ADVISOR INSIDER NEWS

New Ryder Cup Venues

It's official, Celtic Manor and Gleneagles have been awarded the 2010 and 2014 Ryder Cup Matches respectively. The Advisor is especially looking forward to more people discovering the great golf found in Wales, often overshadowed by the more widely recognized neighboring Scotland and Ireland courses.

Kingsbarns cracks top 100

Congratulations to Kingsbarns, which debuted at No. 46 on the Top 100 Courses in the World list by Golf Magazine, one of only two new courses to deservedly crack the prestigious list. The entire list may be viewed in the September issue of Golf Magazine. The other British Isles courses to crack the Top 100 are: 5 ­ St. Andrews (Old), 8 ­ Royal County Down, 9 ­ Muirfield, 11 ­ Ballybunion (Old), 14 ­ Royal Portrush (Dunluce), 15 ­ Royal Dornoch, 18 ­ Turnberry (Ailsa), 22 ­ Carnoustie (Championship), 27 ­ Royal St. George's, 29 ­ Royal Birkdale, 34 ­ Portmarnock, 36 ­ Sunningdale (Old), 40 ­ Royal Troon (Old), 43 ­ Woodhall Spa, 49 ­ Royal Lytham & St. Annes, 53 ­ Loch Lomond, 55 ­ Cruden Bay, 66 ­ Royal Liverpool (Hoylake), 67 ­ Lahinch, 71 ­ Ganton, 73 ­ Wentworth (West), 81 ­ Walton Heath (Old).

New Classic in the British Isles

The Advisor has had a chance to personally play and preview some new courses in the British Isles this season and is pleased to report that a new generation of classics is on the way, following in the footsteps of Kingbarns. Craigielaw by Donald Steel in the East Lothian region has some great holes, particularly challenging are the par 3's. Steel has incorporated some old stone dykes into the design as the course meanders along the coast. The quality of the putting surfaces are especially impressive for a young links course. The clubhouse, which in time shall offer overnight accommodations in a renovated farmhouse, is scheduled to open in May 2002. Just a half hour's drive from the historic layouts of East Lothian is the new Cardrona course, by Dave Thomas. The parkland-style championship course plays long at over 6,800 yards and is a challenging design where position is the key to scoring well. The course enjoys a magnificent scenic setting in a valley where Scotland's famous salmon fishing river, the Tweed, meanders through the layout, and the ruins of a castle overlook the fairways. Here too, the quality of the putting surfaces is outstanding for a new course. Golf carts are planned for the 2002 season ­ a welcome addition to those not accustomed to walking. The Torrance course, which opened in September, at the recently opened St. Andrews Bay Resort, is Sam Torrance's first design effort and is as visually stunning, with sweeping vistas of St. Andrews Bay and the OOld Grey Toon', as it is challenging, with an exceptionally strong five hole finishing sequence. The course is characterized by the abundance of wild white daises, thistles, fescue and other colorful native vegetation. The Advisor also got a personal preview tour of the second course at St. Andrews Bay, the Devlin. This big bold layout, scheduled to open in August 2002, has been fully shaped and promises to be a true test of all your golfing skills and concentration, as almost every shot has a breathtaking view of the sea or St. Andrews. It closes on a par 3, where with the cliff and wind in play, par will be an excellent score. And the Advisor is keeping a close eye on Southern Gailes, by Kyle Phillips who also created Kingsbarns, scheduled to open in 2002. The course, located on the Western side of Scotland near Western Gailes, share much the same topography and features an especially impressive opening stretch of four holes. On the Emerald Isle we have had the chance to preview Doonbeg, the Greg Norman-design, that promises to be the big buzz of the 2002 season. The course works its way through a collection of impressive sand dunes. We believe in time, some of the design elements may be softened, as one expects at many fine courses. Currently the greens can be especially severe in places. But it is yet another worthy championship test of golf to play on Ireland's west coast between Ballybunion and Lahinch.

Mt. Juliet to host AMEX

Congratulations to Mount Juliet, in Ireland for being named host of the 2002 American Express World Championship, where the world's Top 50 golfers compete for a top prize of $1 million.