Over in Germany, at Golfclub Hösel, Ireland’s team for golfers with a disability are preparing to launch their European Team Championship bid in a rejigged format that will see eight players receive their first international caps.
Led by captain Paul Kelly, a team of five men and three women from various levels and with a variety of disabilities will look to bring home the title for Ireland.
For Kelly, to see the wide range of players taking part is a source of great pride given the strides made in Ireland in recent years.
“We have a para-golfer, we have amputees, we have people born with various issues and people who have developed issues,” explains the Co Armagh man.
“What we have is a team of individuals who are strong characters, experienced golfers and know their games inside and out. They know each other’s needs.
“To be at the start of something like this is fantastic. The excitement is where the opportunities are for developing the base for where people can play, and then developing elite golfers who could represent Ireland in, say, the Paralympics.
“Often when you’re involved in things, it’s in clubs or bodies where they’ve been going for a while. Here, we’re setting the path for the future.”
Skipper Paul Kelly says he is impressed by the commitment of Golf Ireland
The rise in standard, Kelly believes, can be tracked back to organising body Golf Ireland getting behind the calls to improve accessibility in the game, which has led to a significant rise in playing numbers.
While leading disability golfer Brendan Lawlor has helped raise the profile, work behind the scenes with clubs and groups such as schools, hospitals, veterans and charities have helped more get involved.
That, plus Golf Ireland’s commitment to treat the disability team with the same professionalism and enthusiasm as any other of its teams, has Kelly confident that the sport is heading in the right direction on our shores.
“Sometimes, Golf Ireland gets a bit of flak, but they are leaving the other nations behind in their approach to disability golf,” praises Kelly, who has received good luck messages from Tom McKibbin and Seamus Power.
“There are two coaches going with us, Mary Doyle and Ian Stafford. They were down at our first get-together and led our day and preparations. The players are well-prepped and understand their roles, and they’ve done some technical stuff as well.
“Golf Ireland have sorted our kit. They’re not paying lip service to it when it comes to representing Ireland, and some of the other home nations don’t have that at the moment.
“They treat the disability team as they would any other team, and that’s what you want. You want their approach to be the same as everything else, with the same level of professionalism.”
And while Ireland are heading into something of an unknown at the Europeans due to the format change, Kelly is just excited to hand out eight new caps to his team, which includes Shandon Park’s Dianne Conway and St Patrick’s’ Fiona Gray.
“It’s a big, big deal for them. You want to give them the best experience you can,” he adds.
“Most of them never thought they’d play for Ireland. Most of them never thought they’d get this opportunity. They’re embracing this opportunity, they’re rolling up their sleeves and giving this the best they can.”
