IRELAND - The K Club, site of the 2006 Ryder Cup matches, will have a second course open in 2005. Visitors to the property will not be disrupted during the construction as the new course is being built a good distance from the hotel and is hidden by trees...Scotsman David Kidd, who designed the original Top 100 in the World 'Must Play' layout at Bandon Dunes, OR, is the architect of the second course at Powerscourt Golf Club, south of Dublin, which is scheduled to open at the end of the year. A 5-star hotel is scheduled to open there for the 2004 season...Ballyliffin Golf Club is offering a limited number of overseas memberships...Mount Juliet House has reopened after a three month period of refurbishment. The work undertaken has seen all the main areas of the house refurbished to create a fresher, brighter and more spacious environment, while all furnishings have been replaced with pieces that are more refined and closer to the interior integrity of the property. Mount Juliet has also entered into a hotel management agreement with Conrad Hotels.

SCOTLAND - Kingbarns Golf Links becomes the first course in Scotland according to the SGU to be USGA slope rated from the forward or Ladies Tees. In addition they have added a challenging combination of tee , incorporating the regular forward and forward men's tees, to create a brilliant Ladies Championship tees.

The USGA Course and slope ratings for all the tees are as follows- Championship 75.8, 142; Medal 73.2, 136; Regular 70.7, 132; Championship Ladies 74.8, 134; Ladies 70.7, 126. Bring your 'A' game to this great course especially if the breeze is up, and now you can post your score at home

The Boat Hotel, overlooking the championship, James Braid-designed, Boat of Garten Golf Course in Speyside, has new owners. Still privately owned, it has recently undergone a major refurbishment restoring the public rooms to their original Victorian richness. The same stunning mountain views the course is famous for can be seen from many of the hotel's bedrooms and the 2 Rosette, 'The Capercaille' restaurant serves the very best of fresh Scottish produce

The pro shop at the new Links Clubhouse at St. Andrews has been refurbished. And if you haven't had the chance to eat lunch or dinner in the clubhouse it is worthy of a stop...The Marine Hotel Troon has announced plans for a £3 million facelift over the 2002/2003 winter and will have 89 rooms available by April 2003, including 16 new rooms...Paul Burley has been appointed the new Director of Golf at the Westin Turnberry Resort...At Nairn Dunbar, a great hidden gem in Nairn, this summer saw the opening of redesigned 10th and completely new 11th to rave reviews. The course is in immaculate condition....St Andrews Golf Hotel is delighted to have been selected as one of AA's Top 200 Hotels in Britain and Ireland for 2002 - 2003. This is the AA's supreme accolade, used to denote hotels that stand out as the very best in the country, regardless of size or type of operation...The Carnoustie Hotel, Golf Resort & Spa's Executive Chef Paul Whitecross was the only Scottish Chef in the final of the Kikkoman Masters Chef 2002 competition held in Earls Court London and Paul came in a very creditable 2nd. The Dalhousie Restaurant at Carnoustie Hotel has introduced a 6 course gourmet menu to celebrate the occasion and give patrons a true taste of their chef's culinary talents.

The Golf View Hotel & Leisure Club, Nairn has seen major bedroom refurbishment, with the final phase (6 rooms) to be completed Winter 2002. This has resulted in more spacious accommodation with all bathrooms boasting walk-in power showers separate from the tub. There are now four 4 Poster rooms, including two 'black rooms', each with sea view and jacuzzi baths in the en-suite and also selection of family rooms sleeping 2 adults and up to 6 children. All color televisions have built in DVD players for guests use and the family rooms have Sony Playstation II to keep the kids occupied...The restaurant at The Royal Golf, Dornoch has now also undergone a major facelift in line with the decor throughout the rest of the hotel. Natural colors and fabrics combined with modern lighting create a warm atmosphere where sampling the daily produce from the kitchen is a relaxed pleasure. New General Manager, Tim Bell, has been in place since April bringing with him the experience gained from 4 years at The Newton Hotel, Nairn where he was previously employed as assistant manager.

Congratulations to Gleneagles! Gleneagles was voted the top international golf resort and second overall in the world in a Condé Nast Traveler readers poll.