Inside Irish Golf: Power, Prestige & The Tee-Time Crisis

Nish: 0:00

Every good story is about the journey. And this is the story of our journey trying to play the top 100 course in the UK and Ireland in just 10 years. This is the Top 100 in 10 Golf Podcast.

Sharon Smurfit: 0:15

The lady captain coming up going, you know, oh my god, Seve Ballesteros was sitting in the pro shop. I think after this they should invite you to play the game. It’s not the problem of pricing it, the problem is availability.

Nish: 0:28

Today’s episode is dedicated to Bernard Johnstone. That’s Chris’s uncle, who lives over in Ireland. And unfortunately, he’s not feeling very well at the moment. So we wish him all the best and a speedy recovery. And Bernard, this episode is dedicated to you from Chris. Now, our episode today is about golf in Ireland. We haven’t touched Ireland yet as a destination to play golf. So we’re very excited about having a wonderful guest on. She’s been around golf and has known about golf in Ireland all of her life. So we are very, very happy to welcome onto our podcast Sharon Smurfit, who has been the director of golf at the K Club. Now, before we carry on with the episode and get into this wonderful chat with Sharon, could I ask that you follow, like or subscribe wherever you’re getting this podcast, whether it’s on video or audio, because it helps us get people like Sharon on the golf on the podcast. So please do that. We’re getting great numbers at the minute and we’re getting some fantastic opportunities and fantastic guests on. So let’s keep that momentum going. That’s all it takes is two seconds of your time to click like, click subscribe. And if you’re on YouTube, click the notification bell so you get our latest videos straight as a notification when you log on to YouTube. Now back to the episode.

Chris: 2:00

So far on our quest to play the top 100 golf courses in the UK and Ireland, we’ve managed to take off courses in England, Scotland, and Wales. But we’re still missing a vital part of that journey. It’s where the whole idea germinated, and the reason is mad endeavour exists. And that’s the Emerald Isle era. Yes, we’re going to be talking about golf in Ireland today. And there’s no better person than I guess that we’ve got today to talk about golf in Ireland. She’s one of the most respected and influential figures in Irish golf. She was the director of golf at the K Club for the best part of a decade, a decade, including one of Irish golf most famous moments when Rory won the Irish Open in 2016. She then moved on into golf club consultancy, advising golf clubs committees and tournament organisers. And more recently, she’s taken over the publication of Talk Golf Island, a publication that talks about all things of Irish golf. So, Sharon, like I say, that there’s not many people at a better place than you to kind of talk us through Irish golf um at the minute. So, do you want to just give us a little potted history of your kind of journey through golf and some of those accolades that we’ve just kind of rolled off?

Sharon Smurfit: 3:08

Sure. Hi guys, nice to see you and your listeners. Um yeah, I suppose I I came to golf quite late in life. I didn’t start until my um early 30s. And um, even though golf was in the family for a long time through my dad, um, so I started to learn to play golf myself and got sort of, I think because I was a hockey player, it sort of just came naturally from you know, from being playing in school. And um yeah, so when when dad said to me, you know, I think it’s time you got a real job, um, I think you better go in and start working for me. I had worked for him previously in the in the Smurf group uh for a couple of years, but I found paper and packaging quite um, you know, I’m not gonna say boring, but it was definitely not my cup of tea. And I so I went to work in the K Club as a membership manager, and I sort of, you know, worked my way to becoming director of golf. I did a lot of courses, I did work with this, um, I did the program with this Club Managers Association of Europe. And yeah, so ended up as director of golf there, which was certainly an experience. Um, it was I definitely should have written a book. That’s what I should have done. I would have been a I should have kept a diary of all the things that happened over the 10 years. Um so yeah, so I mean, obviously the right the the Ryder Cup happened there in 2006, a little bit before my time, but I was there um at it. Um, and then I was instrumental in running the 2016 Irish Open, which was a huge experience and a fantastic event, you know, even it’s been it’s been overdone again, it’s been done again by Rory since then, you know, and uh which is fantastic. And uh yeah, it’s just it’s it’s it’s just a great place, was a great place to be and a great place to work and people to work with and all the rest. So um yeah, so that’s where sort of my journey went. Um it so I’m not gonna give you my age, so therefore you’ll have to work out how long um I’ve been out of it for.

Chris: 5:22

We’ll figure it out, Sharon. We’ll get a timeline together.

Sharon Smurfit: 5:24

We’ll uh yeah, everybody’s now calculating what I’m doing, what age I am. Soon to be another year older next month. Um, so yeah, so from there, I suppose when we sold the K Club just before COVID in 2020, um, I found myself at a very sort of at a limb, I suppose. I found it quite tough. I, you know, when you worked, I’ve always worked, you know. I when I left school, I didn’t go to college, I went straight into work. I went to London for a couple of years, um, I went to Australia. I, you know, so I’ve always worked. And and uh yeah, so I suppose from there I just decided that golf in Ireland needed something a little bit more. Um, and you know, from there I decided because people started asking me, oh, you’ve got great experience from being, you know, director of golf, you know, could you help us out a little bit in the golf club? And that’s where sort of the consultancy side of stuff came about. I did a little bit of you know, some secret shopping for clubs. I um would be available to them by email, I’d call down, I’d check out their facilities, see what could be improved, if there was, you know, what sort of money could be spent, a little bit of um help them with a bit of governance, um, dealing with members that might be having with you know being an issue. So just general guidance and stuff like that and consultancy. Um, so I did that for two years, and then no, for one, well, I’m still sort of doing that a little bit a little bit, but then the opportunity came to buy this newspaper, me. Um, and it’s sort of something I’ve always been quite interested in to get into media. I’m no journalist, so neither are we, Sharon.

Chris: 7:08

I wouldn’t worry about that.

Sharon Smurfit: 7:10

I know. So it’s like going, can you do this? You know, you doubt yourself a thousand times and you write the pros and the cons. Um, but it was a great opportunity, and you know, and it’s sort of we’ve obviously progressed from where we’ve where we’ve come from there, you know, where we bought it originally two years ago or year and a half ago.

Chris: 7:30

And I mean, I guess, you know, just actually obviously your your kind of job and and your career has been has been guided by golf, but I mean I guess you’ve got a passion for playing golf as well, which kind of drives you, drives you through that as well.

Sharon Smurfit: 7:41

Yeah, no, I I do you know what golf is a fantastic game, as you probably all everybody knows. The com it’s just the friendships you gain, I mean, more than anything else. I mean, I don’t take my golf too seriously. I’m very competitive when it comes to inter-club matches and stuff like that. Um, I don’t tend to play the club the club match plays as much anymore. Um, but I really enjoy inter-club matches and I just love going out with my friends and and meeting new people and playing. You know, sometimes I hack my way around and sometimes I, you know, play very well.

Chris: 8:21

Yeah. I think, you know, I think we’re starting this journey, obviously just trying to play the top 100 courses. I think that was the that was the initial goal. But I think since we’ve started it, I think, like you say, the kind of community and the people around golf has been the thing that’s actually been probably the more enjoyable side of it. So people kind of reaching out and saying, Oh yeah, come and play at our club. Like there’s such a there is such a great camaraderie and the community in golf, isn’t there? And it’s pretty, it’s pretty unique and special, I think, to golf um and golfers.

