Klein's K Klub Kabbash for the Ryder Kup

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Brad is getting around these days!

Not only was he on local Los Angeles radio with famed LA-area radio sports talk host, Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton's show on 570am, Brad's latest article on the K Club (Or is it K Klub?) pretty much hits the mark on a golf course that is seemingly everything one can dispise when it comes to Golf in Ireland. On the radio Brad called it, .....airlifting a parkland course into Ireland.

For what it's worth, my suggestion for Brad, when doing radio, is to  lower his voice at least two octaves lower, striving more for that Ted Knight-style voice characterization! What do you think?

The K Club
By Bradley S. Klein
Kildare , Ireland
 
Apparently, all of the classic Irish courses were booked up the week of the Ryder Cup. Or perhaps they just didn't ante up enough money and promote themselves as brazenly as The K Club-Palmer Course, nor have as much parking and spectator areas. In any case, the setting for the first-ever Ryder Cup held on the Emerald Isle is a most un-Irish layout.
 
Midway through my round at the K Club-Palmer Course this spring, my thought was that it was very gracious gesture on the part of the British PGA and European Tour officials to have airlifted The Belfry over. After the round, I realized that the impression was unfair to The Belfry.
 
The K Club, 17 miles southwest of Dublin city center, is a 36-hole, 550-acre five-star resort developed by businessman Michael Smurfit. Its championship course, designed by Arnold Palmer, opened in 1991.
 
At par-72, 7,337 yards long, the course seemingly has it all: tree-lined fairways; beach bunkers; water hazards, most of them man-made ponds, in play on a dozen holes; an artificial waterfall; an island green. It even has real estate 70 feet (as I recall) from a tee. Perhaps they ought to rename it the TPC of County Kildare. The only thing the K Club doesn't have is any sense of identity or place. At 350 Euros ($512) per round for walk-on play, it is, if not the most expensive public access golf in GB & I, probably the most over-priced (though I must admit, I was comped -- and probably for the last time).
 
The course has its virtues, including spacious grounds for 40,000 spectators and more room than any other course in Ireland . It also has some intriguing risk/reward holes. As home to the European Tour's Smurfit Open 1995-2003 and 2005, it's a fixture on the championship circuit. Not that the European team's familiarity with the layout will give that side any home field advantage, though it must be noted, the captain's picks both won at The K Club. Lee Westwood in 1999-2000 and Darren Clarke in 2001. Still, The K Club is prototypical of the modern, lush, inland venues that prevail at tournament circuits on both sides of the Atlantic . After their practice session in late August and a few more sessions in the run-up to the matches, the Americans will feel quite at home.
 
For the Ryder Cup, the K Club-Palmer Course will deploy a routing sequence used the Smurfit European Open since 2000, with play proceeding on what resort guests know as the back nine, as follows: holes 10-17; then 9, 1-8, and 18.
 
Few matches in Ryder Cup play make it to the 18th, but if they do at The K Club the crowd will see some wild play. The par-5, 537-yards long, is easily reachable in two by a bold tee shot that cuts off the inside corner of the dogleg and carries 280 yards (into the prevailing breeze) over deep bunkering. The amphitheatre green, seemingly hanging out over the water on the left, has so much pitch to it that even short putts break off sharply. It's an aggressively designed hole that promises lots of drama.
 
In match play, simply hitting fairways and greens goes a long way & more than trying to force birdies. At the same time, lay-ups off the tees at The K Club will prove overly cautious and self-defeating, since (unlike a British Open links set up), these well-defended, sectioned-off greens require high approach shots to hold. Forget about run up golf or pitching on from the rough. And with two of the par-5s in the last three holes, the advantage to the long bombers will come too late in most matches to make a difference. The winning team will be the one that drives the ball best & far and sure down the middle.

 

[Thomas_Brown]

Palmer was on Golf Central last night describing the K Club from the "architect's" point of view.  Pretty flat interview - just talked about water, risk/reward.

I enjoy Klein's Golfweek Rater's Notebook.
He gave the K Club a 6 rating, but the underlying text was quite a bit more critical.  It has to be heresy for that type of course to be built in Ireland.

