Pat Ruddy appears finally ready to say goodbye to The European Club after listing the Co Wicklow links for sale with Sotheby’s International for €35 million.
The Mayo-born golf writer and course architect, who says he is playing golf in his ninth decade, has turned down several offers for the links since he first created them in 1987, at least two of them in the last two years.
“I am retiring,” said Mr Ruddy, who owns the links with his wife Bernadine and runs it with the help of his children, Patrick, Gerry and Sidon.
“Maybe I will have time to get the ball off the ground again with a five-iron.”
He added: “I have been approached many times, including in 2008, when I had a substantial offer. But I was like the Cookie Monster, who was offered $1 million or a jar of cookies for winning a quiz and went with the cookies.”
Described as “a rare treasure, being one of about only 180 links amongst the world’s 30,000-some golf courses and one of the greatest and most admired,” it has been played by many of the game’s greats, including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Johnny Miller, Shane Lowry, Gary Player, Padraig Harrington, and more recently Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas.
According to the listing, “it is believed that this is the longest engagement of owner, designer, lover of the links in the history of the game”.
The 193-acre (78.3 hectares) property includes almost a mile of sea frontage and unspoiled views to the Wicklow Mountains.
“Privately owned, a purposeful decision was made to maintain a small membership, currently in the mid-80s, to give comfortable golf to the owners and members while affording the opportunity to accept visiting paying patrons to a level suited to financial planning,” the listing says.
“This gives a new owner the choice of remaining private, going ultra private or maximising commercial golf traffic through world visitor play and an enlarged membership.”
Ruddy said he built The European Club to fulfil a lifetime dream of owning his own course, inspired by Jimmy Demaret and Jack Burke, who started building their own in 1958 in Texas.
“When they called it the Champion’s Club, I liked that as a kid,” he said. “The Champion’s Club sounded better than the Loser’s Club, so the seed was set.”
His hope is that a wealthy individual will buy the course and look upon it as a work of art or an investment.
But it appears unlikely that it will not become a resort, complete with hotel accommodation.
“Is a golf course a work of art? Ruddy said today. “I think it can be. My view is that it is a big work of art, working under the sky in the elements.
“Unlike most works of art, peope can walk on it and take lumps out of it. And it can still be a work of art.
“People look at a golf course, and they say, ‘let’s build houses and make money’, but they go to an art auction, and they put it on the wall and don’t try to build houses around it. It’s something to look at and enjoy.
“The week before last, a dinosaur was for sale in New York. It had not a pick of meat left on it, and it sold for $46 million. However, they are not going to build houses around the dinosaur.
“A substantial number of golf properties have been built in recent years with hotels and houses attached to them, detracting from the purity of the game. I am not saying don’t build houses, but it is possible to have great value on a thing without building a hotel.
“We have almost a mile of seafront, and it will remain like that for donkey’s years. And unlike the painting on the wall in the museum, it can pay its way and contribute something to the person who is enjoying it.
“Houses in the Hamptons on one acre go for $50-100 million. So, for the sake of golf, I ask, why the different perceptions? Why can’t a golf course be a work of art?”