Sharon Smurfit: 8:48

Yeah, and I think because golf is such an individual sport for yourself, you know, so it’s like it’s nearly, you know, it’s a mind game as well as a physical game, and you know, you have to share that mindfulness with somebody else, or not mindfulness, but you have to you have to be able to um, you know, some people take it very seriously, and some people, you know, get very annoyed with themselves and all the rest. I uh as I say, I don’t get I don’t worry about my golf. Um, I do get a little bit cross if I have a bad, you know, a very bad day, but um yeah, I mean just to go out, meet friends prior afterwards, you know, sit down. I mean, one of I play I play out of the K Club still and I play in Elm Park. So Elm Park is like a stone’s throwaway for me from uh where I live. So um whereas the K Club is 45 minutes away, so yeah, you know, I can I can leave my car in Elm Park and have a 19th hole after golf Devi if I feel like it’s taken. But I can’t do that in the K Club. Can’t do that in the K Club, yeah.

Chris: 9:59

Brilliant. So Sharon, it’d be really good to just dig in a little bit more to your kind of time at the K Club and how that kind of came about. It would be really nice to hear about some of the um, you know, some of the experiences you’ve had there, some of the people you’ve met along the way. I mean, if you if you just look through some of your your kind of camera roles, you’d see a bit of a who’s who of Irish sport. Um so it’d be great to just kind of dig into a little bit of those experiences and talk a little bit about obviously Rory’s winning there in 2016. I think you you were kind of you were managing it at that point. I think that’s one of one of my initial attest to this, my memory is terrible, but one of my one of those kind of key moments in golf that I remember is that last shot of Rory’s into the 18th, and that’s kind of ingrained in my memory. Um yeah, because just dig into your time a little bit there in terms of what you did and your experiences and and what you took from that um yeah, absolutely.

Sharon Smurfit: 10:50

Um I just I think that you know, I was obviously very lucky. I mean, you know, the K Club being so iconic after the Ryder Cup, um, we were very lucky to get a lot of celebrities and stuff like that. Um so you think your memory’s bad? Oh my god. I uh I’m definitely um, you know, this is why I said I should have written a book, you know, or a diary of some description to memorize. I did, but I I did get to meet some amazing um like Hollywood stars and people like that. Um we had um the um now you see you’re gonna test my memory now of all the people that I used to meet, but obviously a lot of rugby, you know, um Brian O’Dresco, you know, there were so many that came down. We had pro arms as well, so there were always professional golfers, and then there were people like who had their own events, you know, that would host, we would host at the clay club, and they would also have a lot of celebrities. So it became a very sort of iconic place that you could be walking around the snack bar, and you know, next minute you’d get the lady captain coming up, going, you know, oh my god, that’s a big balisteros sitting in the pro shop, you know, and you’re going, or sitting in the snack bar, and you’re going, yeah. And he’s oh, do you think do you think I could get a photograph with him? Um, so I said, Well, do you I said, go ask him? And he, you know, and she said, No, no, no, why can’t you do it for me? So I went up and I said, Um, Mr. Balisteros, I said, is it possible that you would like to have a photograph with our lady captain this year? And he went, Absolutely. You know, so so he was like, Of course, I would love to have a photograph with a lady captain. So um, that was one of my funniest moments. But uh, obviously had Arn O Palmer design both courses, so he will he, you know, many a visit there as well. Um we’ve we’ve had, you know, of every golfer that’s possibly been, you know, obviously all the Irish golfers, Shay Nari, Port of Carrington, the the usual. Um and uh yeah, it’s it it it was just it was an amazing journey. I mean, as I was saying there to you earlier on, the the the members, you know, have a have a wonderful appreciation of the fantastic golf course that it is. And um, they actually have two golf courses, which we mustn’t forget, um, which the second one came later, but and with its own clubhouse. And you know, both courses are very unique. Um, obviously, the pop the Ryder Cup course is is a one, and then we have the now called the South Course. It used to be called the Smartford course, it’s now called the South Course, and you know, that’s an inland links course. So um, so being director of golf for the two courses um was great, you know, busy, very busy, but I had a great team around me, so I couldn’t complain, you know. Hardworking young kids every summer come in, great experience who’ve gone on to do greater things and become managers themselves. You know, so for me, it’s all about training people, making sure people get you know the experience and get to learn and um you know, and try and empower them to make decisions. I can’t bear people that just are managers, they’re just you know, a bit controlling and like to I I mean, I like I’m a little bit controlling, but I like to make sure that things are done right in that sense. But I do believe that people should make mistakes as well, you know, and and be fair about it. But um, yeah, so the K Club, you know, look, it’s a it’s just it was a wonderful, wonderful place, and there was there’s basically so many people that we met over the years, and I definitely have a nice wall of fame here. Um, and uh Justin Timberlake is on my wall of fame. Um and uh so yeah, lots of actors, lots of you know, mostly men, very few females, as we know, play golf in those days.

Chris: 14:47

Yeah, and we’ll we’ll kind of touch on that a little bit later as well, I think, just in terms of in terms of women in golf and island and and kind of what that looks like. Um we’re kind of yeah, just sticking with the K Club for now, in terms of that kind of organizing those big tournaments and big events. Obviously, you were you were heavily involved in in that side of things. What did that look like from from from your side in terms of managing those things?

Sharon Smurfit: 15:09

Well, we put together obviously an internal team first. Um I didn’t really have much involvement in the outside negotiations with what um you know with the European tour at the very beginning of the negotiations to discuss, you know, how the how what the K-Club or what the venue would get, you know, per se. Obviously, we would have negotiated membership, you know, what the members would get and versus tickets and stuff like that, and then our hospitality area for the members. So my focus was obviously on the membership side and making sure that they, you know, they were all very well looked after. And then sort of about sort of the year out, then we would have got more involved with the European tour. We would have had a big, we call it the book, and every you know, thing would be in it from the production side to you know dealing with the European Tour. Everybody had their own roles, obviously, and the European Tour would have had their representative. Um, and I say it was the European Tour because I’m thinking it was the European Tour at the time and not DP Tour. Um yeah, but um, so they would have had their representations and then they would have had this full build-up. It was just sort of coordinating uh, you know, that everybody together and making sure everybody was singing off the same hymn sheet and everybody knew what was going on. There’s nothing worse than running an event when half the people are walking around with their head in the sky and you sort of say, What are you doing? And they said, Well, I don’t know what I’m meant to be doing, you know, and that’s the thing. So it was always a it is a good, you know, thing to make sure everybody knows it’s no secret, you know. Everybody, you know, sometimes you think these things should be a secret, and you know, so let them know what’s happening, give them the information. If they don’t follow it, that’s a different story. Um, and then obviously, as the tournament got closer and the reissuing of tickets in those days, it would have been actually a physical ticket, so that would have been an interesting uh challenge. Members would have had to come and pick up their tickets, sign for them, their car park passes, all paper-based. And um, and then we had to obviously look after all the met the players, the caddies, the wives, um, the hotel was separate. They looked after all of the guests up at the hotel, and we sort of looked after everything in the clubhouse. So, whether the, you know, so making sure that the we we brought in a special food and beverage expert to help style everything for the players, and you know, whilst not saying the food and beverage team were, you know, they produced all the food and the service, it was just the look of how it all looked and buffets, and it was just stunning, you know, they really would paid off to do something like that, and yeah, just making sure the members were looked after, making sure all the players were looked after. Um, I worked with Nial and Darielle in the office, and Nile is the golf operations manager who’s still there, and you know, he would have run all of the range, made sure the range was up and running, the locker rooms for this for the bags, the players’ bags, the caddies, all of that sort of operational side. So he and many and his team were phenomenal.

Chris: 18:12

When we first started looking at this list, uh you know, properly and understanding where all these courses were, there were two real emissions from there, one of them being the K-Club and one of them being the Woven over here in the UK. Um because, like you said, I mean the K-Club was like the go-to golf course for for Ireland for as long as I remember. So I know I was uh obsessed with golf in the kind of the early 2000s, and it was always hosted in the European Open, and you know, it’s held the Irish Open several times, like you said, the Ryder Cup. Um do you do you kind of know or understand why or got any thoughts on why you think that that the K-Club is not currently at the top 100 list?

