Royal County Down isn’t a museum piece. The famous links, consistently ranked amongst the world’s best, is always evolving.
“The golf course is alive. The sand keeps moving. The bunkers change shape,” said Head Golf Professional Kevin Whitson.
Competitors at this year’s Amgen Irish Open (September 12-15) will find a course that is subtly but significantly different from the one that last hosted the Irish Open in 2015.
For a start, the type of grass used on the greens has been changed from fescue to bent which should mean the greens are running smoother and quicker come tournament time.
“Having the tournament at the end of the summer is better for any course in this part of the world,” added Whitson.
“I would love to see the green speeds up for the tournament. There’s lots of run-offs around the greens and certainly for me, one of the attractions is watching which of the players have the skills to get up and down.”
A new seventh tee has been built, a lot of buckthorn has been cleared from the dunes and players will also note that the green can now be viewed from the middle of the second fairway,” added Whitson.
“It won’t ever be about wholesale change here. Any work we do must retain the essential playing characteristics of Royal County Down.”
Spectator numbers for this edition of the tournament are being capped by the DP World Tour at around 16,000 a day.
Back in 2015, the daily figures during tournament week were approximately 20,000 a day. It should make for a more enjoyable viewing experience around a course that can be tricky to navigate outside the ropes.
“The feeling is that they want people, especially the younger generation, to be able to see when they’re here,” said Kevin Lowry, chairman of the club’s Irish Open committee.
“There are plenty of good vantage points out there but there won’t be as many stands. They’ve walked the course to decide how many it can comfortably hold.”
Those fans who do make it to Newcastle will see Ireland’s leading professionals with Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Seamus Power and Padraig Harrington already committed to the event.
The club would also love to see some other big names, especially some of the US stars who played on the US team that defeated GB&I at Royal County Down in 2007.
Of that side, Rickie Fowler, Billy Horschel, Chris Kirk, Jamie Lovemark and Webb Simpson are still playing on the PGA Tour and are eligible to compete.
Unfortunately, former world number one and two-time major champion, Dustin Johnson, is unlikely to return to RCD given his move to the LIV Golf tour.
General Admission tickets are available for all four tournament days and the Celebrity Pro-Am, taking place on Wednesday September 11.
