An invasion of some of the game's top players is under way in the country's leading courses. Among them is the current world number one, Tiger Woods, who gained his first experience of Irish links terrain at Waterville yesterday. His verdict? "The back-nine is spectacular."
In effect, Woods, Mark O'Meara, Payne Stewart, Ernie Els, Andrew Magee, Tom Watson, Jim Furyk and Ben Crenshaw are using Ireland as a practice ground for their challenge in the British Open at Royal Birkdale next week. At this stage, the other courses involved are Ballybunion and Portmarnock.
They are following in the footsteps of Watson, who started a trend in 1981 by visiting Ballybunion and Portmarnock prior to defending the British Open crown at Royal St George's. Since then, while the five-time Open champion has returned almost on an annual basis, other leading Americans have followed suit.
Els, who competed in the Irish Open at Druids Glen last weekend, played Portmarnock yesterday with his father and a few friends. He is due to play Waterville this morning and Ballybunion in the afternoon.
Stewart arrived in Waterville on Tuesday evening and Magee came with some friends yesterday morning. But Woods, O'Meara and their group flew in by helicopter yesterday morning with J P McManus and Dermot Desmond. The Irish financiers had become familiar with the players in regular visits to the Isleworth resort in Florida, where Woods and O'Meara are based.
As it happened, the group of eight split into fours and played a scramble. The first quartet comprised Woods, Desmond, tennis player Todd Woodbridge, who lost in the doubles final at Wimbledon last weekend, and an American friend of his, Mike Gutierrez.
The second four were: McManus, O'Meara, Stewart and Woods' caddie, Mike "Fluff" Cowan, who plays off two and made a private visit to Waterville two months ago. In Fluff's absence, local one-handicapper Mark Murphy caddied for Woods. It is understood that they returned scores of 14 and 15 under par.
"They came and went with very little notice and the minimum of fuss," said Waterville secretary/manager Noel Cronin. "Everything happened so quickly that there were only about 200 people watching them."
But Ballybunion are prepared. They are expecting Woods, O'Meara and Stewart this morning and Jim Furyk and Els later in the day. Then, tomorrow, Watson will be arriving with Crenshaw and it is thought that Magee will join them.
During a two-day visit, Watson will look over the Cashen Links, specifically with a view to re-designing the first hole which runs along by the road. "We have to make changes there as a matter of urgency," said secretary/manager Jim McKenna.
He went on: "We have received very little notice of the Woods visit and are attempting to put an emergency plan into operation. This involves having officials at every tee and green to ensure that play can progress in an orderly fashion.
"We are also deputing three committee members to act as minders for Tiger. He may decide he doesn't want that sort of attention but we intend to give him the option. The important thing is that the players get the intended benefit out of the visit."
Arrangements for Saturday at Portmarnock have yet to be clarified, but they, too, are preparing for an invasion. O'Meara has indicated his intention to visit, along with US Ryder Cup colleague Davis Love. There is no indication as to whether Woods will be remaining here after today's visit to Ballybunion.
All of this activity provided powerful ammunition for those who believe that when the Ryder Cup comes to Ireland in 2005, it should be staged on links terrain, preferably Portmarnock. What better publicity could the country get among US golfers than that Woods has chosen to come here to play our links courses?
Interesting times.
