Four of Ireland’s most celebrated golfers took part in the official drive-in at the re-launch of Adare Manor in the West of Ireland on Friday (April 20).
Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Paul McGinley and Shane Lowry hit the inaugural tee shots of the wholly-reconstructed Tom Fazio design, while competing in a €500,000 charity match watched by a crowd of over 1,500.
McIlroy and McGinley took on Lowry and Harrington, but honours were even after both teams shot four-under par 68s to share the €500,000 prize money amongst their chosen charities, which included The Rory Foundation, The McGinley Foundation, Temple Street Children’s University Hospital, and the Padraig Harrington Charitable Foundation.
The reconstruction of the 7,509-yard championship course at Adare Manor, which first opened in 1995, has taken two years. Designed with tournament play in mind, the course will host the JP McManus Pro-Am tournament in 2020 – with an ambition of raising over €40 million for charitable causes – while it is expected to bid to host a future Ryder Cup, possibly as early as 2026.
Resort owner JP McManus said: “It is every golf course owner’s hope to get the Ryder Cup. We have put our name in the hat, we’d love to have it. I think we have the facilities to host it. I would like to bring the Ryder Cup back to Ireland, and to have it at Adare would give the whole of the south-west region a boost.”
Former Ryder Cup captain McGinley – who is on the board of the European Tour – knows the process that must be followed. “First, and most important, it is an Irish bid. It is not a JP McManus bid, it is a bid we need to get the government onside,” said McGinley. “The government have indicated they will support it, which is very important in any country, like Italy, where it will be in a few years time; France where it is this year. I think we are on the right track, and, fingers crossed, it would be a great venue showcasing Ireland.”
Following the match, the players were quick to praise the quality of the course, which will now be fully open for play among members and guests, and complement the recently refurbished Manor House. McIlroy said: “The golf course is absolutely incredible. With the weather we’ve had for the last few months, to have a course presented like this is phenomenal, so that’s credit to all of the work of the greens staff over the winter. It was a fantastic day.”
The course, which features no rough, is the first in Europe to boast super fine bentgrass greens, whilst A4 bentgrass was chosen for all approaches. Harrington and McGinley were both closely involved in the project, advising Fazio on the final routing, contouring and grass selection.
The course is also one of only three in UK & Ireland to feature a SubAir aeration system on all 18 greens. The system, which was recently installed on Wentworth’s West Course, is used to remove moisture through vacuum pumps, guaranteeing firm play all year round. The greens are slightly raised and heavily contoured, ensuring players must be on top of their short game to score well.
In order to combat the worst of the Irish weather, over 220,000tonnes of sand were used throughout the 170-acre course to aid drainage, while 50 miles of gravel trenches and perforated pipes were also installed to ensure consistently high quality playing surfaces. The course, which features 41 bunkers, is maintained by a 50-strong team of greenkeepers, led by course superintendent Alan MacDonnell.
From a design perspective, the par-72 layout features water on 14 of the 18 holes, and saves its most exciting holes for the final stretch, with four of the last five featuring water of some description, starting on the par-four 14th, which plays towards a green overhanging a lake and set against the backdrop of the Desmond Castle.
The 15th is a driveable par four for many tour players, but is dominated by the River Maigue, which runs the length of its right-hand side. Water is in play again at the short par-three 16th, but with 60 metres of green to play with, those who fail to find the surface will be disappointed. Over its closing pair, golfers will be treated to two very different tests, with 17thbeing a tree-lined par four of some 523 yards from the back tees, while the closing hole, played directly towards the Manor House, is a par five that can be reached in two, although the River Maigue, and one of the course’s most treacherous greens, demand the utmost accuracy at all times.
Colm Hannon, Adare Manor’s chief executive, said: “What Tom Fazio and his team have designed here over the last two years has been outstanding. The golf course at Adare Manor is unique and our intention is that it becomes recognised as one of the world’s finest.”
Lead designer Tom Fazio, said: “Most golfers will never have seen anything like this course. It looks and plays like no other course in Ireland. This will be a stand out course in Europe and, with the Adare Manor house and estate as its setting, will be one of the finest stay-and-play venues ever created.”
Adare Manor boasts a 102-bedroom five-star hotel, including a new wing incorporating 42 bedrooms. The 842-acre venue also features a La Mer spa, a cinema, and offers an extensive range of outdoor pursuits, including falconry, archery, clay pigeon shooting and fishing. It is located 25 minutes from Shannon Airport.