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Press and Journal
26-05-2025
- Business
- Press and Journal
Top Aberdeen golf club warns members against selling 'exclusive' merchandise on Vinted
A prestigious Aberdeen golf club has warned its members not to resell 'exclusive' club merchandise after a listing appeared on an online marketplace. Bosses at the course acknowledged that members may have to refresh their wardrobes but banned players from selling the products on Vinted. Royal Aberdeen Golf Club(RAGC) warned its members in an email, which has been seen by The Press and Journal. The communication from officials to players outlined the policy of the particular logo being designed for only members to wear. The general manager warned that the merchandise should not be resold or given as a gift to friends or family. The logo for members is different from the general one for the Bridge of Don-based golf club. The club's online shop has a specific section for this. Despite this, it currently states that 'items aren't available for sale yet on this page,' which makes the member-only merchandise rare. Sent by the club's general manager Keith Grant, the email said: 'It has just been brought to attention of council that RAGC member-only (exclusive logo) merchandise purchased via the professional shop has recently appeared online for resale on Vinted.' Although acknowledging that people have clear outs and refresh their wardrobes, the email stated: 'We kindly ask for members to respect that the professional shop pulled together a members-only exclusive logo so members can enjoy and proudly wear/use a unique product, thus supporting the club. 'The purchasing of member-only logo merchandise is a privilege solely attached to that of being a member of RAGC. 'Therefore should not be purchased with the intention of resale or gifted to friends or family who are not members. 'This same policy is adopted by the professional shop who rightly refuse sale of any such merchandise outwith the membership.' Founded in 1780, Royal Aberdeen is the sixth oldest golf club in the world. Members have played at the Balgownie course since 1888. In that time, it has welcomed many famous golfers, including Rory McIlroy and Tom Watson. Former footballer Gareth Bale played the course in 2016. It has also hosted major tournaments, including the Senior Open in 2005, the Walker Cup in 2011. In 2014, it was the venue for the Scottish Open. The course membership is fully subscribed and there is a waiting list for new members, according to its website. Current visitor green fee rates are as follows: A spokesman for Royal Aberdeen Golf Club told The P&J: 'It is an internal communication that's aimed purely at our members and it not aimed for the public.' The club said it would not be commenting further on the matter.
Scotsman
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Scotsman
Britain's '100 per cent best amateur' moves on to radar for prestigious golf event
GB&I captain opens up on one Scot who is turning pro but two others who are in contention to face Americans Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Luke Poulter, the son of Ryder Cup player Ian, has been hailed as Great Britain & Ireland's '100 per cent best amateur' at this moment in time, making him a strong contender for a Walker Cup debut in California later this year. The praise heaped on Poulter, who has made an impressive recovery after fracturing his back this time last year and was sidelined for around seven months, came from Dean Robertson, the man who will lead the visitors into battle in that biennial clash at Cypress Point in September. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In an exclusive interview with Scotland on Sunday, the GB&I captain mentioned Poulter's name without any prompting about the 20-year-old and also revealed that Calum Scott, last year's Silver Medal winner in the 152nd Open at Royal Troon, had ruled himself out of contention for a second successive appearance against the Americans due to the fact the Nairn man is turning professional at the end of his college career. Luke Poulter pictured caddying for his dad Ian in practice round prior to The 150th Open at St Andrews |Blairgowrie's Connor Graham, who created history in the 2023 match at St Andrews when he became the youngest-ever player on either side to play in the event, is pushing hard to be involved again after an eye-catching freshman season on the US college circuit. It also sounds as though Cameron Adam, the 2023 Scottish Amateur champion from Royal Burgess, is in with a good chance of securing one of just ten spots up for grabs after the left-hander impressed during a preparatory visit to Cypress Points towards the end of last year. There's no denying, though, that it was the mention of young Poulter, who, in his sophomore year at the University of Florida, landed his maiden US college win in the Schenkel Invitational in Georgia and recently came through the first qualifying stage for next month's US Open, that seemed a particularly significant soundbite. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'The best GB&I player 100 per cent at the moment is Luke Poulter and don't be surprised if he's got a very strong chance of representing GB&I this year,' said the former Scottish Amateur and Scottish Professional champion, as well, of course, as a DP World Tour winner in the Italian Open. Robertson, who is being assisted by his long-time friend Raymond Russell - the pair fought out an epic battle in the Scottish Amateur at Royal Dornoch 32 years ago - and Welshwoman Kath O'Connor, a well-known figure in the amateur game, will oversee a squad get-together at Dumbarnie Links just before the St Andrews Links Trophy early next month. He'll then get to try out some pairings in the St Andrews Trophy match against Continental Europe in Madrid towards the end of July, admitting that being held in the same year as the Walker Cup on this occasion could be 'huge' when it then comes round to the Walker Cup. It had been suggested by someone who keeps a close eye on the amateur game that all ten spots on this occasion could be filled by English players, but that is unlikely to be the case and, though certainly not about to show any bias, Robertson happily talked about some of his compatriots. