Stars look South for K Club challenge

THE new South Course at the K Club will officially open today, with some of the biggest names on the European Tour participating in a gala Pro Am with the proceeds going to the Special Olympics.

Among the big names committed to the event are defending Smurfit European Open champion Michael Campbell, Sandy Lyle, Paul McGinley, Matthias Gronberg and Niclas Fasth.

The South Course, which has already received some wonderful reviews in advance of a ball being hit there, is the creation of Arnold Palmer, the designer of the current K Club course. The South has been scheduled as the venue for the 2004 Smurfit European Open.

Work on the construction of the South Course began in February 2001 with all greens being sown that year with a view to ensuring optimum maturity by July 2003. Overall construction of the course was completed in October 2002.

One of the characteristics this course shares with the North Course is the challenge water hazards. Spanning a total area of 180 acres, nearly a tenth is accounted for by water features. Apart from this aquatic emphasis, it has all the appearance and feel of an inland links, with high undulating fairways, large difficult greens and treacherous rough. The bunkering on the new course is also more extreme than that of the existing North Course.

The course will have many truly great holes, the most dramatic of which will most certainly be the 7th Hole Swallow Quarry.

Measuring 600 yards, this Par 5 will challenge the best golfers with its length and heavily bunkered green. Most dramatic, however, is the feature that has been created all along the golf hole: a man-made rock-face has been created rising 60 feet out of the lake that borders the right-hand side of the fairway. Within this rock-face a series of waterfalls and cascades have been constructed to further enhance the beauty of what will become one of the greatest holes in Europe.

Another feature of this golf course is the variation in experiences awaiting the golfer. After successfully negotiating the first 12 holes, focus turns to the remaining six "water" holes. These six holes all cross water at some point, culminating with the 578 yard Par 5 18th hole, complete with its Island Green. This is sure to provide much enjoyment and merriment in the new clubhouse that overlooks this watery grave.

K Club director of golf Paul Crowe said: "Our intention was to create something on par with, or better than the North Course and we have definitely succeeded on this score. In time I believe this course will be rated among the best in Europe, if not the world."