits quite well with Callaway’s brand philosophy,” said Nick Raffaele, Vice President of Sports Marketing, Callaway Golf. “His recognition of our great products and desire to win clearly matches with our goals. We look forward to many years with J.B. and what we expect will be plenty of winning with Callaway.”

Holmes played his college golf at the University of Kentucky, where he helped lead the Wildcats to their first SEC title. In 2005, he was the SEC Player of the Year and an Academic All-American in 2004-2005. Holmes grew up as an impressive golf prodigy, playing on his high school team as a third-grader and winning the Kentucky state high school title as a sophomore.

Holmes plays in the Farmers Insurance Open this week at Torrey Pines

Farmers Insurance Open Tee times

New Tourism Marketing Network

Building on the success of Fáilte Ireland’s 2010 Tourism Marketing Network, and due to huge demand from the tourism industry, Fáilte Ireland is running another tourism marketing network programme in 2011.

The new Tourism Marketing Network programme has been specifically designed for tourism businesses as part of Fáilte Ireland’s investment in assisting tourism businesses to increase their customer base from key overseas markets.

The programme is short, interactive, and practical and focuses on real issues that challenge tourism businesses on a day-to-day basis.

The network will offer practical supports to -

Help you really understand marketing

Focus your marketing activities

Set realistic, achievable targets

As part of the network you will also learn–

About current developments and marketing trends and

How to implement these in your business as well as extensive networking opportunities

Benefits of the network include:

Gain knowledge about domestic and international market trends

Better understand how to research and target national and international markets

Exposure to good practice in a range of areas such as eMarketing; working with other tourism providers to attract more business; and developing a PR strategy

Access to a marketing mentor to support you in the preparation of a realistic marketing plan for your business and to support your application of ideas and good practice in your business

Gain the know-how to monitor the implementation and impact of your marketing plan

Develop your knowledge and marketing ideas through networking with other tourism businesses

Programme duration

The programme consists of a number of training workshops running in Dublin between 11th February and May 2011.

Cost

This programme is heavily subsidised by Fáilte Ireland. Participants are asked to contribute just €100

Who should apply?

Owners, Senior Managers or Marketing Managers with responsibility for marketing activities

For further information or to indicate your interest in the programme contact, Karen Curry, programme co-ordinator on 071 9165973 or Breda McNally at breda.mcnally@failteireland.ie