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Could Northern Ireland's Royal Portrush host the Open Championship?

Times are tough. But, after another Major golf victory - the third in 13 months - Northern Ireland's flagging tourism industry now has an unprecedented opportunity to capitalise on the current international focus on golf.

Calls for the Open to be held at Royal Portrush have been gaining momentum with politicians, tourism chiefs, hoteliers and the golfing fraternity all championing Ulster as a destination for the British national championship.

"It is really about maximising the momentum," said Tourism Minister Arlene Foster. "The three guys, Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell have given us a unique opportunity and we need to grasp it now.

"Tourism Ireland, the Tourist Board and my own department need to push ahead working with the other golf clubs around Northern Ireland - not just Royal Portrush and Royal County Down but also others like those where Darren Clarke started his career."

Clarke's victory at Sandwich comes on the heels of consecutive US Open successes for Portrush-born Graeme McDowell and Holywood's Rory McIlroy.

Currently, golf tourism contributes £13-£14m to the local economy but industry insiders say hosting a Major could enhance that sum to around £90m.

"Golf tourism is huge," added the minister. "Particularly the US market. When they come and visit they actually spend more money than ordinary tourists so they tick all my boxes."

DETI officials are currently in negotiations about bringing the Open to Northern Ireland but with the next available date not likely to be until 2016, Ms Foster said hosting another event like the Irish Open would be a successful "interim" option.

Meanwhile, Tourism Ireland has said they are "working hard" to promote Northern Ireland as the "Home of Champions" and have launched an £18m campaign within key markets in UK, USA, Germany and Sweden. Advertisements have also been taken out in the US-based Golf Week and Golf World magazines as well as editorials in the Irish Echo and Irish Voice newspapers.

"This victory has placed golf in Northern Ireland, once more, to the forefront of everyone's mind," said chief executive Niall Gibbons. "Tourism Ireland is working hard to capitalise on this in GB, the US and in our other golf markets around the world."

Hoteliers have also echoed calls for Northern Ireland to cash in on the latest golfing coup.

Golf the Legendary Courses on Your Scotland Golf Vacation

Article by Keith Thompson

If you’re planning a Scotland Golf Vacation, then make sureto at least book some of these legendary courses into youritenarary. Scotland is the birthplace of golf, and no tripthere would be complete without visiting some of the famedlinks we’ve only heard about or seen on TV. Take theoppportunity to play some or all of these gems, and comehome from your Scotland golf vacation with a clubhouse fullof memories.

The Old Course at St. Andrews – A Scotland golf vacationmust include a visit to the Old Course at St. Andrews. Thesite of 27 Open Championships, St. Andrews has been thescene for much of golf’s history. Best estimates say thatgolf was being contested here 100 years before Columbusdiscovered America. Another interesting tidbit is that thecourse was originally 22 holes, unti 1764 when the Societyof St. Andrews Golfers, the predecessor to the Royal andAncient Golf Club, decided to combine some holes and shortenthe course to 18 holes, the standard number we play today.Much of St. Andrews is well-know: the 112 bunkers, includingthe imfamous pot bunkers; The Swilken Burn Bridge; the RoadHole, no. 17, one of the toughest holes in golf and theseven double greens, which sometimes require errant shots tothe green to play a prodigious putt on greens that measuremore than an acre in total size. Don’t leave St. Andrews offyour Scotland golf vacation: you’ll regret it!

Carnoustie – The second oldest course in Scotland, datingfrom the 1500′s, Carnoustie has developed a reputation fortoughness second to none in Scottish golf. The list of Openwinners on championshisp contested here reads like a who’swho of golf: Tommy Armour, Ben Hogan, Henry Cotton, GaryPlayer, Tom Watson and the latest, Pual Lawrie in 1999. Along links course at 7368 yards from the tips, Carnoustiedemands length and accuracy off every tee. And if thatwasn’t enough, the wind and rain play a significant role inany round. One of the more famous holes is the par 5 sixthhole, which is known as Hogan’s Alley for his birdie/birdiefinish on the 36-hole final day of the ’53 Open. A Scotlandgolf vacation must include Carnoustie!

Gleneagles – A most friendly golf complex of four courses,Glenagles has long been a favorite among those who trulylove the game of golf. Home of the PGA Centenary golfcourse, designed by Jack Nicklaus, and home to the Ryder CupChampionships in 2014, PGA Centenary was called by Nicklausthe “finest parcel of land in the world I have ever beengiven to work with.” A longish course at 7081 yards, itnevertheless demands pinpoint accuracy and is a primeexample of target golf, thus avoiding the numerous ponds andstreams as well as both pot bunkers and American style sandtraps. A longtime favorite of Bob Hope, Glenagles is atreasured stop on your Scotland golf vacation.

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