bluereek limited » Golf http://www.bluereek.com Business and IT Consulting Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:23:20 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Golf making most of web and social networking http://www.bluereek.com/2009/06/golf-making-most-of-web-and-social-networking/ http://www.bluereek.com/2009/06/golf-making-most-of-web-and-social-networking/#comments Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:52:13 +0000 Barry O'Gorman http://www.bluereek.com/?p=333 I thought 3 made a brilliant job of promoting the Irish Open – using networks including facebook.  However I think the opportunity to play a virtual round at Bethpage for the US open beats this.

This is an example of the web adding significantly to the the user experience ie to the TV golf spectator or the golf newspaper article reader.  Anyone who takes the time to play 18 virtual holes at Bethpage (not having playing the real course) will have a greater understanding of the challenge to be faced by Tiger Woods, Padraig Harrington, etc.

And then there’s the traffic, the advertising potential, etc.

Good luck to all of you who try.  I hope you have more skill at virtual golf than this blogger.

]]> http://www.bluereek.com/2009/06/golf-making-most-of-web-and-social-networking/feed/ 0 The Links at Doonbeg, Co. Clare, Ireland http://www.bluereek.com/2009/05/the-links-at-doonbeg-co-clare-ireland/ http://www.bluereek.com/2009/05/the-links-at-doonbeg-co-clare-ireland/#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 23:07:32 +0000 Barry O'Gorman http://www.bluereek.com/?p=218 doonbegHad the great pleasure of playing the links at Doonbeg on Sunday, as a guest of Niall O’Carroll.  We enjoyed near perfect conditions: bright sunshine, light wind and no more than 10 minutes of rain.  Not a very long track off the white tees: approx. 6,300 yds.   Wonderful driving course – with a number of elevated tee boxes.  Architect (Greg Norman & Co) maximised views of the Atlantic and the  beach.  Course is well bunkered and the greens present many challenges.

Would recommend Doonbeg to those visiting Ireland to experience Links Golf.  Well positioned on the trip between the Kerry Links and Lahinch in North Clare.

Clubhouse, catering and facilities in general are top class.

]]> http://www.bluereek.com/2009/05/the-links-at-doonbeg-co-clare-ireland/feed/ 0 Links golf in Ireland http://www.bluereek.com/2009/04/links-golf-in-ireland/ http://www.bluereek.com/2009/04/links-golf-in-ireland/#comments Tue, 21 Apr 2009 08:46:49 +0000 Barry O'Gorman http://www.bluereek.com/?p=201 Great piece about Links Golf in Ireland in today’s Irish Times by Philip Reid.  Great to see role being played by John O’Connor – my fellow member of St. Anne’s Golf Club - a links on the Bull Island, 4 miles north of the city centre.  Would also like to congratulate John on all the work done on the Portmarnock Links – always a great thrill to play there.

Links golf is a treasure we have in Ireland – to be enjoyed by the lucky members, all the very welcome visitors and future generations.  Great to see people taking the long term view and investing in the future of links golf.

Onward and upward.  Ad astra.

]]> http://www.bluereek.com/2009/04/links-golf-in-ireland/feed/ 0 Spectacular sunday morning on St. Anne’s Links in Dublin http://www.bluereek.com/2009/04/spectacular-sunday-morning-on-st-annes-links-in-dublin/ http://www.bluereek.com/2009/04/spectacular-sunday-morning-on-st-annes-links-in-dublin/#comments Sun, 19 Apr 2009 18:28:57 +0000 Barry O'Gorman http://www.bluereek.com/?p=199 Easing back into the golf.  Beautiful sunny morning on the Bull Island - playing St. Anne’s.  18 holes, great company and an unhealthybreakfast – great way to finish one week and start the next!

]]> http://www.bluereek.com/2009/04/spectacular-sunday-morning-on-st-annes-links-in-dublin/feed/ 0 Essex County, Massachussets http://www.bluereek.com/2008/07/essex-county-massachussets/ http://www.bluereek.com/2008/07/essex-county-massachussets/#comments Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:53:11 +0000 Barry O'Gorman http://www.bluereek.com/?p=53

Had the pleasure of a round of golf at Essex County,MA, in the US (http://www.golfclubatlas.com/essex1.html)  at the weekend.  Essex will play host to the Curtis Cup in 2010.  Beautiful, Donald Ross designed course, with an inland links feel.  Great sense of history and respect for the game of golf.  My host told me the greens were not at their fastest – but you certainly did not want to be above the the pin and putting for a half.