Sharon Smurfit: 18:50

Well, first and foremost, I uh you know, lists are um subjective, as I say. Um whilst there is obviously an expert panel, no doubtly, doing these um lists of golf courses, what makes them a great golf course? You know, uh personally, it’s not just the grain of the grass and the quality of the greens and obviously the aesthetics of the course. For me, it’s the whole experience. And you know, if a you know, so why do I think I don’t I’ve never played Woburn, so I don’t know. Um, so I’ve never even been to Woburn, so I certainly cannot comment on. In fact, I’ve played very little golf in the UK. Um, I played, I very luckily got to play Royal Siglytham last year or two years ago, which um was amazing. Um so, but I’ve played very little golf in the UK, which is on my list of things one day to do. Um, so do you know, list as I say, lists are very subjective. And I think with Ireland, unfortunately, I mean, there’s no reason why the K-Club should be off the any list, you know. The the North Parma North course, my husband’s a scratch golfer, and he says is one of the best golf courses in in Ireland. Now, the only reason I would think if there was a reason why, is because there’s so many fantastic links courses in Ireland, and Ireland is known for links. Yeah, and you know, it’s hard to take off a good links course to add a Parkland course. So maybe that’s one of the reasons why it wasn’t there. I mean, but even still, it should be there, it’s definitely better than some Lynx courses, you know.

Nish: 20:38

Do you know? Um I’m gonna chirp in with this list thing now because it’s it’s as we’re doing this, it’s starting to really kind of wind me up a little bit because the I just recently played a uh a course just last week, it was Conway. Um fantastic golf course, you know, um, all that kind of thing, and it’s got everything around it that would be a top 100 course normally, and it’s nowhere near, you know, that kind of thing. But then also, you know, think there are have to be a hundred golf courses, don’t they? You know, they when we’ve got whatever in the UK and Ireland, there’s probably like 6,000 golf courses, something something crazy like that. So there has to be a uh a top 100. But I do find this lynx bias quite irritating, if I’m perfectly honest with you. And I’ll I’ll say that I I I’d never really played much Lynx golf before we started doing this. I have an appreciation for it, absolutely, and I get it, it’s the the it’s probably seen as the most purest form of the game and all that kind of thing. But and I think this is where you said, Sharon, it’s subjective, isn’t it? A list, right? So for me, uh trees, hearing birds, seeing a bit of water, not sea, but like you know, like a lake or something that’s more tranquil, uh, you know, narrow fairways, that kind of thing, that suits my eyes so much. I’m not saying I keep it straight. But it suits my eye and I find that a more peaceful experience. Now I like I like the beach, I’m a beach person, all that kind of thing, but um it’s not for me being on the coast is not necessarily synonymous with playing golf. It’s for me, it’s being in a Parkland setting. Actually, to be fair, I’ve really liked the hit the Heathland courses we’ve played in Surrey. They’ve been amazing because I think they’ve got a really good blend of that. Um, but I find this Lynx bias really irritating. I don’t know why. It’s starting to get to me more and more and more as we’re going on now.

Sharon Smurfit: 22:30

Well, I mean, Lynx Golf is phenomenal. I mean, Lynx Golf is true golf. I mean, you know, at the end of the day, not taking anything away. I mean, you know, I think the thing is the reason why, you know, Ireland and the and the re you know, all these links courses gets mentioned is because we get we get so many visitors from the United States, from North America, and now Asia and Canada and everywhere, um, to come to Ireland and Scotland, um, you know, which is synonymous obviously as well with golf, uh Lynx golf, to play unique type of golf, you know, which is where the likes of Rory learned their golf, you know, and even like Shane didn’t learn his golf, he was in Tillamore, you know. Um so a lot of people would learn, you know, a lot of young kids nowadays coming up would be out playing in on Lynx courses because they say if you can play a Lynx course, you can play any course. So um the lists are very, you know, I don’t believe there should be lists, you know. I I believe every per every club has their own amazing stuff. Every member believes their club is the best club, and they and rightly so, you know. And you know, I love I love the I’m very lucky to be a member of two clubs. I love like you know, I like playing both of them. Um I know people who are members of Lynx courses absolutely just cannot get there fast enough and don’t like playing that many parkland courses. So it’s I don’t I don’t play a huge amount of Lynx myself because it’s hard enough to make wonder where my ball’s going to land on a parkland course on a Lynx course, it could literally go anywhere. Um so um yeah, look, it’s it is subjective, but it links is it is an amazing experience, and I think that’s what brings people to Ireland to play golf. Now, with the K Club, I think that they are they’re very lucky. They’re only 40 minutes from Dublin, they can um they capture that sort of American groups or your you know travelers coming into Dublin Airport, maybe heading off to the north or the west, and it might like a stop over on the night before or the night on the way back. Um, so they do get that. Um, you know, they’re lucky enough to get that sort of visitor that comes to visit them and and they’re busy, you know, it’s a busy course.

Nish: 24:58

I suppose this this helped as well, didn’t it? You know, it’s um as soon as you’ve done that, it’s uh put very much you’re on the map, aren’t you?

Sharon Smurfit: 25:06

Yeah, but I think Rory is probably, you know, it’s funny. I think Rory’s win last year and you know, and before, just you know, even when you go down there, you know, there’s there’s the memorabilia of the Ryder Cup, there’s memorabilia of Rory everywhere. And you know, I just think it is that sort of place you can sit and have your photograph taken, you know, outside the the Ryder Cup sign. Um yeah, it’s just it’s like it’s like one of those when you go to St. Andrews, you know, you’re just gonna have to go and stand outside the old clubhouse or stand on the first tee, even if you never get to play it, you know what I mean? It’s just iconic, you just have to do it.

Nish: 25:45

That’s that’s me all over, Sharon. That’s me. Uh I’m uh I’ll I’ll actually I don’t even need to play golf. I can I can spend the five hours just taking pictures of everything.

Sharon Smurfit: 25:54

By the way, the K C Club are not paying me to say this. But I will be in touch. Yeah.

Chris: 26:04

So were you were you there in 2016, Sharon, on that kind of final day when Rory when Rory won?

Sharon Smurfit: 26:10

Were you oh I was, yes, and I miraculously was coming from the 18th um coming out and I slipped. I went flying in front of all of the people. Thankfully it wasn’t seen on camera, but I ended up with a um, yeah, I was there, yeah. But you know, when you’re working, yeah, um, I actually got I actually got married that year, so um it was funny. I lost a stone and a half in that week was the best week I had because just about I got married on the the the um uh the when the the Irish Open was in May and I got married at the beginning of June. So I got about four about three weeks later. Um so it was quite interesting. I was like, oh my god. Yeah, but it was great. I lost a stone and a half running around. So I think when you’re working at an event, it’s very different. You don’t really, I didn’t get to see any golf. Right, we can put it that way. So that was the a bit of a downer, but then it’s constantly out there to see.

Chris: 27:07

Well, I guess you wouldn’t.

Sharon Smurfit: 27:09

You mentioned your favorite shot was the 18th, you know, the iconic, but actually the the shot of the year that for me was on the 16th at the time when he hit that most unbelievable shot. And you guys need to come over. There’s a plaque on the ground, and every time my ball lands there for my second shot, um I I look up and I go, How is it physically possible to hit that green? Yeah, on an island green from where he was.

Chris: 27:38

So that’s the one the little river just running in front of it, isn’t it? The little back and forth.

