Mount Juliet<strong>Golf</strong> Membership€250Junior MembershipIntermediate Membershipfrom€800€475Juvenile MembershipIndividual Membershipfrom€2450<strong>2012</strong> Membership Benefits include;Introduce a friend with full playing rights for only €500Access to the Jack Nicklaus designed championship c<strong>our</strong>sePreferential offers throughout the EstateMany organised events for members throughout the yearContact us for details of <strong>our</strong> membership packagesThomastown, County Kilkenny, IrelandFor details contact Lisa Fitzgerald,Email ltzgerald@<strong>mount</strong><strong>juliet</strong>.ieor phone 056 777 3060 www.<strong>mount</strong><strong>juliet</strong>.ie
EDITOR’S COMMENT...could herald <strong>our</strong>first Masters victory<strong>2012</strong> NEW YEAR / SPRING ISSUE €2.95 incl. VATPadraig HarringtonIreland’sAlso inside...Seniors T<strong>our</strong> beckonsfor Philip WaltonPat Cashman’sPhoto GalleryPING’s stylishnew i20 rangePhoto:MOUNT JULIETMOUNT JULIET & ROYAL PORTRUSH TOP OUR <strong>2012</strong> POLLSFRONT COVER: Mount Juliet, designedby Jack Nicklaus, has been votedIreland’s <strong>top</strong> parkland c<strong>our</strong>se for a thirdconsecutive time by BACKSPIN’s votingpanel.Photo c<strong>our</strong>tesy of Mount Juliet.Walton gears up...A visit to the ChampionsT<strong>our</strong> Q-School in Americalast October serves notice ofPhilip Walton’s intentions ashe gears up for life on theSeniors T<strong>our</strong>.The hero of Europe’s1995 Ryder Cup victory atOak Hill turns 50 in Marchand he looks forward toembracing fresh challengeson both sides of the Atlanticin the years ahead.9 771393 91202703<strong>Golf</strong> C<strong>our</strong>se RankingsI S S N 1 3 9 3 - 9 1 2 2At the start of the 2007 season, with Padraig Harringtonestablished as European No. 1 and riding high in theWorld Rankings, there were high hopes that Irish golfwould celebrate its first major championship victory since 1947, when Fred Daly wascrowned Open champion at Hoylake.Harrington, of c<strong>our</strong>se, duly delivered with a memorable performance in The OpenChampionship at Carnoustie and a golden era for <strong>our</strong> t<strong>our</strong> players was launched.Five years on Irish golf is riding the crest of a wave following an incredible run ofvictories by Harrington, McDowell, McIlroy and Clarke in golf’s showpiece events.It’s mind boggling to think that since 2007 Irish golfers have claimed three of thelast five Open Championships, a USPGA title, back-to-back US Opens and back-to-backmajors last summer.But there’s still a missing link which will provide an intriguing dimension to the firstmajor of the <strong>2012</strong> season....an Irishman has yet to don the Masters Green Jacket.Although Harrington and Clarke will continue to harb<strong>our</strong> hopes of winning atAugusta National in their 40’s, and Graeme McDowell has the tools to win there, RoryMcIlroy probably represents <strong>our</strong> best chance of victory at The Masters in the short term.He was 20th on his Masters debut as a teenager in 2009 and held a commandinglead after 54-holes last year before tumbling to a tie for 15th with a spectacular collapsein the final round.He may have blown the chance to win The Mastersbefore his 21st birthday but the lessons he learned atAugusta that Sunday afternoon last April inspired him tohis first major victory just two months later atCongressional and he’ll return to Augusta this year asred-hot fav<strong>our</strong>ite to capture his second major title.Prepare for fireworks galore if a certain Tiger EldrickWoods shows up with his ‘A’ game gunning for his fifthGreen Jacket. Bring it on!Y<strong>our</strong>s in <strong>Golf</strong>,Philip WaltonDECLAN O’DONOGHUE, Publisher / EditorPublisher / Editor:Declan O’DonoghueGuest Writers:Mark Jones, Ewen Murray, Philip Quinn, Colm SmithPhotography & Art:Reuters-Action Images (London), Alan Bleakley,Pat Cashman, Noel KellyCreation & Design: The <strong>Golf</strong> BusinessTypesetting & Col<strong>our</strong> Repro: Esther BehanPrinters: GPS Col<strong>our</strong> GraphicsDistribution: Easons, Newspread, The <strong>Golf</strong> BusinessAdvertisement Sales: The <strong>Golf</strong> BusinessCover Price: €2.95 (incl VAT)NEXT ISSUE: Masters Review <strong>2012</strong>DISCLAIMER: The copyright of all matter appearing in BACKSPIN is reserved by The <strong>Golf</strong> Business, and no matter may be reproduced or stored in any way without thewritten consent of the editor. The articles which appear in this magazine reflect the opinions of their authors and the Publisher. The <strong>Golf</strong> Business assumes noresponsibility for the contents or accuracy of advertisements appearing in BACKSPIN, nor for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, art or photography.BACKSPIN | 1
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