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U.S. duffers are joining
clubs in Scotland and Ireland
Like countless business executives, Jay
Kennedy belongs to a golf club where the fairways are rolling and the scenery is
drop-dead gorgeous. One other fact about Kennedy's dreamy club: It's in Ireland.
The insurance executive from
Chatham, N.J., joined Ballyliffin Golf Club in northwest Ireland in 2001 after
his wife placed a $600 winning bid on a two-year membership at a charity
auction. Kennedy then paid an additional $4,400 to become a lifetime member (the
fee has since climbed to $7,500). He has made several trips in two years, once
playing Ballyliffin's two courses with 24 friends and business associates.
"Socially, it's a fabulous investment," he says. "I was going to
Ireland a couple times a year anyway."
Looking to expand your golf horizons? If your budget is ample and your
enthusiasm for overseas travel is undimmed by world events, try joining a club
in Ireland or Scotland. Amenities -- from course layout to on-site hotels --
vary widely. Financial terms are all over the map, too. Lifetime membership at
some clubs can be had for less than $10,000, while others require close to three
times that but will return the money when you resign or die.
Member demographics is another key factor. Some clubs that market to Americans
are century-old facilities where a majority of members are locals. They began
wooing foreigners to finance capital improvements. Ballybunion Golf Club in
Ireland, favored by ex-President Bill Clinton, used proceeds from its
international program to pay for a seawall to protect three holes. At newer
clubs such as Ireland's Doonbeg Golf Club, the mix favors foreigners by design.
About 80% of golfers at Doonbeg, which opened in 2002, live outside Ireland,
mainly in the U.S. and Canada. That means the course isn't heavily played. It
also means the gent who joins you for a pint after the round isn't as likely to
speak with an Irish brogue.
One thing these clubs offer: a sanctuary in which golfers feel close to the
origins of their beloved sport. "They have a sense of connection to the
game in Scotland and Ireland. They're a part of a golfing experience," says
Gordon Dalgleish, president of PerryGolf, a golf travel agency that books trips
to courses in Britain.
That experience seemed less attractive to some jittery about overseas travel
after September 11 and, more recently, the war in Iraq. Fees even have come down
as some clubs strain to attract international members, though business has
picked up since the conflict in Iraq began winding down. "There has been a
spike in the last month," says Doug Hart, U.S. membership director for
Doonbeg. A member-guest tournament involving about 170 players in June sold out
and so has another one scheduled for October, he says.
Should you decide to go for it, you'll want to visit several golf clubs before
making a commitment. Your biggest challenge after that will be finding time to
fly away with your clubs to Europe.
- Business
Week
23 June 2003
 
HELLO TAI TAI invited 3P Tee,
Hong Kong's popular online golf advisor to give us a few pointers on Golf
Etiquette since the game is fast becoming a popular sport with Tai Tai's. She
has seen this export
shoot over 300 yards with ease and accuracy.
GOLF ETIQUETTE from 3P TEE
Golf, unlike almost any of the trash-talking sports you can watch on TV
nowadays, is a game where sportsmanship is paramount. Golf is an easy game
to cheat at, so every player is on his honour. But there's more to it than
that. Golf has its own code of etiquette, semi-official 'rules' of
courtesy that every player is recommended to follow.
Here are a few from the Golf Code of Ethics you need to know:
- Don't talk while someone is playing
a stroke. Give your partners time and silence while they are analyzing
the situation, making their practice swings, and analyzing the situation,
making their practice swings, and actually making their swing for real.
Don't stand near them or move about, either, especially when you're on the
greens. Stay out of their peripheral vision while they are putting.
Don't stand near the hole or walk between your partners' ball and the
hole. Be mindful of your shadow. The line of a putt - the path
it must follow to the hole - is holy ground.