Sharon Smurfit: 27:42

The river and it goes across. But actually, when Tiger Woods played there on a uh for the Ryder Cup in his practice round, he was actually further over on the left near the trees. Those trees are now all gone, but they were further over on the left. So and he hit the same shot a little bit further back and like whatever onto the green. And we were just standing there going, Oh my god, like how is it physically possible to hit this ball that far, you know?

Chris: 28:11

Anyway, um, so I think we talked a little bit about some kind of some of the bigger clubs and some of the some of the smaller clubs that you kind of champion. So it’d be good to kind of have a little chat about um your foray into the kind of talk island golf and what you do, what you do there and and who you’re champion how who you’re championing and why.

Sharon Smurfit: 28:30

Excuse me. Um yeah, so as I say, when I took over the newspaper, we rebranded it to Talk Golf Ireland. I felt that you know there needed to be more telling people stories, people real golfers, people who are actually in playing golf in their golf club, their local golf club, and um the achievements. While we have obviously all of our governing bodies who are talking about our elite golfers, and we have professional golfers, and there’s plenty of people talking about our professional golfers, we sometimes get forgotten about you know that the actual golfer who is paying the membership to keep these clubs alive. And um, so I guess that you know what? People we used to print the results in the newspapers here of people, and everybody would look every week to see did they know anybody that won a prize. And whilst we can’t really do that anymore with GDPR and everything else like that, we can certainly, you know, clubs now send us their accolades of their members, their whole in ones, if a member has won a volunteer award, or um, you know, some maybe some new changes, or if they’ve got a job they’d like to advertise. Um so, you know, then they have obviously memberships come, you know, certain times of the year they would advertise their memberships, they would talk about their open days, um, but just you know, generally getting that information out about the club and letting people know so that maybe one day you’re driving through this area and you go, God, I remember, you know, Mullingar Golf Club. I’m gonna go pop in and say hello, or go away, or you know, so wherever it might be. And uh, so that’s where it stemmed from. We’ve done, we decided we do some printed issues, which has gone down so well. Unfortunately, print is very expensive, as we know. So um, so we did two print issues last year that were our first two, and now we and we’ve also done digital, and now we do a by-month, twice a month um digital edition issue as well. So um yeah, so it’s just collating all that information about people picking it up myself on social media. Um, I try and sit there. I sort of tend to work from six in the evening to like 10 o’clock at night. I find that much more productive. I like to worry about my day during the day if I’m meeting people or having a uh a meeting or something like this. Um then at least I can focus on you know grabbing all that information and uh putting it into the into the digital stuff, and then we will go have our first print edition at the end of March, hopefully.

Chris: 31:16

So, like we were saying earlier, the the community around golf I think is is probably um the thing that we’ve enjoyed most out of this this experience that we’ve had so far in the top 100. And I think it’s really great that there’s somebody out there kind of championing that community and kind of getting those stories across because it’s you know it’s it’s it’s more important than the kind of golf and the courses itself, isn’t it? Is that is the people and the communities around that. So I think it’s a really a really great thing to be doing and a really you know, I’ve had a read through some of your uh your editions, and it’s really it’s really great stuff with really kind of grassroots and and everyone’s kind of involved from you know all aspects of Irish golf. So it is um yeah, it’s a really brilliant read. So I will uh I’ll be reading that regularly from now on.

Sharon Smurfit: 31:51

Thank you, thank you. Well I just let you know on um on just on on the talk golf that um so I’ve set up a Instagram page. We have we have other Instagram pages as well with Talk Golf UK, talk golf Spain, Portugal, um UK, obviously, and international, um, i.e. rest of the world. So um with the Talk Golf UK one, which is might be of interest to your read your followers, um, so we’re now just basically reposting anything that golf clubs in the UK that we come across are some are now beginning to tag us as well to repost. And whilst it’s a very small following at the moment, where you we will continue to grow and grow and grow, and we do have a talk off UK page on our website. Um, I suppose when we started Talk Off Ireland, we weren’t really expecting to think about going UK based, but with so many inquiries now from Scotland and you know from Spain and Portugal, we said, well, we can’t leave out the UK. So um whilst we have all the Northern Irish golf clubs under the Ireland of Ireland, we have Scotland and Wales under the UK umbrella. So it’s uh it’s subjective and political, so we have to be careful. So um we just we basically, yeah. So now we’re, you know, the more clubs that follow that, uh club professionals were promoting everything is for free, by the way. There’s nothing, there’s no charges for anybody to get reposted or whatever. Um, so um yeah, so it’s just to let people know that that page is now out there, and there is a section on our website. So we get a lot of press releases from the UK, you know, agencies and stuff like that about um different clubs and stuff. So we but put those up onto our website as well.

Nish: 33:40

So we will ensure that we we pop links on our descriptions as well, Sharon, and and we will we will share that on social media because it’s it’s it’s really it is helpful for everybody, that isn’t it? And that community feel has to has to sort of come through.

Sharon Smurfit: 33:53

Um I also think it’s very sorry, give me a couple of things. No, no, I think it’s very important that other clubs see what other clubs are doing, you know, because you might get an idea, you know, years ago it used to be I can’t tell then because they’re like you know, 500 miles down the road, you know, because they might copy me. But now I think people are like, actually, that’s a great idea. That lotto is a great idea, that’s a great fundraising thing for our club. You know, maybe we should look at doing that, you know. So I I think you get other ideas from other clubs if if you sort of you know go on and look at look at looking like that.

Nish: 34:26

Yeah, and I think um it that’s just benefiting everybody, right? It benefits the clubs and it’s benefiting the members of those clubs, so it’s not like there’s this big gate kept secret somewhere of of what’s oh but there is that’s uh human nature, isn’t it? I suppose. Um Sharon, I have a I have a quick question for you. I’m I’m gonna probably go back. It’s probably really it is related to to what you’re doing. Now, are we we connected on TikTok initially, and um I messaged you on TikTok because you have just been over at the PGA show in America. I are so and obviously you were representing golfing Ireland. So, how how how was that experience?

Sharon Smurfit: 35:05

You know, you know, it it’s a fantastic networking time, you know. But the Irish stick together as they always do, you know, the way it goes. Um the PGA show is an interesting show. Basically, all the American PGA professionals come to it and they come and see all the new brands or sorry, all brands that are showcasing their new products or any new brands that are out there, they have a whole section on new brands and all the rest. I’ve been asked by a couple of people should they attend it as an exhibitor? Well, you know, if you can afford it, but you you know, it’s huge. Um it’s a huge hall. You have to be very, you know, showcasing yourself um as a if you’re going on your own as an individual. Ireland and Scotland had huge stands. So it was obviously, you know, with big signage on the roof, so you can see them from not a lot of countries do do the show. I mean, they do have a section like I think South Africa might have been there. You know, it’s not one of the biggest shows for you know, a like a club to go to. And sorry, when I say not the biggest show, obviously it’s a great way if you’re looking for American audiences to come to your, you know, but it’s to get those professionals and those people to make appointments. That’s you that’s where the work takes prior to the event, you know, if you’re on the stand. I mean, I would have done it as it from the K Club. So, and you might find the lead in time would could be two years away before you’d actually see that relationship, you know, coming on board and giving you a call, going, Oh, by the way, I met you at the PGA show two years ago. So it’s it’s a great one for tour operators to go over and showcase because they can obviously have access to a lot of the golf courses here in Ireland, you know. Um, so yeah, I mean, Fulture Ireland Tourism Ireland, they do an amazing job of getting clubs, you know. I think there were 20, 37 clubs this year on it, between tour operators and golf clubs who are featured on the stand, and they do huge promotional work to get people to come to Ireland to play golf, you know. And it’s not just golf. I mean, obviously, there’s all the ancillary stuff that goes with it. You know, you’ve got the the non-golfers in the tours, you’ve got so much to see and so much Guinness to drink, you know.

