The Irish Golf Club Gazette: 11/01/14

11/01/2014

Beauty Spots - Old Conna

Hole 17 Old Conna

Designed by Ireland's renowned golf course designer Eddie Hacket, this beautiful parkland course located only twelve miles south of Dublin, combines panoramic sea-scapes and mountain views with exceptional wooded terrain.

Quite apart from our customary warm welcome, a tempting restaurant menu and bar facilities await you in our bright, and comfortable club house.

www.oldconna.com

Club History - Galgorm Castle

The site comprising of 220 acres includes remnants of the ancient Irish fort of the McQuillan

clan.

Building of the Castle was started in 1618 by Sir Faithful Fortescue and is recognised as one of the finest examples of early Jacobean architecture in Ireland.

The Chapel close to the Castle also dating from the time was used by the family until it was burnt down by the United Irishmen in 1798. After this services including baptisms were held in the Castle kitchen.

As well as the architecturally important Castle and Courtyard, the estate includes two further listed buildings: a small roundhouse, formerly the home to a labourer and his four children and a beautiful cottage on the Sourhill Road.

The Estate bustled with life, employing over 30 people in the house, garden stables and farm.

The Young’s who bought the Estate in the 1843, also owned the Braidwater Mill. They were forward thinking pioneers who ensured the prosperity of the estate by adopting innovative new farming methods such as building flax dams, a water wheel and tank. At the time Galgorm was one of the premier agricultural estates in the north.

Coinciding with the industrial revolution and mechanisation of the farming circa 1900 the estate’s fortunes began to decline. The existing layout was perfectly suited to traditional methods, but totally inappropriate for the new mechanised approach.

The Courtyard, part of which dates back to the early 17th century, suffered the indignity of an attempted conversion/update using the Victorian approach which involved unsympathetic demolition of walls.

www.galgormcastle.com

Practice Facilities - Druids Glen

Located adjacent to the 1st Tee at Druids Heath, a mere stroll from the front of the luxurious Druids Glen Hotel, is the Resort Driving Range and Practice Ground. Overlooking the Irish Sea with beautiful views from Greystones to Wicklow Head, it is said that your game will improve here without having to hit any shots at all! In any case, the covered range, grass bays, bunker and putting greens provide an ideal place to practice your game. You can also avail of expert tuition from our pga teaching professional with individual or group lessons on any aspect of the game.

The academy has all the most modern equipment and teaching aids and can offer the following:

Individual instruction or Group sessions

Clinics & Junior teaching

Full swing instruction & short game instruction

Putting

Facilities include an all-weather driving range plus a short game and bunker area

There are two practice putting greens plus video analysis equipment

For more details, contact George Henry @ 00 353 (0) 86 8179 747

www.druidsglenresort.com

Rule of the Week - Rule 3-3/2

3-3/2 Second Ball Played Despite Adverse Ruling

Q:In stroke play, a competitor believes he is entitled to relief under a Rule, but a member of the Committee disagrees. In spite of the ruling by the Committee member, the competitor invokes Rule 3-3 and opts to score with the second ball. He plays his original ball as it lies and the second ball under the Rule he believes is applicable.

May a competitor invoke Rule 3-3 in such circumstances?

A:The answer depends upon whether or not the Committee has given authority to make final decisions to its individual members.

If the Committee member concerned has not been given authority to make final decisions, the competitor is entitled to invoke Rule 3-3.

If, on the other hand, the Committee member has been given authority to make final decisions, he may, despite his own view that the competitor is not entitled to relief, permit the competitor to invoke Rule 3-3. However, if the Committee member exercises his authority and gives the competitor a final decision that he is not entitled to the relief he claims, there is then no justification for the competitor invoking Rule 3-3, and he will incur a penalty of two strokes for undue delay (Rule 6-7) if he, nevertheless, goes ahead and invokes Rule 3-3. The score with his original ball, including this two-stroke penalty, must count.

GMAC Backs Captain Clarke

Getty Images

Graeme McDowell is the latest high-profile European golfer to add his support to Darren Clarke's bid to become Ryder Cup captain.

Clarke has emerged as the firm favourite to replace Paul McGinley when Europe will attempt to secure a fourth consecutive victory in the contest at Hazeltine in 2016.

The former Open champion has an excellent pedigree in the Ryder Cup having played on four winning teams before enjoying further success as assistant captain in both 2010 and 2012.

He has already received support from the likes of Rory McIlroy, Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington, and McDowell believes Clarke's credentials and his popularity in the United States give him the edge over fellow contenders Miguel Angel Jimenez and Thomas Bjorn.

"I'm also backing Darren for the 2016 European Team captaincy and he's an obvious pick," said McDowell following the third round of the BMW Masters in Shanghai.

"I have been speaking to Thomas (Bjorn) about 2016 but he believes he can still make the team as a player. There's also Miguel who would have to be considered but I believe Darren's got the credentials.

"Unlike past years Europe seems now to have this clear window for 2016 as far as Darren is concerned, but for 2018 and beyond you then will have players stacking up with the likes of Bjorn, Miguel, Harrington and Westwood in the mix for consideration."

Three-time major winner Harrington gave his backing to Clarke last week following similar endorsements from world No 1 McIlroy and Ryder Cup veteran Westwood.

"I would have to say I am supporting Darren, absolutely," Harrington said. "I think he deserves it. He's been a big star in Europe for a long number of years, he's done a lot for European golf through the end of the '90s, early 2000s and I think he'll do a good job."