Accustomed to the southern lands with the Pro-Am of South Africa, a long-lasting event awaited each year by the faithful as well as the new participants quickly enchanted by the courses as by the friendly and sporting atmosphere of the event, Philippe Heuzé ( Voyages Golfissimes) is in constant search of new things.

  • Photo: © P.Heuzé

With Ireland's 1st Pro-Am contested in early July, he played the card of proximity and exoticism united in the south of the Green Island. An hour and a half by plane between Roissy and Cork and the change of scenery was immediate after having put down the suitcases in Kinsale, a charming marina very lively in summer.

Head in the clouds…

For those who already knew the sheer cliffs of Old Head, the impatience to do battle was palpable, as was the fog that invaded these acres of moor that had been sitting above the water for millennia. The course is much younger! Imagined at the end of the last century where a shepherd grew tired of seeing his sheep fall into the abyss and the thrusts tirelessly beaten by the tides, the route dominates the waters from all the holes even if the ocean is more or less in play according to the drawing and especially the wind, like the 12 where it is preferable to drive above the waves to put your ball on the fairway of this daunting par 5. But on this first day, we had to rely on framed photos at the clubhouse to discover this madness imagined by five Irish people. Frustrated at not being able to do battle, the players went to take revenge on the bar and its beer pumps and the pro-shop which saw its turnover soar as fast as the gulls circling above the lighthouse. Goretex hat, cashmere sweaters, rainwear and windbreakers… in the middle of July, who would have believed it? At the end of the afternoon, a window allowed the beasts to be released on the course, the time to lose a few balls in the high roughs and ravines while the wind picked up. The condition to drive away the fog ...

Kinsale to Cork

The next day, on Fota Island, a course with a radically different physiognomy, drawn in Cork Bay, the rain was part of the party. No need to overdo the watering, but the quality of the greens was surprising in the face of so much water. At least, the hostilities could begin… and in a beautiful way since Julien Clément, the Swiss pro who has just left the circuit, brought back a card haloed with six birdies. A few weeks earlier, he had signed a 59 card in Italy on an Alps Tour tournament, nice leftovers at the Helvète!

Wind of madness, it takes your breath away!

Second round at Old Head in a wind of madness, conditions as daunting as they are unforgettable even if the results were not necessarily up to everyone's hopes. In memory of Danny, the club manager, 60 miles of wind (90 km / h) hadn't been seen in over two years, especially in the summer - well according to the calendar! But while the parties returned in haste so as not to miss the start of the Euro 2016 final, everyone was smiling and beautiful colors on the portions of skin exposed to the weather. Two hours later, the smile had faded as Ronaldo lifted the cup against the jubilant Portuguese at the Stade de France.

Martine in Ireland…

Last lap in the sun, no more hats, no more rain gear, just a little summer sweater in Fota Island parkland, a three-time host to the Irish Open. Already winner in South Africa in January, Julien Clément's team with Martine and Serge Haladjian and Olivier Masse would fly over the debates until the victory in gross (and net). Martine did twelve pars and a birdie, carried by the Celtic gods above the green Erin ...

The party in the end

In the evening, at Spaniard, a Kinsale pub privatized for the occasion, the gala evening began at Murphy's - a sort of Guinness produced in Cork -, with Irish whiskey of course and wines from "home". Salmon, lobster, roast beef, everyone was enjoying themselves before Philippe and Nicolas Carré, the justice of the peace, came to the results. Beautiful Irish crystal trophies shone in the glow of the tavern, musicians played local tunes and everyone was singing, dancing, having fun according to a recipe peculiar to Philippe for a long time already.

Very rare fiesta ...

Unsurprisingly, Julien Clément and his squad lifted the trophy raw. Net there was resort to the tie breaker since the teams of Raphaël Eyraud, Émilien Chamaulte and Maxime Demory were tied. On arrival, Cornélia and Gérard Gattegno and Mickael Paul, Raphaël Eyraud fans from Cannes, were entitled to the honors while the Irish coffees warmed their throats.

Celebrating his 43 years in these warm walls, Olivier Masse was going to make the party last a little longer near the bar and a bottle of "very rare" whiskey appreciated by all ...

See you in Dublin

For a first, this Pro-am from Ireland has achieved its goal, marking the spirits, offering memories and a few birdies, where seagulls and gulls take the updrafts to soar above the greens. After Cork, it's a safe bet that the 2017 edition is approaching Dublin and the Liffey river for new adventures around the K Club, Portmarnock and The European. And why not under the sun…!

Claude Granveaud-Vallat