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Hooked: The 3rd Edition of the Most Comprehensive Guide to Ireland’s Golf Courses

By: Golf Shake | Wed 06 May 2015


hookedKevin Markham’s book, Hooked, is the only guide to review and rate every 18-hole golf course in Ireland – all 340 of them.

The 3rd edition (May 2015) includes 170 new and updated reviews, new photographs and improved maps. Much has changed on the Irish golfing landscape since the 1st edition (2009) but, as the summer draws the faithful back to the fairways, this book will lead golfers to Ireland’s must-play courses, from the bucket list favourites of Ballybunion, Old Head and Royal County Down, to the undiscovered gems of Rathcore, Strandhill and Macreddin.

Kevin spent 14 months travelling around Ireland to visit and play every golf club. His reviews are honest and forthright, with every course receiving a 200-300 word review and a rating out of 100. For the 3rd edition, many ratings have been adjusted to accommodate falling green fees and changes made to improve courses and facilities.

“Golf clubs have been operating in a tough environment, but they are working hard – often with smaller teams of people – to give Irish and international golfers the best experience possible,” says Kevin. “I’ve made numerous changes as clubs have built new holes, re-routed parts of the course and/or added new facilities, new bunkering programmes or new greens.”

One such example is Royal County Down, where the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open will be held at the end of May. In order to accommodate the event the club greatly improved its practice facilities and this is reflected in the course’s score, which has risen from 95 to 97.

“Then there are the enforced changes, especially those inflicted by nature,” Kevin continues. “Thousands of trees were flattened during the storms of 2014, and courses like Limerick, Charleville, Fermoy and Kilkenny look quite different today. In some places it is not a bad thing, but it must have been devastating for members and staff to clear up.”

The purpose of Hooked has not changed. It is still focused on helping golfers find the best value and the greatest experiences, while also steering potential visitors away from courses that don’t live up to the hype, the marketing blurb or the green fee. It is written from an amateur’s perspective 99% of golfers are just that: amateurs.

Hooked is also enhanced by Kevin’s Flickr page which now hosts over 10,000 photographs of golf courses. Irish courses predominate but there are also images for golf clubs in Great Britain, Portugal, Poland and Turkey.

The two Best 18 Holes divide his favourite links and parkland holes into two must-play lists. The photographs in the book are a mix of these.

“It is definitely a good time to bring out a new edition of Hooked,” Kevin concludes. “Irish golf is getting back on its feet after a turbulent few years and golfers can use the book to find out what’s changed and where to find great golf. After all, we’re still one of the very best golfing destinations in the world.”

For more information and to buy online visit:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hooked-Amateurs-Guide-Courses-Ireland/dp/184889239X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1431677967&sr=1-1&keywords=kevin+markham


 


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