Golfer Padraig Harrington officially tee’d off from the new putting green in Marlay Park today, which will be free to the public from Saturday.
The 3,000sq ft golf facility is located beside the new Boules Court, and was partly funded by the Padraig Harrington Charitable Foundation.
Mr Harrington, who worked closely with the council to get the project up and running, said he wanted to introduce the game of golf to all ages at no cost.
PETER CAVANAGH PHOTOGRAPHY
“I am thrilled to announce the opening of the Marlay Putting Green,” the former Ryder Cup Captain and three-time major winner said.
“It has been amazing to see this project come to fruition, and I am so pleased the people of Dublin will be able to experience golf in a fun and family focused setting.
My aim for this project has always been to create an affordable and accessible facility which is designed for all ages and golf abilities, at no cost.
I’ve always wanted to give back to the community and find a way to introduce the game of golf to all generations.”
Pádraig Harrington watches as Mary Hanafin tries out the new putting green in Marlay Park
The Marlay Putting Green will be open to the public from Saturday at 10.30am and will be completely free.
During the initial two months of opening there will be a limit play of about 700 rounds per week as grass growth is low and ground conditions are “unpredictable” due to the weather.
However, the numbers will increase over the summer as ground conditions and grass growth improves.
Attending the opening, Minister for Sport Catherine Martin said: “Facilities such as this putting green, which is freely accessible to the public, are key to moving the dial in terms of participation numbers.
I would like to commend Pádraig and all the team who have worked to bring this to fruition.
As Minister with responsibility for sport, one of my priorities is to increase participation in sport and physical activity and to ensure that opportunities are provided to enable people to participate.”
The putting green will be freely accessible to the public.
The land for the new golf facility was provided by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, who will manage and operate the green.
John Clarkin’s team at Turfgrass provided their expertise in construction and agronomy and worked alongside Atlantic Golf Construction during the build.
The project was funded by the Padraig Harrington Charitable Foundation together with the assistance of a golf development grant from The R&A, and also a grant from Golf Ireland, supported by Sport Ireland’s special projects scheme.
Images: PETER CAVANAGH PHOTOGRAPHY