Nish: 37:30

So it’s like yeah, I suppose you know you’ve got hotels. I can definitely drink the Guinness. Yeah, yeah. Chris likes a pint of Guinness.

Sharon Smurfit: 37:38

Have you had a good pint of Guinness though?

Chris: 37:42

Yeah, there was experience of uh being over with my Irish family going going to the toilet for a quick week, coming back, and there’s there’s three more pints of Guinness lined up on the on the table. I’m like, I’m not sure I can quite keep up with that pace.

Sharon Smurfit: 37:55

Yeah, that’s it, that’s what happens. It’s worth it though.

Chris: 37:59

Um but yeah, like so you’ve had experience, Sharon, of kind of working at the K Club, one of the biggest clubs in Ireland, and then you’re kind of now working at a bit, you know, with a lot more kind of grassroots golf clubs. Um and just kind of talking about that, you know, that kind of tourism that’s coming in. Did does that filter down to the smaller clubs? Is there you know kind of a a job to be done to kind of promote those smaller clubs and get people going and playing those? Like, you know, we’re we’re gonna be coming over and playing the top 100 courses, but there’s probably you know another another hundred or so courses around Ireland that we that we could go and play that we that we possibly won’t.

Nish: 38:32

Well there’s there’s quite an unknown one um that that’s not on our list, Chris. It’s called the K Club.

Sharon Smurfit: 38:36

We might need to go and add that one to I think after this they should invite you to play the K Club. Um well, unfortunately, the answer is no, it doesn’t filter down, but again, to be fair to Tourism Ireland and Fulch Ireland, they have come up with different packages like the Wild Atlantic Way, the hidden hidden you know, gems, and there’s loads of different um um you know loads of different sort of programs that they would advertise abroad to people to come. Um, I mean, there is obviously a market there’s too, you know, not all everybody can afford to play these big courses that are obviously in the top, even top 20 in Ireland, and even probably the K Club is you know out of some people’s reach now. A lot of them like the K Club would have an open like an open days in the winter time, which would be a lot less um, you know, a little bit more affordable. Um the um the other courses that that is the unfortunate thing. So that’s one of my thing missions this year is to try and you know elevate these courses. Not a lot of them, as I’m saying, a lot of them are member clubs, you know what I mean? So they they wouldn’t be owned by a particular person. So therefore, they’re very happy in their way that they are. They, you know, whilst they might like to have an extra two or three hundred green fees outside a year, they do heavily rely on their local open days within Ireland. So, you know, I would travel to an open day in Ireland because I’m in Ireland, you know, you’re not necessarily going to go to one in the UK or the UK are going to come over to an open day in Ireland. Excuse me. Um so yeah, I mean, obviously it’s show it’s trying to get the word out. I think one of the things that I try to do with Talk Golf Ireland is we have a sort of program that we invite clubs to join us for a year program. It’s very, you know, it’s very small amount of money. And we try and keep their visibility out there, you know, so it’s constantly out there. Because when it comes to new members looking for new members or looking to have people to come to your open days, or even people just locally to use your restaurant, which you know, that’s one of the, you know, don’t they don’t have to be the member of the club to go in. I think that’s a big sort of feeling that people can’t walk into a golf club and have lunch there and some some of the best meals that you’ll get in your local area are from your golf club, you know. Um, so it’s about keeping the visibility out there for through Talk Golf Ireland and making sure that all these clubs we have 380 plus, maybe 385 club golf courses in the whole of Ireland. So we don’t have a you know, it’s not a lot. We unfortunately lost a few this year, uh, but we’re gaining a few as well. We’re you know, we’ve we’ve we’re gonna have a few new courses this year as well. So um, yeah, look, you just we have to just keep them visible and we have to make sure that people know about them. And um, I I do believe though that if you undersell yourself as a golf club, I see sometimes people offering green fees for 20 euro three 20 euros, and I’m going, please don’t do that because Americans will not pay 20 euros to play a golf course because they’ll just think it it’s it’s no good. Or a visitor will say, Well, it obviously can’t be a great golf course if it’s only 20 euros, you know, have a local rate for your local members and your you know, your golf Ireland members or whatever, or even your British, you know, Golf Ireland, England, whatever you but have a have a have an actual advertised rate, you know. So it’s it’s about it’s a rate that you might just pick up 10, 12 golfers with a on a higher rate than 50 golfers at the lower rate, you know.

Nish: 42:41

So um it again, sort of in our in our journey. Uh I’ll give you a bit of history on how we went. Chris says to me, let’s play the top 100 course of the UK and Ireland. I’m thinking, yeah, go on, then whatever, it’s not, it can’t be that much. You know, I’m used to paying 30, 40 pounds for a green fee.

Chris: 42:58

This is this was sort of like four or five bottles of wine at this point, Sharon Ash.

Nish: 43:01

Yeah, yeah. I mean, yeah, so I I’ve I’ve agreed to this, by the way, and I’m a I’m a I’m pot committed at this point. You know, next day I’m like, we’re gonna do it a podcast or this kind of thing. And then I start looking at the actual websites and I think, oh good god, what have I let myself in for? You know, this is uh this is a s luckily my wife was in on that conversation when I agreed to do it, so she can’t say that you know that she wasn’t there when it actually happened, and I just made all this up. So it was like the the green fee thing has been another thing that has really started becoming more and more apparent, you know. The the the inflation. I mean, some of them are going up 20-30 pounds again this year, uh, for 2026. Um, I imagine they’re gonna go up again for 2027, and you kind of go like what’s the limit? There has to be every bubble bursts, doesn’t it? What’s the limit? ‘Cause they’re getting a bit crazy now, these numbers.

Sharon Smurfit: 43:57

Well, they’re filling though. You see, that’s the difference. Um, you know, they I suppose those prices are targeted at people coming into the country, into the UK and Ireland and Scotland, and they know they can get that, you know. Whilst I do think clubs, and and and a lot of clubs, by the way, do in Ireland do offer a Gulf Ireland rate. You know, I’m not saying that doesn’t apply to people coming from the UK. So people should ask, you know, is there a rate? The problem the the it’s not the problem of pricing it, the problem is availability. You know, these big courses, these, you know, the top 20 or top 30 in Ireland have very little availability. And, you know, like Royal County Dan and um Royal Putt Rush, you know, their tea times are coming out today, actually came out at nine o’clock this morning. So for 2027, and um like I can’t even imagine what those phones are like. Yeah, uh you know, you have to be either outside the shop standing there from 6 a.m. in the morning, or you’re literally sitting with four phones going, you know, redial, redial, redial, redial. And you need to know you’re gonna, you know, I’m only talking about those clubs at the moment, like those ones you have to prepay. There’s no discounted rates for tour operators, as far as I’m aware, but that’s not I’m not a tour operator, so I’m sure maybe each one has their own relationships. Um, so yeah, look, they’re getting it, and you know, the people who are benefiting, the course is benefiting from it, the members are benefiting, Royal County Down are doing up their clubhouse at the moment. Um it is it is not saying unfair on the average golfer. Um, I do think there should be some sort of accessibility, you know, even if it’s just four lines a year, a draw or something, you know, at it at it, and I that would be a nice idea, but you know, the chief the financial officers of each board is probably saying no, no, why would we do that if we can get it?