]]> http://www.bluereek.com/2008/07/essex-county-massachussets/feed/ 0 Golf with a rugby legend http://www.bluereek.com/2008/07/golf-with-a-rugby-legend/ http://www.bluereek.com/2008/07/golf-with-a-rugby-legend/#comments Sun, 06 Jul 2008 18:33:08 +0000 Barry O'Gorman http://www.bluereek.com/?p=54

Played Portmarnock (http://www.portmarnockgolfclub.ie/) last week as a guest of Goodbody Stockbrokers (http://www.goodbody.ie/).  It was a charity event and our celebrity team member was Jason Leonard – most capped rubgy forward of all time. Portmarnock itself was in fantastic condition (they had just had their Captain’s Prize the previous weekend).  The challenge at Portmarnock is always fair but tough.  During a round you play in every direction – so you have wind behind, across and in to you.  You have tight links lies, fast links greens with plateaus and run offs and plenty of bunkers and dunes.  As good and fair a test of golf as you will find anywhere.


For anyone who has played team sport Jason Leonard’s insights into his rugby experience – playing for Club, England and The Lions were fascinating.  Made for a great afternoon.

]]> http://www.bluereek.com/2008/07/golf-with-a-rugby-legend/feed/ 0 the perils of stroke play http://www.bluereek.com/2008/06/the-perils-of-stroke-play/ http://www.bluereek.com/2008/06/the-perils-of-stroke-play/#comments Mon, 09 Jun 2008 05:09:05 +0000 Barry O'Gorman http://www.bluereek.com/?p=58 …very enjoyable round on Saturday…perfect conditions…struck the ball well…but lost concentration twice.  That's all it takes in stroke play.  A par 3 become a 6 and a par 5 becomes a 9.  (Almost double figures!).  Spoiled what otherwise might have been a good round…

]]> http://www.bluereek.com/2008/06/the-perils-of-stroke-play/feed/ 0 …left the driver in the bag… http://www.bluereek.com/2008/06/left-the-driver-in-the-bag/ http://www.bluereek.com/2008/06/left-the-driver-in-the-bag/#comments Thu, 05 Jun 2008 02:56:22 +0000 Barry O'Gorman http://www.bluereek.com/?p=59 Played Westport at the weekend – perfect condition post the Irish Close for Ladies.  Been having some difficulties with the driver recently.  I think Jack used to just put it away after a couple of holes if it didn't work.  In links golf we've seen both Peter Thompson and Tiger Woods show how to successed with a three wood from the tee.  Restricted myself to a rescue club from the tee – had a completely different experience – playing approach shots from the middle of fairways instead of under, around and through trees.  The more recent approach of the pros seems to be smash it as far as possible and get home out of any rough with one of four or five wedges.  But for many of us there may be merit in rethinking the 'smash it' strategy…

]]> http://www.bluereek.com/2008/06/left-the-driver-in-the-bag/feed/ 0 Vagaries of matchplay http://www.bluereek.com/2008/06/vagaries-of-matchplay/ http://www.bluereek.com/2008/06/vagaries-of-matchplay/#comments Thu, 05 Jun 2008 02:44:01 +0000 Barry O'Gorman http://www.bluereek.com/?p=60 Played a singles match last week and won!  A change of fortune having been pipped the week before.  Maybe even learned from the previous week – a better start and some more conservative play!  The pros talk about how much they enjoy it (unless knocked out in the first round of World Matchplay etc) – and it definetly offers a different and most enjoyable experience.

]]> http://www.bluereek.com/2008/06/vagaries-of-matchplay/feed/ 0 The Generation Game http://www.bluereek.com/2008/05/the-generation-game/ http://www.bluereek.com/2008/05/the-generation-game/#comments Tue, 20 May 2008 03:53:49 +0000 Barry O'Gorman http://www.bluereek.com/?p=63 Played in a threeball on Sunday – an eighteen year old, a forty five year old and a pensioner.  The handicaps: single, single and teens.  What a great game – where you can have a spread of 50 plus years, play in the same competition and have great fun.  Had the not so fun experience of birdie, double bogey, birdie, double bogey to finish the front nine: a real roller coaster!

Whatever people may argue about the technology there is no doubt in my mind that it is enabling people to play competitively for longer.  In some respects I believe the technology advances are serving to balance things up rather than to cause imbalance.

The format was ‘scratch cup’.  Even playing off the medal tees gives you some idea of the challenge faced by pros every day (off the championship tees) – no shots to make up for the mistakes.  I will have to keep ‘the day job’.

]]> http://www.bluereek.com/2008/05/the-generation-game/feed/ 0