I really haven’t shot enough courses in Ireland, there it is! I should have covered at least twice as many over the last 7 years but I haven’t! As I’m sitting in the Jameson bar in the Portmarnock hotel I’m scratching my head to find out the reasons why. I love Ireland, I love shooting in Ireland, my dad’s from Belfast for goodness sake, I was brought up on Irish folk music and my foot can’t stop tapping as soon as I hear an old familiar song. So why is it that I’ve not been to more of the top courses in this very blessed golfing country.

Is it because Ireland doesn’t need to sell itself to the world as a golfing destination, is it because word and mouth is enough to fulfill the imagination of the Golfing tourists that visit this lovely golfing nation, so images, especially my images aren’t needed to evoke the drama and beauty of some of the best links courses in the world?

The truth is, out of all of the courses I’ve covered and there must be more than 20! only 2 have commissioned me to shoot their courses.

All of the others are in my portfolio because I’ve visited their course mostly on a trip with Golf Monthly shooting GMac,  Rory, Padraig or Darren for a feature and have managed to get a few course pics at the same time.

Maybe I need to step up my marketing activity but you know I’ve worked with and talked to the golfing bodies in both North and South but still no interest or commitment…. apart from one!

I’ve shot Portmarnock Golf Course 3 times, and each time has been a great experience with all trips being commissioned by a very professional and experienced marketing team. They get the notion that bold dramatic images will add another dimension to their marketing collateral. Which is why I sitting here in the Jameson bar entering this post, I’m eternally grateful that Portmarnock get it! I would love that more of the top famous Irish courses would get me too! St Andrews do and so does Pinehurst, I’m going to work on this project there’s too many great courses that I would love to shoot. Watch this space!