[Sally Livingston]

I found his article "Ryder residuals" , a follow up article in Golfweek (pg48) on how the European Ryder Cup is choosing their locations some very interesting research as well.
His closing statement-
"Site selection every fourth year in Europe is thus a way to reward sponsors, showcase golf and allow the ost country to exploit golf for its own development purposes. The irony is that in promoting the host country, whether Ireland this year, Wales in 2010 or Scotland in 2014, the host site is a modern upscale international resort. And nothing like the storied links courses that tend to draw real golfers."  interesting.
I'm heading over Wednesday, can't wait to see the waterfall ...

[Dan Herrmann]

I actually attended the Eurpoean Open a few years ago, and found the K Club to be an immensely disappointing golf course.  Devoid of good architecture and creativity, it lends itself to boring CCFAD type play.  

It's such a shame that money has taken over as the primary driver to course selection in the Ryder Cup.

[John_Conley]

I actually attended the Eurpoean Open a few years ago, and found the K Club to be an immensely disappointing golf course.  Devoid of good architecture and creativity, it lends itself to boring CCFAD type play.  

It's such a shame that money has taken over as the primary driver to course selection in the Ryder Cup.

CC FA Day, with the greens fee set at dues for a month.

[PThomas]

selling the site of one of the game's great events like a prostitute sells her wares

shameful, pitiful, embarrassing

[Bob_Huntley]

Paul T.

I wrote of this some time ago. The British PGA does not have the resources of their US counterparts, so every other year they put on their lipsick and rouge and sell the essence of British golf down the river.


Can you imagine putting a trip together to  Ireland for your regular foursome and including the K Club in the choice of venues?

Brad Klein,

Thank you for having the balls to lose some advertising revenues.

Bob

[Sean_A]

Proper GB&I member clubs such as Portmarnock have made "bids" to host the Ryder Cup in recent years.  None that I know of which are capable of holding the Ryder Cup can afford the going rate.  I am told that £1,000,000 is the opening line.  Additionally, nearly all of these clubs are famous as is and can charge a hefty visitor fee without the help of Ryder Cup publicity.

Ciao

Sean

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Even the Irish Open has largely forsaken links courses (although it did return to Portmarnock in 2003 and 2004).  However,do you remember where it went in 2000?  Ballybunion, and it didn't seem to make any impression on anybody.  I don't remember the golfing press raving about it, or the broadsheets remarking that this was a place to return to.  How does Carton House compare with Fota Island, Druid's Glen, Mount Juliet or, dare I say it, the K Club?

[ForkaB]

Well said, Mark.  The average Irish (or British) golfer would much rather play at the K Club (or in Spain or Florida) than at Balybunnion or Portmarnock.  They tolerate the Open, but for the other 51 weeks of the year they dream of Benidorm and Myrtle Beach...........

[Voytek Wilczak]

Well said, Mark.  The average Irish (or British) golfer would much rather play at the K Club (or in Spain or Florida) than at Balybunnion or Portmarnock.  They tolerate the Open, but for the other 51 weeks of the year they dream of Benidorm and Myrtle Beach...........

That's interesting.

Is this the case of the grass being greener on the other side of the pond? (or browner, ugh, bad pun...).

Are we in the US longing to see the Ryder Cup on true links while the Europeans don't really care because they can have their links every day?

If so, then we can whine all we want - it's their choice of venue this year...

[Bob_Huntley]

Well said, Mark.  The average Irish (or British) golfer would much rather play at the K Club (or in Spain or Florida) than at Balybunnion or Portmarnock.  They tolerate the Open, but for the other 51 weeks of the year they dream of Benidorm and Myrtle Beach...........

Rich,

You are so right.

We don't always know what these furriners prefer.

Back in 1967 I was in correspondence with Denis Jenkinson, the Motoring Correspondent for MOTOR SPORT magazine. He also made a bit of a name for himself by sitting in the passenger seat navigating for Stirling Moss in that years Mille Miglia, which they won in a record time.

I had just bought an exotic Italian car and was also waxing eloquent on the new Porches. His response was that if he had the wherewithal there was only one car he would buy and that would be a car that produced more horsepower and performance for the dollar than any other....a Corvette.

