Tickets to Irish Open 2011

alexlyons

Thinking of getting the ol' man tickets to the Irish open and a night or two in killarney for his 50th next tuesday.

Saw a family ticket for two adults on here. any thoughts on this? No sponsor announced yet and no list of players I can find.

I've watched golf on TV before the ol' man has been to numerous competitions including two ryder cups and plays a bit. I'd ask him about it but obviously I can't. What are people's reactions to this, good or bad?

aster99

Would be a lovely present. Kilarney is a fine spot as well. I was at a couple days of it last year and really enjoyed it.

alexlyons

Cheers. He's been to Kilarney a few times, I was there with him over easter '10.

I guess the main reason I'm asking is because for some unknown reason The Irish Open seems to have gone down in my books in the list of decent competitions, when the opposite seems to be true!!

aster99

Ya last year the field of players was only ok, it needed another couple of big names to generate more exposure.
The atmosphere down there was first class though.

If booking accommodation I presume the sooner the better

Trampas

The Irish Open is suffering from it position in the calander.

This year

The British Open finishes 2 weeks before and the following 2 week after the irish open is WGC and PGA Championship.

Players don't rarely play 3 weeks in a row especially if it means flying to the states.

I say you will have the top irish pro's and european based players who are not going to be in the WGC or PGA.

I say Kaymer, Westwood, Molinari's will not turn up because of the events ahead.

ssbob

Trampas wrote: »

The Irish Open is suffering from it position in the calander.

This year

The British Open finishes 2 weeks before and the following 2 week after the irish open is WGC and PGA Championship.

Players don't rarely play 3 weeks in a row especially if it means flying to the states.

I say you will have the top irish pro's and european based players who are not going to be in the WGC or PGA.

I say Kaymer, Westwood, Molinari's will not turn up because of the events ahead.

I am not so sure, I reckon there will be a big turnout, it is seen as a top event on the European circuit, it has one of the highest attendances by "Patrons".

Isn't Padraig Harrington hosting the tournament this year? Maybe he will be able to attract a stellar line up?

As long as John Daly is there I will be happy.:D

Screaminmidget

aster99 wrote: »

Ya last year the field of players was only ok, it needed another couple of big names to generate more exposure.

Westwood was going to play but pulled out because of his injury.

I just cant see it being a big success this year. No sponser (not even rumours) Which leads to a small prize fund. I'd be surprised if many of the big irish players turned up tbh..

ssbob

Screaminmidget wrote: »

Westwood was going to play but pulled out because of his injury.

I just cant see it being a big success this year. No sponser (not even rumours) Which leads to a small prize fund. I'd be surprised if many of the big irish players turned up tbh..

With so many golfers in Ireland, you would think that we should have one decent competition in a year.

Maybe all the clubs in Ireland shiuld hold a comp to raise the funds to help out the Irish Open, it is badly needed.

Garda S Horgan

ssbob wrote: »

With so many golfers in Ireland, you would think that we should have one decent competition in a year.

Maybe all the clubs in Ireland shiuld hold a comp to raise the funds to help out the Irish Open, it is badly needed.

What? Most clubs are struggling to balance their own books. If they could get a half decent fund raiser sorted it would be for the upkeep of machinery or the planting of trees etc on their own course.
It's not the prize money that is keeping the top pros away.
The Irish open used to be on just before the PGA Championship and was used by top players as a good practice round.
Now it's in a terrible spot on the calendar so it's not going to get the best players.
It's nothing to do with funds. The sponsor woudl not have left if the big names were still there.
It's all to do with the timing of the event.

If there was a Tommy Teapot 4 day tractor fundraiser on a major course the week before the major it would attract the big names too, even if the prize money was a tenner for longest drive.

Yours etc,
GSH.

Screaminmidget

Garda S Horgan wrote: »

What? Most clubs are struggling to balance their own books. If they could get a half decent fund raiser sorted it would be for the upkeep of machinery or the planting of trees etc on their own course.
It's not the prize money that is keeping the top pros away.
The Irish open used to be on just before the PGA Championship and was used by top players as a good practice round.
Now it's in a terrible spot on the calendar so it's not going to get the best players.
It's nothing to do with funds. The sponsor woudl not have left if the big names were still there.
It's all to do with the timing of the event.