Nish: 46:07

You know, absolutely we can get that green fee. It was interesting. I was having a chat with another another chap who’s doing playing the top 100, and he was sort of saying, you know, I just wish we had some kind of like we’re not American rate, you know. You ring up and you just go, Oh, okay, you got um, you know, you’ve you’ve you’re from England, right? Fine. Well, we’ll uh this is your rate, it’s not advertised, but that’s your rate for doing it. Um, I I have one slight then follow-up. I know you’re you’re obviously championing the clubs that aren’t in those lists. I mean, that’s self-fueling as a you know, business development, it just keeps going. But what do you think now that social media is so prevalent and everybody’s on Instagram and everyone’s seeing all these things, do you think there is an opportunity now for some of the hidden gem clubs to come to the fore a little bit more because more people can go there, play it, post it, you can see the quality of the course, which might be one of these like I played uh an amazing course for 20 euros, and I can’t believe that’s what the green fee was, but it’s as good as one of the top 100 courses, you know.

Sharon Smurfit: 47:12

Yeah, I mean, look, you know, we all of even the big courses all have members, you know. So we showcase all anything the members doing, whether they’re from Royal County Down or Port Rush or you know, um you know, Trilee or Lahinch or any of these fantastic courses. Um so I mean some of them don’t have members like um that would, but a lot of them don’t really post, you know, the bigger clubs don’t really post. I think the social media is big is you know, I’ve certainly seen a huge increase in the in-clubs themselves getting involved in social media. And whilst it’s all lovely just to post a video of this hole and that hole, I think the experience of being on the golf course by somebody that is relatable to that person definitely can help. Um, but it’s coming up with new ideas and new ways of um trying to showcase those clubs in in, you know, and I have a plan, but I cannot reveal it yet.

Chris: 48:20

Interestingly, sorry, Sharon. Um so I think here it feels like there is a definite uh trend, uh, you know, changing the type of people that are playing golf here in the in the in the UK. Is that is that kind of happening in, you know, it seems to be kind of a a younger, more kind of dynamic, uh dynamic set of people that are playing golf here, and it’s kind of you know, people wearing sort of different clothes and it’s a bit more casual. Is that is that trend happening in Ireland as well? Is that the same kind of the same kind of changes happening?

Sharon Smurfit: 48:47

I think we have much more stricter policies in golf clubs for what people can wear on the golf course. You know, I mean there is a lot of them still, you know, a lot of clubs in Ireland are and and right personally believe rightly so, sh you know, should keep to certain traditions of you know, like no cargo pants and no what you know, whatever the the the you know the dress codes are. And um so I believe in traditional golf. I think you know, our when we look at St. Andrew’s, the uh, you know, the home of golf, you know, we have to be respectful of the game and you know, to to turn up in ridiculously small amount of clothing, or to turn up in um, I don’t know what they’re wearing in the UK in in golf courses, but um I I haven’t seen much online, but I just feel that you know, let’s have just a little bit of it’s it’s a game of respect, it’s a game of honor, it’s a game of trust, um, and you know, and we have to hold that tradition. In Ireland, I think our membership is a little bit older. We do, whilst we do have a lot of young people coming through, they tend to sort of dip in and dip out, you know, like we we start very well as junior kids, girls and boys, and then they become students in the club, and then obviously they disappear. They’ve gone to college abroad or in Ireland, even if they’re in Ireland, or they now some that take it on seriously as a career might go to the US, you know, from there um or to schools around Europe. And then it’s just not really affordable after that. Some clubs are affordable depending on where they live, but some clubs are not affordable, and you know, and then they you they have families and then they have you know obligations. And whilst you niche say your wife is listening to you saying that, there are a lot of women and men that say, hang on a second, we’re we’re trying to buy a house here, you know. We we’ve got to uh we’ve got to be a bit realistic here, you know. And uh, and I do laugh at some of the videos online and stuff like that, you know, with coming in.

Nish: 50:55

And there are some good memes about stuff like that, aren’t they?

Sharon Smurfit: 50:58

There are good memes about that. I do laugh, I do laugh. Yeah, it is funny. But it is it it’s you know, I think start at the range, you know, get a few balls, see, you know, yes, I think people should join a golf club. I think it’s really important to support your local club. Um, but um the the met the the age profile is definitely um my category, should I say, not necessarily your category, but my category. Um, and I think that’s where the people are who have spare you know funds to be able to pay for their annual membership and um you know are are sort of retired now. And you know, this, you know, and and golf clubs have evolved from just golf, like you know, one of the clubs I’m in, they’ve got bridge, they’ve got snooker, you know, they’ve got walking clubs, art clubs, you know, you name it. That now we’ve well, sorry, it’s also one majorly a tennis club as well, now got paddle courts. So it’s a it’s a whole place to come, and and and you know, and a lot of clubs I think in the UK are the same, you know. You you go in and you see the man or the lady just sitting there having a cup of tea in her own and she’s happy out, you know.

Nish: 52:07

Yeah, I think you do have to evolve that as according to evolving tastes, I suppose, and evolving schedules. You know, people aren’t on a strict, I’ll go to work at nine, I finish at five anymore. You’re flexible flexible working, you’re a lot of people are sharing parental responsibilities and things like that, and anything that can if you can bring your whole family to the golf club, because then you can play golf and the family can play some sports and do something social, you know. Every again, everyone’s a winner there in that situation.

Sharon Smurfit: 52:41

Yeah, I think the hardest thing for people is to make that initial jump, you know, to the like because I think you you had said to me and we were off off chatting about elitedness, you know. I mean, golf is is very in in people’s mind is very, you know, for the elite or whatever. Um, and you know, golf Ireland have done some amazing programs last year. I don’t know if you saw them, they had people from I not say walks life is the right term, but you know, playing golf and getting into golf and teaching them how to play golf. And so they were trying to make it showable that it’s accessible for everybody. And one of the things I’m also advocating really so I’m also working with the in the way the England, Wales, um, and blind golf and and blind golf and in Ireland, and not just blind but disabilities in golf, um, people, you know, it’s the mental health of these people have been phenomenally improved by getting involved in golf and turning up. But as I said, getting to make that first step, whether you’re an abled person or you know, or or need, you know, assistance, um, it’s there, there are people there in clubs that are so willing to help you make that jump. And there’s a lot of we do a lot of get into golf programs for men and women, and they just go straight away. So they’re meeting like-minded people um, you know, in their club. And you know, we we advertise, you know, as many as we can see that we that are happening in clubs, and you know, they get a six-week program, they’ve never put a club in their hand, and they come up and they’re hitting a ball with like-minded people, and then they offer them a special rate to join. And every member in the club knows that they’re, you know, so they don’t play in competitions for probably a year, but they get into the club and it’s a fantastic way. So, yeah, um, I mean, I’m a huge advocate for people with um, you know, as one of the guys said to me who was partially blind, said it saved his life, like golf saved his life. And uh, you know, if you’re if you if you have a disability, these people are phenomenal to watch them, phenomenal. I mean, I never give out about a shot again. I don’t know what these guys play such good golf.

Nish: 54:56

You’ve got to grow the game, and and the the wider the base, the better it is, really. You know, if you can you can tap into places that you you know, we will again with we’re thankful now’s the best time to be alive, you know. We’re we’re more ever more inclusive than ever, and we’re more aware of of uh people’s challenges than ever, and and yeah, if we can provide that platform for for people to get that mental health benefit from golf, we all know it’s there. Um that’s a that’s that’s a wonderful initiative, yeah. Absolutely amazing.

Chris: 55:26

And I’ve I’ve got two young girls that I’d I’d love to be able to get into golf. It’s not quite happened yet, but so so you were voted, Sharon, one of the top 50 most influential women in Irish sport, I believe. That’s that’s a pretty stunning accolade. Um what what does the state of Irish women’s golf look like at the minute? Is that is that changing? Is that becoming more accessible? Have you got a couple more kind of lady members or yeah?

