Sales & Golf Operations Manager at Westport Golf Club. Golf columnist with the Connaught Telegraph, Tik Tok, Twitter & BlueSky contributor.
Ronnie Delaney is 68 not out. Slipping quietly from November into December is always a special time of year, especially in regard to Irish sporting history. This year is the 68th anniversary of Ronnie Delaney’s gold medal performance at the Melbourne Olympics and in truth is the only reason I would consider visiting Australia. No matter what Irish sporting achievement occurs in the future – in 2125 his victory will still be comfortable in the top 3. The stature of a sporting performance is in its uniqueness and Ireland’s first gold medal in the modern era establishes this Olympic goal as one of the greatest we will ever witness. The professional golf season has evolved into a wrap-around season and already there are stories popping up on social media about not only next year’s event in New York but also when the circus will arrive at Adare Manor in 2027. Similar to the touring “Lions” in rugby union the marketing people have realised that the appetite amongst a certain element of the golfing public is willing to engage with this three-day golf extravaganza at whatever cost is requested. The bigger picture for professional golf at the highest level is somewhat different as interest levels on a weekly basis (outside the Majors) seems to be struggling with no apparent solution in sight. Maybe not this year but the next 5 years will make or break the professional back with unimaginable consequences for the world game. The BBC Sports Personality of the Year will be on our television screens in a week or so and similar to the Toy Show, this Christmas tradition is a staple for those of us who like a little bit of comfort viewing on a Sunday night. It’s particularly enjoyable to see what Irish sportsperson is mentioned and also where the overall title goes. Golf has always been viewed as a poor relation unusually in the UK, with the likes of Nick Faldo and Justin Rose springing to mind as recent golfers who received honourable mentions over the years. In general, golf is only mentioned in the team of the year, lifetime achievement award, or appearing in the memorial segment at the end of the show. No singular theme in this week's column but it would be remiss of me not to mention politics following the General Election. Many golf clubs would be indebted to the government parties recently for the distribution of Capital Expenditure grants which in most cases are a lifeline enabling clubs to change and upgrade a number of machinery items they will have at their disposal. On a slightly more interesting level for me having an interest in the Mayo and Waterford constituencies, it was interesting to see Dara Calleary in Mayo and John Cummins in Waterford both elected into the 34th Dail. If you know you know!