Didnt 3 leave because they couldnt fund both the irish soccer team and the Irish open?

If there was a Tommy Teapot 4 day tractor fundraiser on a major course the week before the major it would attract the big names too, even if the prize money was a tenner for longest drive.

I dont see what your trying to say here?

rescue16

What date is it actually on ??

dvemail

The date it had in May was brutal, stuck the week in between the PLAYERS in America and
the BMW PGA in Wentworth.
The date it has now is only slightly better. We could get a good field this year though.
Seen as it is World Ranking points that most top pro's are after, with Rory and Graeme in the top 10 in the World, and Westwood likely to turn up as he has always done when fit.
Good ranking points should be on offer just with 3 of the top 10 in the World turning up.

ssbob

Garda S Horgan wrote: »

What? Most clubs are struggling to balance their own books. If they could get a half decent fund raiser sorted it would be for the upkeep of machinery or the planting of trees etc on their own course.
It's not the prize money that is keeping the top pros away.
The Irish open used to be on just before the PGA Championship and was used by top players as a good practice round.
Now it's in a terrible spot on the calendar so it's not going to get the best players.
It's nothing to do with funds. The sponsor woudl not have left if the big names were still there.
It's all to do with the timing of the event.

I have to disagree with you here GSH:

1. Clubs are struggling agreed however the Irish Open is a vital part of advertising Golf tourism in Ireland and without it , Irish golf would not be in peoples minds as a destination to take their golfing holidays, this only proceeds to help clubs.
2. The change to the August Bank holiday weekend was requested by An Bord Failte to help turn it into a festival on a bank holiday weekend, and hopefully have better weather, the big players normally don't play 3 in a row yet the Irish Open has always attracted big names so I would see this years tournament being a kick start for the WGC Bridgestone Invitational and USPGA Championship.
3. 3 left because they were spending huge amounts of money marketting a product which has not been as successful as they wished, they are also sponsporing the Irish soccer team!

Screaminmidget

http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2011/0517/sport/killarney-gets-thumbs-up-for-open-154810.html

KILLARNEY Golf and Fishing Club got the European Tour’s seal of approval after Irish Open organisers paid their first visit of the year to the venue.

Championship director Ben Watson and his colleagues from the European Tour were at the club last month to assess the Killeen Course 13 weeks out from the showpiece tournament, which starts on July 28.

"It’s looking great," Watson said. "It’s come out of the winter pretty well.

"It was a very hard winter and we’ve had our agronomy team down there having a look and they’ve put a plan in place with the course superintendent Dave MacIndoe.

"The course held up very well last year. It was a great track and the guys loved it.

"They thought it worked out very well and it’s just a case of developing it from last year and providing a good, fair test for all the field."

Watson added that "developing" the set-up did not necessarily mean making it any more challenging than when Ross Fisher held off Pádraig Harrington last August Bank Holiday weekend to win by two strokes at 18 under par.

"Not specifically. You want to make sure it’s fair and we were blessed last year with four great days of weather and that naturally makes things easier for the guys.

"But I don’t think you want to make it difficult necessarily. You want to make sure the whole field, the 150 players, whenever they tee off, have a good, fair challenge. That’s what we strive to do all the way through the tournament.

"I think everyone thought last year’s winning score was a very fair reflection of the test it provided and I hope we would provide much more of the same and see what happens."

Watson believes the quality of the field on display at Killarney in July rather than a tricked up golf course will provide all the necessary entertainment for the 2011 Irish Open.

"It’s providing a challenge for every player and getting a good winner out of it.

"And the quality that we have in depth on the European Tour provides a drama and a challenge in itself.

"As we’ve seen both before and since last year’s event, the European Tour has such an incredible strength in depth of golfers.

"We are blessed with a great strength of competitor in our fields and that produces great finishes week in, week out.

Anyone that wins a European Tour event in any week has played an immense four rounds of golf."