Sharon Smurfit: 55:50

Um you know, junior golf in Ireland is growing, but much growing, growing at a faster pace for the boys than it is the girls. Again, with Golf Ireland, they do an awful lot of programs um to you know to get girls more involved in golf. I think again the problem is is that when girls arrive, you know, they want to play together, you the young girls anyway. There, and um, and then they as I said earlier, they go into families, they go, you know, so things get lost. Um the state of women’s government Ireland, it’s it is absolutely growing. I mean, we have the KPMG Women’s Irish Open in in the K Club, again, more um, but it’s on the South Course. And you know, that’s that’s and we’ve had the KPMG Irish Open. We like last year was in Carton House, it was voted the best venue um event that for 2025. And you know, watching these professional golfers coming over and playing, and especially when we have the Irish professional golfers, all helps because the crowds at Carton House last year were I was amazed. I didn’t expect to see what I did, and not just not just um girl women, it was a there was an awful lot of men watching them. Like they do say that if you want to actually really learn good golf, you should watch women professional golfers because they swing it slow, they they have a beautiful temperament, um, and you know, so I think there was an awful lot of that going on, people watching, you know, the actual stroke of play. Um, so women’s golf in Ireland, you look, we have a lot of people out there advocating women’s golf um and um and they’re doing a great job. I think it’s it’s gonna take a while to really ever, I don’t think it will ever get to the same level. Um one thing that does drive me a little bit um, you know, sort of critical is that when I see, you know, a conference that has my uh you know one speaker, or in fact, I’ve been come across conferences where there are no female speakers, it’s like women are not more so that in the industry of golf and working in the industry. We have very we have very few women working in golf. Um we’ve you know, actually working as director of golfs, or I could count them on probably one or on on two hands, you know, 10, maybe maximum 10 people in Ireland. And we have amazing people who can speak, and you know, so um so things like that don’t help. I’m not saying that they should be on the stage or they should be speaking, but they you know, things like that don’t help the the advocates of people who try to you know promote women in sport, uh women in golf, should I say, and uh, you know, but whilst we do have Golf Ireland and our sports federation and all the rest are constantly doing programs to encourage women to come, it really has to come from um you know bigger organizations and people like you know who are sponsored, the sponsors have been great and forget all of these new sponsors for the you know, the the Women’s Irish Open is is fantastic. I think they just announced another one yesterday, uh um uh D Res an agency, and um there are other ones as well. So um, you know, it’s showing that these brands are trusting in the event to showcase their product. And I think that’s one of the things that you know, where I would get involved in a in a in a you know, just not not just from this um from the organizer side, but from the sponsor side, they would say to me, Um, you know, look, we’re sponsoring this event, we’re spending a lot of money on this, we on women’s golf, um, but we we’re not getting the traction that we want. So I would come in and I would, you know, try and help them get that traction. And it’s for them, it’s about getting their name out there. Yeah. I don’t think you know, they’re too bothered about the, you know, whilst they’re supporting the women’s golf and they’re supporting the golfers on the thing and they’re providing prize money and it’s amazing and all the rest, and it’s great for the professional golfer. They’re interested in people coming to their website and you know, buying their brand or but, you know, buying into their insurance or their their you know, picking up the phone to use them for to sell a house or you know, whatever it is. So um, so I think sometimes that’s you know, the sponsorship for women’s golf has got better, and now we are using that elevation. Um, like I was chatting to the LET tour there, you know, at the PGA show, and you know, we’re having a chat of how to elevate, keep elevating, and it’s it’s all about visibility, it’s all about getting your name out there and it’s keeping them out there, you know, and for women’s golf, obviously, you know, in this case. Oh, I mean, it’s the same for the men’s tours, obviously, but they have much more money. But prize funds have gone up though, you know, they’ve gone up significantly for the for the golfers, so which is fantastic, and presumably it’ll just keep rising. Do I think we’ll ever be in the same level? Probably not, but that’s okay.

Nish: 1:01:16

No, but I mean what the the the the you are noticing now that um certainly there are more uh personality-driven content is coming out from from any kind of women’s events or anything like that, and I think that’s great because that’s the kind of point of difference you can make that by having people who are engaging, players who are happy to talk to fans and engage with sponsors quite a lot because actually then you’re getting more value and you’re getting better content. And like you were saying, I very much agree by the way, go and watch women play because that’s how you learn how to swing a golf club. Um, but you know, if you if you’re then getting seeing that, and then you go up to a tournament and that player, I mean Lenny Corda, for example, she’s massive on massive on social media. You know, if you’re getting engagement from her and then you go to a men’s event and you’re cordoned off and you can’t get anywhere near them, you can’t, you know, whatever, and it’s kind of like, yeah, oh hang on a minute. What that is a better experience now as a golfer because golf isn’t supposed to be as roped in and things like that. You know, it is just you all play the same sport on the same track.

Sharon Smurfit: 1:02:20

Yeah, and I think you’ve got to remember the the the age of these young girls, you know, they’re all into their social media, they’re all you know, and that’s a very attractive. Like I get asked quite a lot, like, you know, oh, I’ve you know, how can we get sponsorship? And I look at their social media profile and they, you know, some of them have none, you know, and you’re going, like, you’re like, what’s a young person doesn’t have a social media profile these days? You know, and fair enough, you know, if they don’t want to, it’s very hard to put yourself out there. I found it very difficult initially to put your face into the camera. You’re probably you’re doing the same. Do you physically want to be, you know, in in front of the camera? So I think you know, people want to see that journey and they want to know what your, you know, how your golf is, how they’re learning, how they’re, you know, what clubs they’re using, uh, you know, whether it’s male or female professional golfers. And we have some great up-and-coming young boys, um, professional golfers as well, um, that have just, you know, who are pro. And, you know, they they have the boys aren’t as great at social media uh personally as the girls are. So um, yeah, they just, you know, if they want those sponsors and they want those people to take notice, that’s it’s it’s there’s so many other there they’re such role models now for the younger people to play. And I think so many more people want to play professional golf or elite amateur golf because of these people, you know, because of the obviously the Roy’s are even Roy’s gone on to the next generation, you know. We’re we’re moving down into the the next. So I think that the health of the game is good, you know. But I think these guys need to just a little bit more on socials now would be fantastic, you know.

Chris: 1:04:04

So just kind of bringing it back around to to golf in Ireland then, and obviously we’re kind of talking about top 100 here, but have you got any particular areas of Ireland or any particular golf courses that you that you kind of really love to play or be out on?

Sharon Smurfit: 1:04:19

Oh god. I mean, you know, the the the Northwest oh there’s so many. I I mean I would be I would be shooting myself in the foot. Um, you know, there are so many golf courses, really amazing golf courses that are out there. Um, you know, I’m sure you’ve there’s all the ones you’ve heard about. I’ve I’ve been very lucky to have played all of them. Um, you know, you’ve got all the clubs up in the north. There’s a few golf courses in the north I have not played, which I’m definitely going to play, like Ard Glass and Malone and Belfast Golf Club, you know. Um, and then you know, I’ve played Donegal, Rossapenna, Carn, Enniscrone, um, Strand Hill, that whole area is, you know, well, okay, Rossapenna is a bit further up, but um, you know, one of you know, one of my favorite courses, I think, is in Rossapenna’s the old um one of the the two they have three, the sandy hills, the um uh St.

Nish: 1:05:28

Patrick St. Patrick’s.

