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World Famous Golfers officially launch Adare Manor Golf Course and announce the return of the JP McManus Pro-Am in 2020

Shane Lowry, Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy and Paul McGinley pictured at the launch of the Adare Manor Golf Course.

World Famous Golfers officially launch Adare Manor Golf Course and announce the return of the JP McManus Pro-Am in 2020

It was honours even as the combined talents of Rory McIlroy & Paul McGinley, and Padraig Harrington & Shane Lowry cut the ribbon on The Golf Course at Adare Manor, set to quickly become one of the world’s most celebrated layouts.

With each pair returning a four-ball better ball stroke play a total of four-under-par 68, the match was witnessed by 1,500 spectators and marked the official launch Adare Manor Golf Course, the wholly reconstructed Tom Fazio-designed championship course at the Manor. As a result of their joint success, each pair will donate €250,000 to their chosen charities, including The Rory Foundation, The McGinley Foundation, Temple Street Children’s University Hospital and the Padraig Harrington Charitable Foundation.


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Following the match at the launch Adare Manor Golf Course, the players were quick to praise the quality of the golf course, which will now be fully open for play among members and guests and complement the recently refurbished Manor House.

Four-time Major Champion, Rory McIlroy, said, “The Golf Course is absolutely incredible. With the weather we’ve had for the last few months, to have a course presented like this is phenomenal, so that’s credit to all of the work of the greens staff over the winter. It was a fantastic day.”

One of the most significant developments in Irish golf in recent years, the Exhibition Match drew much attention from global media, who earlier attended a press conference where it was announced the high-profile JP McManus Pro-Am will return to Adare Manor in 2020. The star-studded occasion, which has previously attracted the likes of 14-time Major winner, Tiger Woods, and World No.1, Dustin Johnson, and raised over €100 million for charity in five previous editions, will take place over The Golf Course at Adare Manor from 6-7 July 2020.

Following a two-year reconstruction commissioned by the ownership of the Adare Manor resort, the McManus Family, The Golf Course at Adare Manor is now open to the golfing world. In bringing to life the 7,509-yard championship layout using practices and products like no other in history, the Fazio Design team has established a course capable of hosting the world’s most prestigious golfing events.

Colm Hannon, Chief Executive Officer of Adare Manor, said, “The Exhibition Match to officially open Adare Manor Golf Course has been a huge success and we owe a great deal of thanks to each of the players – Rory, Padraig, Paul, and Shane – who have made this such an entertaining and memorable day for all of our guests.

“With the support of the McManus Family, we are also delighted that this occasion will benefit a number of very worthy causes and create an instant legacy for the golf course.”

Adare Manor Golf Course

JP McManus Pro-Am Launch at the Adare Manor Golf Course, Limerick. The crowd looks on as Padraig Harrington tees off at The Golf Course at Adare Manor, as the 2020 JP McManus Pro-Am was launched. Picture: Morgan Treacy.

The Golf Course at Adare Manor officially opened on April 20, 2018, following a two-year reconstruction phase, which began in March 2016. The Par 72, 7,509-yard championship standard layout has been transformed under the leadership of world-renowned golf course architect, Tom Fazio, using the finest practices and products. The unique features of the golf course include uniquely elevated green complexes, featuring surfaces of superfine bentgrass. Pure Distinction ‘the ultimate bentgrass for smooth and true greens’ was chosen for its USGA putting surfaces (12,055sq m in total), the first in Europe to incorporate this feature, whilst A4 bentgrass (regularly used upon the greens of many notable courses worldwide) was chosen for all approach surfaces, the course is one of only three in the UK & Ireland where all 18 greens incorporate the SubAir Aeration System, used to remove moisture through vacuum pumps, guaranteeing firm play each day. During the construction phase, 220,000 tonnes of sand were used throughout the property, combining with 77,000 linear metres of gravel trenches (50 miles) and perforated pipes to allow for free-draining even in the worst weather conditions.

Adare Manor Golf Course

Padraig Harrington putting on the green at Adare Manor Golf Course, as the 2020 JP McManus Pro-Am was launched. Picture: INPHO/Morgan Treacy

The Golf Course at Adare Manor stands as the first globally to be created in such event-ready state, with fibre optic conduit buried within each hole to provide power and telecommunications connectivity for broadcast, whilst an advanced road network has also been built into the property without impacting on aesthetics. Water features are present on 14 holes with a number of man-made lakes, streams and the River Maigue regularly in play. As these intersect the course at many points, there was a requirement to create a total of 12 new hand-cut stone bridges, providing another signature feature of the property.

The 5* castle hotel is situated in the heart of Adare Village in County Limerick. Steeped in history and surrounded by medieval ruins, Adare Manor, which is owned by the McManus family, was unveiled following a ground-breaking transformation in November 2017. The largest restoration project of its kind in Ireland, the renovation and expansion honours the building’s architectural heritage as a Neo-Gothic masterpiece while incorporating the latest in contemporary luxury. Most notably, the expansion included a new 42-bedroom wing, increasing accommodations to a total of 104 guest rooms and a ballroom which can host up to 350 guests. The 842 acres of Adare Manor’s beautiful parkland, walled gardens and walking trails were also enhanced and offer an extensive range of pursuits, including falconry, archery, clay pigeon shooting, fishing, state-of-the-art La Mer spa and cinema.

Adare Manor is a 25-minute drive from Shannon International Airport, 1.5 hours from Cork Airport and 2.5 hours from Dublin Airport. Adare sits neatly on the gateway to southwest Ireland. Antiques and craft shops, pubs, restaurants and boutiques can be explored on the main street, while the ruins and churches that surround the village reveal the secrets of its history. www.adaremanor.com

Celebrating 30 years since its inception, 2020 will see the sixth staging of the JP McManus Pro-Am which was first hosted at Limerick GC in 1990. It is played every 5 years and the key objective of the event is to raise funds for charitable and not-for-profit groups in the Mid-West.

It is the largest fund-raising golf event in Ireland and previous editions of the Pro-Am have raised over €100m. All proceeds are donated in their entirety to the beneficiary organizations and no administration/running costs are deducted.

The JP McManus Pro-Am will take place at the Golf Course at Adare Manor on 6th & 7th July 2020, and will feature many of the world’s leading golfers and high-profile celebrities, including Rory McIlroy, Pádraig Harrington, Shane Lowry & Paul McGinley.

Managed by the European Tour, tickets in the form of a cap are on sale now from www.jpmcmanusproam.com.  Once again, spectators can purchase a 2-day cap in a choice of 3 colours. A record number of overseas and Irish visitors are expected to attend the event in 2020 where they can expect to see some of the world’s top golfers continue the success of the JP McManus Pro-Am.

 

For more info on the Adare Manor go here.

For more info on the JP McManus Pro-Am go here.

For more stories on the Adare Manor go here.

For more stories on the JP McManus Pro-Am go here.

Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.