K Club gears up for Ryder Cup

WORK has begun to enhance the North Course at the K Club for the Ryder Cup in 2006. The first phase of the programme has focused on the par three third hole and the par five, seventh hole, one of the signature holes.

As has been the case during the Smurfit European Open in recent years the third and the seventh will actually be the 12th and 16th for the Ryder Cup.

The programme has the blessing of course architect, Arnold Palmer, who first suggested the changes to the third during one of his visits for the construction of the South Course. Water is central to both changes not least on the third where a lake replaces a bunker and cuts into a reduced green to offer even more difficult pin positions. Part of the putting surface juts out into the water a definite Ryder Cup pin position! For good measure a new bunker has been built to the rear of the green.

Ten thousand cubic metres of earth moved in the excavation of the lake was used to create moundings around the green. Just beyond the third green a new championship tee has been constructed on the fourth hole with the lake on the left now visible off the tee. The trees on the right will force players to think a great deal more about the shape of their tee shots.