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THIS county was well represented as Tourism Ireland’s golf promotional programme for 2017 kicked off in Orlando, Florida. Thirteen Irish golf and tourism operators – including Killarney Golf & Fishing Club, Dooks Golf Club, Waterville Golf Links and SWING (South West Ireland Golf Ltd., based in Tralee) – as well as three American golf tour operators, have joined Tourism Ireland at the PGA Golf Merchandise Show in Orlando, to highlight our world-class golf.

The PGA Show is one of the biggest golf exhibitions in the United States, attracting more than 40,000 golf professionals and enthusiasts, as well as around 1,000 influential golf journalists, each year.

Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland’s Head of North America, said: “The American golf market remains a priority for Tourism Ireland in 2017 and we will continue to promote the island of Ireland as a top golf destination, capitalising on the global success of our golfers including Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Shane Lowry, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell.

“Golf is the world’s largest sports-related travel market and Tourism Ireland is working hard to drive home the message that a golfing holiday in Ireland is about much more than a round of 18 holes – the combination of our world-class golf and our unique brand of hospitality plays a key role in attracting American golfers to visit.”

Tourism Ireland has an extensive programme of activity under way to promote golf on the island of Ireland in the United States this year – in particular highlighting the 2017 Irish Open at Portstewart Golf Club and the 148th Open which is set to take place at Royal Portrush in 2019. Tourism Ireland will undertake an extensive programme of promotions throughout 2017, to build on what was the best year ever for American visitors to Ireland in 2016 – and to boost the number of golf holidaymakers from the US.

Our world-class golf was highlighted to some 80 influential golf journalists and golf pros, before the PGA Show kicked off – at a special Ireland Golf Day, sponsored by Tourism Ireland, at The Golden Bear Club at Keene’s Point in Florida. Tourism Ireland golf TV ads will air this spring on the Golf Channel, and online ads will run on GolfChannel.com, encouraging American golfers to click through to great golf vacation offers on Ireland.com; and Tourism Ireland will invite influential American golf writers to come and experience our world-class courses for themselves.
 

 
Above: Chris Berry, Trump International Golf Links & Hotel; Cormac Flannery, Killarney Golf & Fishing Club; Maurice O’Meara, Dooks Golf Club; Brendan Keogh, SWING (South West Ireland Golf); Alison Metcalfe, Tourism Ireland; Noel Cronin, Waterville Golf Links; and Michael Fitzsimons, Fáilte Ireland, at the PGA Golf Merchandise Show in Orlando.