Editor ’ s Welcome Letter
Welcome to the 2021 edition of Destination Golf Ireland .
There ’ s no point beating around the bush : 2020 turned into a very strange and difficult year . The first half of 2021 is a case of ‘ more of the same ’ as Ireland ’ s golf courses open , close and hover in between . The lack of certainty makes everything so difficult but the large spurt in membership is something to be grasped in both hands and celebrated . Golf as a participation sport is doing very well , under the circumstances , and despite so many international visitors staying away golf courses were stuffed with golfers eager to get out and exercise their minds as well as their bodies . And ‘ more of the same ’ in 2021 , too . From a golf course perspective , there ’ s no doubt that the big news of 2021 will be the renovation and re-opening of St Patrick ’ s Links at Rosapenna . It may be too late in the year ( it opens in the summer ) for it to be included in our guide but Tom Doak knows a thing or two about design and will leave Donegal and Ireland with a lasting legacy . Rosapenna will become Ireland ’ s largest golfing resort with 63 holes . Rosapenna aside , the Mackenzie & Ebert work as The Island was completed with the new front nine opening for play in the summer of 2020 . Martin Ebert has become the go-to guy for links renovations / upgrades and after the magical new holes at Royal Portrush , and the revamped front nine at The Island , Irish golfers are starting to see why . Due to Covid-19 a small number of golf course projects were put on hold but it was reassuring to see that 2020 resulted in a lot of work on and around courses … with much of this continuing into 2021 . The world may be spinning at a different pace these days but golf courses remain an important refuge for those who love and want to experience the game . Long may that continue and long may we appreciate exactly what we have .
Happy golfing .