Bob

[John_Cullum]

....if he had the wherewithal there was only one car he would buy and that would be a car that produced more horsepower and performance for the dollar than any other....a Corvette.

Bob

Bob

Isn't that true though. It's one hell of a ride for the money.

[Bob_Huntley]

Well said, Mark.  The average Irish (or British) golfer would much rather play at the K Club (or in Spain or Florida) than at Balybunnion or Portmarnock.  They tolerate the Open, but for the other 51 weeks of the year they dream of Benidorm and Myrtle Beach...........

Rich,

You are so right.

We don't always know what these furriners prefer.

Back in 1967 I was in correspondence with Denis Jenkinson, the Motoring Correspondent for MOTOR SPORT magazine. He also made a bit of a name for himself by sitting in the passenger seat navigating for Stirling Moss in that years Mille Miglia, which they won in a record time.

I had just bought an exotic Italian car and was also waxing eloquent on the new Porches. His response was that if he had the wherewithal there was only one car he would buy and that would be a car that produced more horsepower and performance for the dollar than any other....a Corvette.

Bob

Oops, they won it a dozen or so years earlier.

Bob

[Lou_Duran]

So, what is the moral of this thread?  That the cognesceti are into Lamborghini and links golf while the rest of us aspire to arrive for our annual round at the newest Palmer course in a rented Corvette?

Does the specific site of the Ryder Cup matter that much?  Personally, I would love to see it at Cypress Point or even North Berwick, but the K-Club or Goat Hills (of Dan Jenkins fame) will work just fine.  It is the competition, not the venue that's being showcased.

Too bad that the captains can't set the matches jointly to feature specific players going against each other.  I would really enjoy seeing a singles match beteen Tiger and Paul Casey, both wearing their blood-red Nike shirts.

I am looking forward to seeing whether Woosnam's tree plantings and course set-up has the intended effect on the US team.  

[Bob_Huntley]

So, what is the moral of this thread?  That the cognesceti are into Lamborghini and links golf while the rest of us aspire to arrive for our annual round at the newest Palmer course in a rented Corvette?

Lou,

I always thought you belonged to the former group, not the latter. Are you wearing a hair shirt today?

If you turned on The Open broadcast and it was being beamed from the Belfry, would you be as sanguine about the venue as you are about the K Club?

Just asking.


Bob

[Adam Clayman]

Lou, Run, don't walk with your idea to feature corporate pairings. The TV money will be limitless. Oh Yeah, thats only true if Golf doesn't get ruined first.

Our caddy at DR was Scottish. He also preferred the American style parkland courses. So much so, he's moving to Florida.

[Jay Flemma]

Sounds like Brad was describing Atunyote at Turning Stone Casino...err....renamed in PGA materials as Turning Stone resort.

From now on I'm calling it TPC of Utica.

[Mark Pearce]

Well said, Mark.  The average Irish (or British) golfer would much rather play at the K Club (or in Spain or Florida) than at Balybunnion or Portmarnock.  They tolerate the Open, but for the other 51 weeks of the year they dream of Benidorm and Myrtle Beach...........

Not the average British golfers I play with.  I'll agree there are many British golfers who'd rather visit Iberia than Fife with their clubs but many others have more refined tastes.  Whether they are a majority, I don't know.

To the extent that you are right I wonder if this has changed over the years with the advent of live US Tour events every weekend on Murdochvision?

[tlavin]

I've been to two Ryder Cups (Valderrama and Oakland Hills) and I have to say that it is the worst spectator sport ever.  You can't see anything, because there are so many spectators and hardly any golf being played on the course.  The most fun at a Ryder Cup, though this will sound heretical, is in a corporate hospitality tent.  There, you can see the action, hear a roar and get well fed and well lubricated.  All at the same time.  I won't say that I'll never go again, but it is not that fun on the golf course as a spectator.  So the K Club, if it has enough area for the tents, will do just fine.  The golf course, regrettably, is far down the list at a Ryder Cup.

