Royal Portrush, Co. Antrim, Ireland When the club formed in May 1888, it was known as the Country Club. It became the Royal County Club in 1892, when H.R.H. The Duke of York was its patron. Finally the name was changed to “The Royal Portrush Golf Club” in 1895 with H.R.H. The Prince of Wales as patron. For more information visit: www.royalportrushgolfclub.com Photograph by Aidan Bradley. www.golfcoursephotography.com
You went to America to further your college and golfing education. What led to this decision? Initially I was doing a three year diploma in marketing in Dublin, which I finished. Then I worked in the EC for a year. At that stage I was playing golf twelve months a year and got down to a scratch handicap and I thought, well I’m getting good at this golf, I wonder if there is a career in it. At that stage I wasn’t good enough, but I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone and do two more years of education and go to America to try and get a golf scholarship.
Do you play a lot of golf in Ireland? Yes I do. I’ve played all of the great courses in Ireland, and feel very patriotic when I’m back there. I think we’ve some of the greatest golf courses in the world and I’m very proud of them. Do you have any favourites? Portrush is my favourite. Portrush, Baltray and Lahinch would probably be my three favourites in Ireland. In terms of new golf courses that have been built, probably Adere Manor where the Irish Open will be in 2007 is very much a favourite also.
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