The tour, located in the city of Limerick, is owned by billionaire Jon Patrick McManus and exact investment figures are unknown.
The designs of the Covid determined that one of the most important competitions of the sport will celebrate its centenary all over the top La Ryder Cupcreated in 1917 by a seed dealer named Samuel Ryder that sought to improve commercial ties between clients on both sides of the Atlantic, live his most special chapter in five years and he will do it in the Irish countryside of Adare Manor. His journey, which lived until 2015 in the most discreet of anonymity, today has become the European counterpart to Augusta National. EL MUNDO has been able to exclusively access the field which for many will end up being the best and most exclusive, the one that will have the honor of hosting the centenary of the Ryder Cup in 2027.
It takes just over two hours by car from Dublin to reach Limerick, the harsh Irish autumn has given us a spectacular morning that highlights the strength of the green of Adare Manor even more. were necessary 18 months to work the miracle and a budget that no one in Adare Manor dares to reveal: “The investment that has been made in the property is enormous, but I am not going to give you figures, just by taking a look at everything you can get an idea”, our host Andy McMahon, Adare Manor Director of Golf Operationsdoes not loosen pledge on what was invested during the works that transformed this place in the golf eden.
Behind it all is Jon Patrick McManus. (March 10, 1951), Irish billionaire who has between eyebrows to create in his homeland, Limerick, the golf course of his dreams. He started out as a bookie on greyhound racing, until he moved into the world of horses, a passion that has made him amass a net worth estimated at one billion dollars. JPas he is known, plays daily in Adare when he is not in his mansion of 150 million dollars that was built in Barbados. In fact, our visit coincides with the end of his round of 18 holes, he goes unnoticed as just another client and greets us politely: “You are at home”. McManus purchased the resort in late 2014 and in just 18 months undertook the most ambitious transformation ever to a golf course.
In the footsteps of Augusta National
The original design by Robert Trent Jones was maintained, but the prestigious diseador americano Tom Fazio the update and tuning of the new Adare Manor. The choice of Fazio was not accidental, since it is he who since 1998 supervises Augusta National. The other premise is that it should be the field with the best maintenance. “I think that the comparison with Agusta National is difficult to win, it is one of the best-kept courses in the world, we just want people to come and live the experience and give us their opinions, we are not a course links coastal, which is typical in Ireland and would be more difficult to maintain with these quality standards. Tom Fazio has been a key player in both camps and is happy these comparisons are being made,” says McMahon.
A total of 150 workers worked tirelessly during construction on the golf course, used 220,000 tons of sand, 80 kilometers of drainage pipes, installed a underground fiber optic cabling for television broadcasts and it is the only field in Europe and one of the few in the world along with Augusta National that installed the system SubAira network of underground connections under the greenes that sucks in moisture and guarantees, regardless of the weather conditions that they will always be dry and hard. Unlike Augusta, the system is also stealthy. The lawn of the tees teeing off the holes in Adare is like the one we find in most greenes in Spain. Crazy that you have to see to believe.
The width, dimensions and immaculate care of the course are reminiscent of the course that hosted the Mastes de Agusta, with the difference that in Adare Manor there are hardly any unevennesses and that from most of the course you can see another of the resort’s jewels; the deluxe hotel is an impressive gray limestone neo-Gothic castle built in 1860 for a famous count. The building was conceived as a calendar house, with 365 windows, which represented the days of the year, 52 chimneys (weeks in the year) and four towers (the seasons). However, the count in question had to sell his castle in 1980 since he could not maintain it, at first it became a hotel, later the golf course arrived. “During the works, the hotel was expanded to 104 rooms and everything original has been respected; the stone, fireplaces, carpentry…” affirms the operations manager.
The hotel and countryside coexist with gardens and labyrinths rescued from another era, you can ride in a carriage or practice the art of falconry with royal owls or imperial eagles, the 24 Ryder Cup players will stay here for one of the most special weeks. “It is an incredible design and of great beauty, but You have to keep in mind that the field can become a small or a big challenge depending on what is decided”, are the words of Jon Rahmone of the regular players who comes to the call of JP McManus in his proam solidarity that every year is held a few days before the Open Championship. Rahm agrees to this charity event accompanied by the best players in the world, including Tiger Woods does not forgive his visit to the Irish resort. “In order for a European team to win the Ryder Cup here, the field would have to be de-Americanized,” Rahm said on his last visit. The route is more similar to the great American courses, a circumstance that does not worry those responsible for Adare. “We will work with the European captain, so that he adapts to his demands,” they say.
According to the criteria of