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Don't forget that we are twenty or thirty years behind the Americans in golf trends.  We are going discover renaissance golf, but not yet.  In Ireland there cannot be much links land left for development, so anyone who wants to build a course has to go inland and there there isn't much heathland - it's nearly all lush grassland.  Think of all those stud farms around the K-Club.  Grass is so easy to grow in Ireland with a whole ocean's worth of rain blown in on the westerlies every single day.  And there's so much EU money swilling about.  The country is so affluent.  But it's new money.  New money rarely has taste.  So it's about ostentation.   Could there be anything more ostentatious to boast about over the Krug and Romanee-Conti than having had the Ryder Cup played over your own golf course?  You won't find the well-bred folk of Alwoodley clamouring to host the event.  They turned it down, in the 1930s, admittedly.

[Lou_Duran]

Adam,

My desire to have the captains match specific players has nothing to do with corporations or money.  At least in singles, I just want to see the best players face each other and not #1 playing the opponent's #12.

Bob Huntley,

I do enjoy the finer things in life.  Give me a chance to play Cypress Point or The Preserve, and I'll go to CPC every time. However, this doesn't cause me to look at everything else with suspicion or contempt.  From what I've read about the K-Club, it should be a very adequate Ryder Cup venue for a variety of reasons (notwithstanding architectural merit, whatever that is).  BTW, I am unaware that it has been shown that competitions on links courses are inherently superior to those held elsewhere.  Naturally, I could be wrong.

BTW2, didn't the Belfry contribute to many heroic shots and dramatic finishes?  For purposes of disclosure, I have not played the Belfry or K-Club, nor is it likely that I ever will due to the great expense and their reputation of not being particular special.

[SL_Solow]

Lou;  I think you miss the point at least in part.  No one is suggesting that the course will prevent the matches from being interesting.  Given the players involved and the nationalistic hype the event could be held on almost any course and there would still be competition and drama galore.  Even Brad noted the existence of several risk/reward holes which will create drama just as similar holes at the Belfry, like the driveable par 4, created drama.  Rather the critique is that the event could have had all that drama while being played on a course that added to the event by displaying time tested classical architecture which is native to the host country and which might require shots outside of those ordinarily required on typical US parkland courses.  Its simply a lost opportunity.  The Ryder Cup was conceived to be an exhibition promoting both competition and good fellowship for the betterment of golf.  Clearly it has morphed into something far more commercial but those who are critical of the choice of venue (and I am one) are merely suggesting that it would be a better event on a different type of course.  But of course we know that the K Club was chosen because of the financial inducements and given the objectives of the European Tour I understand the choice.  I just find it a little sad.

[Paul Payne]

Are the clubs really bidding well over 1,000,000 pounds to host the event? Did I get that right?

What is a clubs motivation to do this? Do they possibly end up with a net gain in the end?

[Lou_Duran]

SL,

I do understand where you are coming from.  I too enjoy variety and new things.  It would be interesting to see Tiger knock down some ropers below the whipping winds.  And from an architectural perspective only, given the choice of playing the K-Club or Royal County Down, well, is it really a choice?

My post was not prompted by Tommy's introductory comments or Brad Klein's analysis.  The former is so inevitably biased , and the latter is paid for his critical evaluations.

In many if not most cases, the venues chosen for important competitions can be second guessed (Hazeltine, Torrey Pines, Medinah, Valhalla immediately come to mind).  Whatever considerations led to this particular choice, I have no reason to believe that the best interests of the sponsors, the hosting team, and their fans were not foremost.  As important as the Ryder Cup might be to the U.S. team and its fans, I doubt that we have anything close to our European friends' emotional investment in the matches.  I don't think the Europeans would do anything that would undermine their mission.  

The selection has nothing to do with prostitution or million pound inducements.  The Ryder Cup has evolved to a spectacle, probably way beyond what the founders intended.  Arguably, the competition objective has been maximized, quite possibly at the expense of good fellowship.  I am not sure that the selection of the K-Club vis-a-vis a more architecturally interesting links course has a negative impact on the betterment of golf.  Perhaps what it really comes down to is that pure golf course architecture has a considerably lower priority among most than it does for us on this site.    

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