A plan aiming to restore Killarney’s reputation as one of the premier parkland golf resorts in the country has just been launched.

Another senior figure at a financially troubled top golf club is to resign.

Killarney Golf Club is to close its Lackabane course indefinitely as the tough times bite for one of the country’s leading facilities.

Killarney Golf Club Limited has commissioned Deloitte to formulate a three-year business plan to steer it through a potentially difficult future for the golf industry.

Killarney Golf and Fishing Club is negotiating the potential sale of one of its three championship courses to German crane manufacturing giant Liebherr.

SPORTING legends spanning many codes were in Killarney yesterday for the funeral Mass of popular businessman and sportsman Denis Coffey who died suddenly at the weekend.

THE European Tour carnival may have moved on to fresh pastures but for the staff left behind at the Irish Open’s host venue there is still plenty of work to do.

Tommy Barker and Rose Martin scan a selection of trading up homes around the country.

KILLARNEY bucked the trend with green fee income rising 10% in the wake of the Irish Open, but the Kerry club still faces “tough challenges” in 2011, the club’s general manager Maurice O’Meara has warned.

THE chief executive of Irish Open sponsors 3 is remaining tight lipped over the venue – and timing – for next year’s event.

MAURICE O’Meara grew up in Malahide, a mile and a half from the gates of Portmarnock Golf Club.

CHAMPIONSHIP Director Ben Watson expects crowds in excess of 70,000 for the 3 Irish Open that starts over the Killeen Course at Killarney on Thursday.

A COUPLE prepared to commute to get the quality home they require should give this house, at Lackabane, Donoughmore, the once-over.

THIRTY seven Irishmen, including six amateurs, feature in the €130,000 Ireland Ryder Cup Challenge teeing off over the Mahony’s Point course at Killarney this morning.

AS Scots Marc Warren and Peter Whitefield battled in a three hole play-off at the inaugural Ireland Ryder Cup Challenge in Killarney, the 38-strong Irish contingent were left to reflect on largely disappointing performances.

THE numerically strong Irish contingent collapsed in disappointing fashion during yesterday’s second day of the Ireland Ryder Cup Challenge tournament over the Lackabane course at Killarney, leaving 25-year-old Scot Peter Whiteford clear at the top of the leaderboard with a highly impressive total of 12 under par 132.

THE Kerry tourist industry is preparing for its busiest weekend of the year.

WIDE fairways, light rough and little wind combined to leave Killarney’s Lackabane course at the mercy of the field in yesterday’s opening round of the Ireland Ryder Cup Challenge tournament.

THE DONALD Steel-designed Lackabane course at Killarney hosts the first European Challenge Tour event in the Republic of Ireland over the next four days with the arrival of the Ireland Ryder Cup Challenge.

IRISH golf breaks new ground this week when the European Challenge Tour comes to our shores for the first time.

KILLARNEY Golf Club is hoping that a €2 million overhaul of its esteemed Killeen course will propel it back onto the “must play” roster for visitors to Ireland — and ease the financial burden on the club.