Golf clubs have ‘major role to play in The Gathering’

Irish golf clubs have a major part to play in making next year’s The Gathering event a successful enterprise, says a leading tourism official.

Ireland in 2013 will showcase its culture, heritage, business and sport to the world by opening its doors to hundreds of thousands of overseas visitors and Fáilte Ireland’s golf tourism advisor Martin Donnelly believes the country’s golf clubs, not just the bucket-list courses, can be as much a draw to the Irish diaspora.

“It’s true 2013 is a very important year for Ireland and golf has a major role to play in The Gathering and the attraction Ireland becomes for coming home in 2013,” Donnelly told the Irish Examiner.

“Each and every golf club, through community meetings and indeed through communications from our golf department specifically, have been invited to post Gathering events on www.GatheringIreland.com and we believe golf in 2013 can play a very important role in that overall attraction of ‘coming home in 2013’.

“The golf industry in Ireland is stepping up to the plate and there are some very interesting products being worked upon and I’m confident that the range of golf events that will be available during the year will play an important role in adding to that attraction of coming home.”

Donnelly also paid tribute to Major winners Pádraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Darren Clarke and reigning PGA champion and world number one Rory McIlroy as the standard bearers for Ireland’s golf, not least through their continued participation in the Irish Open, the only annual European Tour event on the island.

“As our top PGA professionals continue to win around the world it continues to keep golf in Ireland to the forefront of the industry and I believe, not just given their success, but given the nature of those guys, who seem to have such a wonderful affinity with people, they’re extremely popular on the Tour and for me, their popularity and the way they are with the golfing public across the world sheds a very positive light on Ireland’s golf.”