The key is being aware of your companions' - and their golf balls -
whereabouts and temperment. Easygoing types may not mind that you gab
away while they choose a club, but that isn't true for everyone. If in
doubt, stand still and shut up. If you're a problem more than once,
you'll be told about it.
- Be ready to play when it's your
turn - For example, when your ball lies farthest from the hole.
Make your decisions while you're walking to your ball or while waiting for
some else to play. Be ready to play. And when it is your turn to
hit, do so without any undue delay. You don't have to rush; just get on with
it.
- The honour (that is, the first
shot) on a given tee goes to the player with the lowest score on the
previous hole. If that hold was tied, the player with the lowest score
on the hole before that is said to be up and retains the honour. In other
words, you have the honour until you lose it.
- Make sure everyone in your foursome
is behind you when you hit. You're not going to hit every shot where you're
aimed. If in doubt, wait for your playing partners to get out of your
line of play. The same is true for the group in front; wait
until they are well out of range before you hit. Even if it would take a
career shot for you to reach them. Wait. Lawyers love golfers
who ignore that rule of thumb.
- Pay attention to the group behind
you, too. Are they having to wait for you on every shot? Is
there a gap between you and the group ahead of you? If the
answer to either of both is yes, step aside and invite the group behind you
to play through. This is no reflection on your ability as golfers.
All it means is that the group behind plays faster than you do.
The best and most time-efficient place to let a group behind play through is
at a par-3 (it's the shortest hole and therefore the quickest way of
playing through). After hitting your ball onto the green, mark it, and
wave to them to play. Stand off to the side of the green as they do.
, After they have all hit, replace your ball and putt out. Then let
them go. Simple, isn't it? Sadly, you're likely to see this
piece of basic good manners abused time and again by players who don' t know
any better and have no place on a golf course. Ignore
them. Do what's right. Stepping aside makes your round more
enjoyable. Think about it. Who likes to ruin someone else's day?
Give your ego a rest and let them through.
- Help the greens keeper out.
A busy golf course takes a bit of a pounding over a day's play. All
those balls landing on greens. Feet walking through bunkers.
And divots of earth flying through the air. Do your bit for the
golf course. Repair any ball marks you see on the greens. (You
can use your tee or a special tool called a divot fixer, which is about 50
cents in the pro shop.)
Here's how to repair ball marks. Stick the repair tool in the green
around the perimeter of the indentation. Start at the rear.
Gently lift the compacted dirt. Replace any loose pieces or grass or
turf in the center of the hole. Then take your putter and tap down the
raised turf until it is level again. You can repair ball marks either before
or after you putt. It's a good habit to have.
Finally, smooth out or rake any footprints in bunkers, (but only after
you play out). And replace any divots you find on the fairways and
tees.
- If you must play in a golf cart
(take my advice and walk whenever you can - its good exercise), park it well
away from greens, tees, and bunkers. To speed up play, you should park
on the side of the green nearest the next tee. The same is true if you
are carrying your bag. Don't set it down near any of the
aforementioned, but do leave it in a spot on the way to the next tee.
- Leave the green as soon as everyone
has finished putting. You'll see this a lot, and after a while it'll
drive you crazy. You're ready to play your approach shot to the green,
and the people in front are crowding round the hole marking their cards.
That's poor etiquette on two counts. One, it delays play, which is
never good. And two, the last thing the greens keeper wants is a lot
of footprints around the cup. Mark your card on the way to the next tee.
- In case there is a lost ball,
do not waste time to find it, just play another one as according to the
rules, specially when you have a group following close to yours.
- Some people not only spending
everybody's time in finding their own ball but others in the hazards or
pond, which left by previous groups in days back. These are very
inconsiderate people who's example should not be followed
- Always keep still and quiet
when you are passing by a green or tee box when other golfers are there
ready to play their shot, give them a chance to finish their shot and carry
on quickly. Enjoy!
-by
3P Tee
Clubs
In Hong Kong
- Golf
Clubs in Singapore
- Golf
in China
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