Angry Clarke slams National Trust
Darren Clarke is frustrated by the latest delay to a proposed new resort on the Causeway Coast. Photo Jenny Matthews/www.golffile.ieDarren Clarke is fuming that red tape has again halted a planned £100m (€125m) golf resort near Royal Portrush.
And he’s worried that the decision could damage hopes of seeing the Open Championship return to the Causeway Coast.
The National Trust has launched a legal bid to block the Runkerry Resort near the Giant’s Causeway.
Angry Clarke raged: “I am so disappointed with it. We have the opportunity and got a £100million project that’s been held up and stalled and stalled for years and the National Trust have jumped in now and blocked it again.
“The project is bringing in 360 jobs for the locals, the National Trust get a grant of £9m a year from the Northern Ireland assembly and now they are the people that are blocking this whole thing. I don’t get it.
“It is going to benefit the whole area and be another five star golf course which can only help, not just Northern Ireland but all of Ireland.”
Just five miles from Royal Portrush, the new course and hotel would make it easier to host the Open by adding too class accommodation to the area.
Clarke said: “It is a no-brainer. I don’t get why they are blocking it. I think it is very unjust and very unfair.”
Billy’s birdie
Bill Murray. Photo Jenny Matthews/www.golffile.ieCaddyshack star Bill Murray fancies himself as a bit of a player.
The former greenkeeper turned actor, 61, birdied the par-five second in the pro-am alongside Graeme McDowell and joked to the crowd: “Go call your friends!”
Murray, who plays off eight, played the madcap greenkeeper Carl Spackler in the legendary “Caddyshack” movie.
But he revealed that he did it the job for real as a young man before making his breakthrough on “Saturday Night Live.”
Rory’s chopper tale
Rory McIlroy plans to use a chopper to beat the massive Irish Open crowds.
But the world No 2 could face a problem if bad weather hits the north coast.
He flew in to Portrush from his Moneyreagh pad by helicopter yesterday.
But low visibility could scupper plans to touch down over the next four days.
Blame Dazza
Darren Clarke is the man to blame if the tour tuck the flags away this week.
The Portrush ace has told Tournament Director Miguel Vidaor all about the toughest pin positions on the course.
Clarke revealed: “I pointed out to him where the guys would try and take short cuts and cut corners.
“And I showed him where some to the really difficult pins are so they can hide the flag as away this week.”
Keegan wants it tough
Keegan Bradley wants to be put through the ringer by the tweather his week as he builds up for next month’s Open at Royal Lytham.
The US PGA champion is getting his first taste of links golf and he’s looking forward to the wind and rain forecast for the first three days.
After playing in balmy sunshine yesterday, Bradley said: “If it was 69 degrees where I live in Florida, no one would go outside!
“In a weird way you kind of want the weather to be bad just to experience the whole thing about Northern Ireland.”