US-Irish charity loses High Court bid to keep prime Ryder Cup vantage point

AN influential US charity’s legal challenge over hospitality spots at the Ryder Cup ended up in the bunker over the weekend.

High Court Judge Mr Justice Frank Clarke turned down an application from the small but politically influential US-Ireland Alliance. The alliance was seeking a mandatory injunction forcing Ryder Cup organisers to let it retain the prime Liffey Suite beside the K Club’s 17th fairway, which it claimed it had been promised.

Both the Ryder Cup organisers and the Platinum One agency, contracted to sell hospitality spaces for the Ryder Cup, rejected the claim.

The not-for-profit alliance headed up by Ted Kennedy’s former foreign policy guru, Trina Vargo, forked out €180,000 (including VAT) to secure the Liffey Suite.

It mounted the legal challenge after discovering two weeks ago that it had been relegated to the Delphi Suite near the 16th fairway.

But it emerged in court on Saturday that Ryder Cup organisers retained the right to decide the final location of even the most influential guests.

In his judgment, Judge Clarke described the whole affair as rather unfortunate.

Those lucky enough to watch the action on the 18th green will be guests of main corporate sponsors of the Ryder Cup, while those at the 17th will include guests of the Smurfit Group, sponsors of the European Open.

Meanwhile, a special team of 800 Ryder Cup stewards will ensure autograph hunters and would-be stalkers are kept well away from the top players like Tiger Woods at this weekend’s event in Kildare.

The uniformed Player Care marshals, which include 140 women, will carefully escort the golfers around their hotels and the course. The highly trained marshals, drawn from more than a dozen countries, will also be vigilant for spectators trying to steal Ryder Cup memorabilia like flags and signs.

“Player Care marshals will be on duty from dawn until dusk and will transport and escort the players to and from the hotel, the clubhouse, the practice facilities, the media centre for interviews and be available to transport players from the course whenever the matches finish,” chief marshal David O’Hora said.

“Their role is also to ensure that the players are not unduly hindered by autograph hunters and well wishers.”

Up to 400 of the marshals will be static, stewarding tee boxes, greens and also have ball-spotting duties.

Almost 10,000 people will be working across the 550-acre K Club campus in catering, first aid, policing, media, parking and corporate hospitality this weekend.

There will be grandstand seating for 15,000spectators, with seven big screens erected around the course.

More than 60,000 meals and 350,000 gallons of fresh drinking water are to be consumed during the week.

The event will also have an extensive waste-management plan with 500 wire bins, 280 wheelie bins, 100 Euro bins, 50 dumpmasters and 9,600 toilet rolls.

In a massive security operation, gardaí will establish a 2km cordon around the Straffan area, which will see the closure of up to a dozen local roads for eight days.