Sometimes we can forget how great the golfing product is right on our doorstep.
There’s such an attraction to golf in the guaranteed sunshine of Spain or Portugal that we’re prone to forget the wonders of what’s available at home.
It’s not an accident that the rest of the world views Ireland as a bucket list destination for a golf trip. Golfers want to come here to play our fantastic courses and enjoy our famous hospitality.
Golf tourism is worth more than £42 million a year to the Northern Ireland economy, an increase of almost 60 per cent in the five years to 2018 and that was before The Open was played at Royal Portrush this summer.
This tourism amounts to 125,000 visitors a year, spending almost £2,500 each.
There is no greater place in the world to be a golfer, given the resources around us.
I was reminded of it recently when I took part in the Writer Cup, an annual tournament setting northern journalists against southern media in a Ryder Cup style format.
It’s eight golfers a side over two days, playing four better-ball matches and eight singles.
The competition is promoted by Tourism NI to showcase golf in the region and to encourage southerners to travel north to play Northern Ireland’s great courses, but it’s also a reminder that some great things are near to hand.
We played at the Faldo Course at Lough Erne, four miles outside Enniskillen.
On the Ely peninsula between two Fermanagh lakes lies around 600 acres of beautiful land which was turned into a magnificent golf course by Nick Faldo and opened for play just under 10 years ago.
There have been a few ups and downs in the interim, but the quality of the golf course, the accommodation, the food and the welcome remain the same.
Executive Chef Noel McMeel remains at the helm of the hotel’s Catalina Restaurant maintaining the highest standards at Northern Ireland’s first 3 AA Rosette hotel restaurant.
The distinctive, almost Moorish architecture hides away a whole world of pleasure designed into the £35 million resort.
There’s the Thai spa, sumptuous rooms, a choice of restaurants and the famous whiskey bar, but we were here primarily for the golf.
Almost 7,300 yards from the back sticks, Lough Erne is a match for any standard of golfer. Although the option of five tees on most holes means that the course can be set up for all abilities and tailored to suit guests.
Unusually, there are five par 5s and five par 3s. There's also plenty of water and one or both of the lakes come into play on 14 of the 18 holes.
The Faldo course has one of the best finishing stretches of holes in Irish golf. Once you reach the top of the hill at the 15th green, there’s the sweeping, downhill left the right par 5, 16th.
There’s a challenging drive over water, with trouble on the right and a huge bunker on the left. It’s one of the best holes on the course.
Then there’s the brilliant short 17th. If possible try to tee off from the medal or back tees and it feels like you’re driving from an island tee to a narrow strip of fairway which runs across you. There’s a watery grave all down the right but even if you hit the fairway you’ve a short iron to an almost island green with water over the back, to the right and short.
Unusually the 18th is a par 3, again with water on the right, making it a prefect hole for matchplay.
Oh, and by the way, Northern Ireland won the 2019 Writer Cup!
For further information on golf in Northern Ireland visit nimadeforgolf.com and for general destination information go to discovernorthernireland.com
