‘Better than Pebble Beach’ as Els blown away by Hangman

SOUTH African golfer Ernie Els spent the weekend in Ireland looking over the sites for his proposed courses at Kinsale, Co Cork, and Kilmore Quay, Co Wicklow.

International property development consortium XCES anticipates that the two projects will cost around €370 million, and create over 600 jobs.

Els flew into Cork Airport on Saturday morning and immediately made his way by helicopter to the site near Kinsale known locally as Hangman’s Point. He was greeted by gale force winds on this, his first visit there, but was still thrilled by what he saw from the air.

He had been advised by Dirk Bouts, a key member of his design team, just how spectacular it was but Els admitted he wasn’t prepared for the vista that greeted him.

“This is so spectacular it could be better than Pebble Beach,” he said.

Kinsale Harbour Resort also contains plans for an equestrian centre to be managed by legendary British show-jumper Nick Skelton, as well as a 200-room, 5 star Hyatt Hotel, a conference centre and holiday resort lodges.

The developers believe the project will create an initial 350 full-time positions, directly involved in the operation at the resort, with an estimated 450 indirect jobs to be created in the local area.

Els insisted he will design a course that all standards of golfer will enjoy playing.

He was given a first-hand indication of how difficult the weather can be on a clifftop site such as Hangman’s Point.

He agreed that building a course in this kind of clifftop location which is so exposed to the elements would not be an easy task but said he was looking forward to the challenge “on a site that doesn’t crop up very often these days”.