Sharon Smurfit: 1:05:30

That’s the new one. That’s the new one, isn’t it? That’s a that’s a big course. They don’t allow buggies, right? And it is a big course. Um, I’m not sure it was designed with females in mind. So um, maybe female professional golf, right? Yes. I’m not sure it’s a very uh, you know, for the average golfer, it’s a big course. It’s phenomenal, but it’s a big course. Um, carn is just you know another end of the World. When you came in, like I loved Mullungar, got as I said, Mullungar earlier on. I haven’t played a huge amount of golf courses, um, you know, around in in sort of the center of, you know, in this Ireland. Obviously, you’ve got Adair Manor, clearly is going to be uh my bucket list is to play the other Adair Manor, the the old Adair Manor, which is beside Adair Manor. And so um, yeah, so there’s two golf courses called Adair. Well, it’s a bit confusing, and I think people have pulled up at, you know, thinking I’ve got a tea time for Adair Manor. It’s like Killeen and Killeen Castle, you know, with a few of those.

Speaker 3: 1:06:44

Yeah.

Sharon Smurfit: 1:06:45

Um, you’ve obviously go down into Cork Golf Club designed by McKenzie, fantastic, Monkstown Golf Club, you know, all these little hidden gems, Castle Martyr, uh, you know, and then you come up to like Rosslair and you know, um Arklow Bay, Arklo and Wooden Bridge. I can’t, like there’s just so many.

Nish: 1:07:05

Well, yeah, and and I’m not letting you off the hook now, Sharon. I’m afraid. So I’m gonna ask you, you’re gonna really have to stretch the memory banks now. I’m gonna ask you for your your top three um Irish court golf courses and also your top three unheralded or or hidden gem courses. I know, I’m so sorry. I should have asked you to prep for this, but yeah, I mean to prep for this.

Sharon Smurfit: 1:07:35

You can’t let somebody who’s played I’m trying to get clients not to not to get rid of them all. I’m not answering that.

Nish: 1:07:41

Okay, fine, fine, no problem.

Sharon Smurfit: 1:07:44

No, I I have to say, I think probably, you know, oh god, I’m not gonna I obviously I’m not gonna go with too dark, but I mean you know, one of my absolute favorite courses, and I I don’t know whether it’s just because I cannot make head nor wind of the 11th hole, and I’m determined one day is um is truly, you know. I mean, it’s just oh I just love it. It’s just one of those um yeah, it’s just one of those courses. Yeah, it’s just you know, they have this hole on the 11th, and I just cannot hit it. I just can’t work it out. I just one day um no, it’s a super, it’s a super golf course, and um they you know they’re they’re so welcoming down there, and and I really enjoy play playing with them and uh playing like the course. Um the old head is stunning as well. Um my hidden gem would definitely be. I’m going to say um my hidden gem wooden bridge. Okay is definitely on my list. Cork golf club, the McKenzie designed. Whilst it’s not that uh difficult, of course, the greens are just some of those McKenzie.

Nish: 1:09:09

I mean, we’re we’re members of a McKenzie golf course, and it’s like just there’s something about them, you know, they’re just it’s not long, ours, and and looks quite unassuming, but haven’t got bored of it in all these years.

Sharon Smurfit: 1:09:21

I think he had an evil eye when it came to greens, you know. It just was like, you know, haha, you think you’ve all landed there. No, it didn’t, it’s going to fall about 40 feet below it.

Nish: 1:09:32

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, trying to get out of this. Yeah.

Chris: 1:09:35

Where can more importantly, where are we gonna get our best pint of Guinness on our travels around Ireland?

Sharon Smurfit: 1:09:43

Oh god. I don’t drink it. Well, I’ve got to say Gleason’s in Bootistown because that’s my local. Uh you’ll get the best food and the best uh pint that you’ll ever get, and they have accommodation above, so it’s a great location. Um, I would definitely visit the Guinness storehouse if you’re in the city centre. Um, the Straffin Inn outside the K Club, they say is one of the best points of Guinness as well. Um Cown Shabe, which is um food there is phenomenal, and the pint of Guinness is fantastic, so my husband says. Um and um, yeah, you know, you’d be hard-pressed not to get a good pint of Guinness in a good place in Ireland, to be honest. Yeah, it’s the how they pour it. If they don’t pour it right, then just don’t drink it.

Chris: 1:10:40

Yeah, brilliant. Super excited to come and uh to come and visit you guys at some point either this year or next year and uh and play some of these courses.

Sharon Smurfit: 1:10:48

Yeah, well, look, you know, I’m very lucky to have been a club manager. I’m very lucky to know a lot of club managers. Um obviously, um, you know, if there’s any help I can do for you to try and get you into these courses, um, no problem. We will certainly do um, you know, we’ll do our best and uh hopefully you won’t have to pay astronomical fees. But um, I mean, as I said before, it’s the availability.

Nish: 1:11:16

So uh well, it’s it’s your availability as well, Sharon. So I don’t think we can come over without playing with you. So, you know, gotta coordinate diaries.

Sharon Smurfit: 1:11:24

You didn’t tell me what your handicaps were there, lads.

Nish: 1:11:27

Uh I mean my handicap is just golf. Um I’m not very good, but it’s it’s not about that for me. It’s just let’s take in the scenery and and you know, look at some iconic t-shots and just wonder at at what’s laid out in front of us.

Chris: 1:11:41

Yeah, I was I was quite a good junior, but I then didn’t play for like 20 years. So I’m I’m very much an average golfer these days.

Sharon Smurfit: 1:11:48

And you see a good thing. But Chris is terrible now, actually.

Nish: 1:11:51

Just throw it out there.

Sharon Smurfit: 1:11:55

Well, once you know you’re doing a great job, and like you know, having having any anybody out there promoting golf is you know is great. Um, I think one of the um, and I I have to mention one of my one of my clients, Limerick Golf Club, you know, just outside of Dare Manor, um, and water golf course, and you know, for the for anybody coming into that area, it’s an absolute must play. Um, but look, you know, basically anybody can get in touch with me directly. My through my website, there’s a contact form. Um we’re here to help. I’ve got people that I work with, tour operators, people that can we can get tea times for, um, we can book any trips for people within Ireland as well. And um, and we’re here to promote, you know, the courses across across the country. So um yeah, we’ll just keep doing what we’re doing. And uh hopefully um, you know, people will come on board and follow and subscribe. Please subscribe. And we send out now. Well, I’ve just done put up there for a new subs for any new subs, well, not new subscribers, for all the subscribers. So we have about six and a half thousand subscribers now. We talk golf. And um I we’ve just put up a four-ball at the Ryder Cup course on the Palmer North course. First, and it’ll only go to the the um the the competition link will only be going to subscribers. So we’re gonna give it about two weeks before we put up the competition link. So uh yeah, so get subscribing. You never know, lads.

Chris: 1:13:32

Where’s that link?

Sharon Smurfit: 1:13:34

Where’s that link? On my Instagram.

Chris: 1:13:37

We’ll uh post that as well on uh on our socials.

Nish: 1:13:40

I’m sure you’ll agree that was a wonderful chat with Sharon. She is a colourful character, she’s full of life, full of enthusiasm for golf in Ireland and women’s golf as well. And we had the most amazing time chatting with her. We’re hoping to get over to Ireland to play golf and play with Sharon because I think we’re gonna have to uh experience her personality and her character in in person. It’s gonna be amazing. So we hope you enjoyed that episode about golf in Ireland. And I just want to remind everybody that today’s episode was dedicated to uh Bernard Johnston, who is Chris’s uncle, who is not feeling very well. Bernard, we all wish you a speedy recovery, and uh we hope you get a chance to listen to this and enjoy the content. Until next time, on the Top 100 in 10 Golf Podcast.