Westport is nearing peak condition

THE age-old tale of St Patrick ringing a bell on a ledge near the summit of Croagh Patrick to rid Ireland of snakes is responsible for an annual pilgrimage to a shrine at the top of the Co Mayo mountain. But local perspiration - rather than divine inspiration - is primarily responsible for the continued improvements at Westport Golf Club, a course scenically set with the famed mountain as a post-card backdrop.

When the course opened in 1975, it gained the reputation of being a "heavy, long slog", according to former Golfing Union of Ireland president Gar Golden, one of the club's many stalwarts. Such an assessment can no longer be attached.

With the Irish Close Championship destined to be held in West port next year (possibly the last time it will be staged in the traditional August date, if, as expected, a meeting of the GUI next week sanctions a move to May for future events), the club continues to move with the times.

One of the most noticeable changes has been the re-building of 74 bunkers on the course, carried out under the supervision of Tony Carroll, who has worked with Christy O'Connor Jnr at Glasson and Galway Bay, amongst others, and acknowledged as a most skilful shaper of bunkers.

"There were times when we'd look up the seventh fairway and see what looked like a tornado of sand," remarked Golden. So, the renovation work called for replacing the exposed, wide open bunkers - unsuitable to the West with newly banked and drained bunkers, while also reducing the amount of sand. It has been an outstanding success.

Further improvement to the course has come with the provision of new tee-boxes at the third, fourth, sixth, eighth, 11th, 12th, 13th and 17th holes, as well as extensive drainage work and transplanting of trees.

Indeed, if all goes according to plan, major redevelopment of the clubhouse (with particular emphasis on the locker rooms) may also be completed by then. A planned e.g.m. last Wednesday to discuss this matter was postponed after the club received a letter from Ireland West tourism, who have a lease agreement, offering to sell the land to the club. Changing times indeed in Westport.

. ONLY in America? Given the proliferation of golf widows - and, indeed, golf widowers - in Ireland, it might be timely to cite some of the excesses of players in the United States where the situation is such that a Golf Nuts society has thrived for the best part of a decade.

Last year, a certain Dr Brad Bastow, from Michigan, won the society's Golf Nut of the Year award, its most prized possession. The good doctor forked out $36,000 to purchase an Optromics Par-T-Golf machine for his house, advertised for a live-in professional to help him work on his swing during the winter, and never played fewer than 36 holes of golf a day.

While the quest for the 1996 Golf Nut is currently underway, it is worth noting that even so-called sporting superstars are bitten by the bug. Indeed, no less a guy than Michael Jordan (yes, the basketball player) won the award back in 1989. And was proud of it too.

Jordan's citation for winning the award was almost as long as a dribble the full, length of a basketball court: he played 150 rounds of golf during the four month basketball off-season; he installed a six-hole putting green in his back garden; he hit light-weight practice balls in his living room, while his wife recorded his swing on a video camera; and he once played 99 holes in less than 24 hours in, two cities Vancouver and Chicago - half a continent apart.

. VISITORS to the home of golf face a £10 hike in greens fees next summer. A round over the Old Course at St Andrews will be £70 during the high season - April 1st to October 30th - next year, and £50 for the rest of the year. Charges on four of the five other courses are also to be increased, albeit by smaller figures ranging from £1 to £5 a round.

The only course not to see an increase in the cost of a round of golf will be the Jubilee Course, which will remain unchanged to mark its centenary.

Residents of St Andrews, however, will not be affected by the increase and will continue to enjoy cut-price rates next year, paying only £92 for a seven-day season ticket giving access to all six courses.

. THERE are also changes afoot at Ireland's most famous Old Course, at Ballybunion.

One of the weaknesses at Ballybunion - which boasts 36 holes - has always been- its lack of a proper practice facility. However, this failing will be rectified shortly as the club has purchased "Hanrahan's Field", a 12-acre parcel of land directly across the road from the clubhouse which will be developed to provide a top-class practice area.

Improvements are not being confined solely to off course matters, either: work is due to commence on November 4th on a new watering system for the Old Course.

. THE horror story of how a Florida course was, effectively destroyed over four years due to incorrect top dressing on its greens was relayed to course superintendents who attended last week's series of seminars on USGA greens, organised by Teagasc.

"We felt the seminars were a great success," said Pat Canning of Teagasc. There were 110 people at the Malahide seminar, 58 at Nenagh and 35 at Belfast, all of whom were updated on research which is being carried out by the USGA aimed at producing the best possible greens.

The seminars focused on the importance of using the correct specifications in constructing USGA greens, particularly with regard to the top dressing which is of paramount importance. There was also considerable discussion on the traditional greens which, in many cases, are most suitable to Irish conditions.

However, with financial support from the Irish-American Fund, Teagasc will maintain contact with their counterparts in the United States and will be updated on any new developments relating to USGA greens.

IN BRIEF: The inaugural Ulster Bank/ILGU All-Ireland Ladies Fourball Championship finals will take place in Glasson next Monday and Tuesday when City of Derry, Cahir Park, Hazel Grove, Portumna and Borris who won their respective district titles - will battle it out for the top prize . . . Every time Philip Walton sinks a birdie or an eagle in a European Tour event, the Coombe Hospital has benefitted to the tune of £10 thanks to novel sponsorship from Canon (Ireland) and, next Monday, the company will donate a cheque for £3,000 to "The Friends of the Coombe" during the sixth Legends Charity Golf Classic at Luttrellstown Castle, bringing the total to almost £10,000 since the scheme was started three seasons ago.