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Dean Robertson, the University of Stirling's head of golf, with past programme member Louise Duncan and current scholar Ross Laird in the new state-of-the-art facilitiy | Contributed 'Calum is turning pro and let me know that he would be unavailable,' he said of Scott, the current top-ranked Scottish amateur, who is set to bring down the curtain on his college career with an appearance for Texas Tech along with Graham in the upcoming NCAA Championship in California. 'Connor has a chance again as he's really maturing and has been sending me texts and phoning me up,' he added of Graham while, referring to Adam, admitted: 'Cameron impressed when we were at Cypress Point, which is short by modern standards and he showed a great understanding of how to play it.' Only two GB&I teams - the first at Peachtree in 1989, when Jim Milligan holed the winning putt, and the other under the captaincy of Peter McEvoy, who passed away last month, at Ocean Forest in 2001 - have won on US soil. 'On paper, we don't have a chance - but let's wait and see,' said Robertson, who, as the University of Stirling scholars he's worked with for the last 15 years would happily testify, will certainly leave no stone unturned. The current members of that programme and the others who will follow in their footsteps will not only be able to benefit from the Head of Golf's vast knowledge but also have the use of a new indoor Golf Performance Studio, which was opened earlier this week. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We are really fortunate as it has been a massive investment,' said Robertson, who mentored the likes of Lorna McClymont, Louise Duncan and Graeme Robertson, all now pursuing professional careers, in their time on the campus. 'The money for all the technology came from the MacLeod Foundation and then the capital investment was made by the university itself, so that is going to an extension of my office. An external shot of the University of Stirling's new state-of-the-art Performance Golf Studio, located on the Stirling campus | Contributed 'When I arrived in 2010, it was Bobby Rushford, Graeme Robertson, Zander Culverwell, Jack McDonald, those sort of players. The campus is about 350 acres but it had its own nine-hole golf course and an area where they would hit some balls. But it was nothing more than that and there weren't any greenkeepers. 'Straight away, my aim was to start to work with the grounds crew to create things in an environment that we could then tap into structure our training programme around. We are really fortunate that it is an amazing campus. We call it a golf classroom where my office is and, for the last 15 years, we've had an all-weather facility as I like to call it where we just had to wrap up and get out there in all sorts of weather and get on with it. 'Now, to have an indoor studio along with the latest technology, which is something we've never really had, is going to be amazing for when the weather is poor. Right now, when the weather is great, we are outside and it was ironic that we opened the new facility on Wednesday when it was 'Costa del Ecosse'. It will allow us to structure irrespective of what the weather conditions are and it will help the players to develop their skills, which the programme is all about. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Times are difficult. There's been a big tightening of belts, which means you are having to cut the cloth due to the higher education sector literally being on its knees at the moment. Budgets are tightening and we are going to just have to make the most of what we've got.'
Irish Independent
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Stu-pendous home success for Grehan in Irish Amateur Championship at Seapoint
The 32-year-old former professional is a native of Offaly, but he now lives in Termonfeckin and that made the victory all the more special. He started the final round four shots in arrears after carding a level-par 72 on Saturday but saved his best until last, shooting a bogey-free 66 to take the championship to extra holes before he won it on the 10th green. Going into the final day, the defending champion Matt McClean from the Malone club was still in contention after opening with a course-record 64 and he went on to set a -13 total and assume the clubhouse lead after landing eight birdies in his last round. Marlborough's Hayward was also in the shake-up along with County Louth's Gerard Dunne, while Grehan started the final round four shots adrift in a tie for fourth place. He went on to put together an outstanding 18 holes, though, and when his approach landed on 18th green he had a real chance of posting an insurmountable lead. However, his eagle putt finished inches short and that left Hayward with a birdie chance to win, but he missed his chance and the tournament went to a play-off. The atmosphere became more tense when Grehan went over the 18th green on the second play-off hole, but Hayward missed his opportunity and Grehan made him pay after they returned to the 10th. As Grehan celebrated with his young family, he said he was 'absolutely thrilled', revealing that he regularly walks his dog around the Seapoint area. It was only last October that Grehan called time on his career as a touring professional to focus on his work as a financial consultant, expressing the wish that he could regain his amateur status and challenge for a place on Great Britain and Ireland's team for the 2026 Walker Cup in Lahinch. Meanwhile, the aforementioned Gerard Dunne eventually finished in a tie for fourth in Sunday's finale, with Dundalk's Caolan Rafferty tied for 15th and Seapoint's leading finisher Dylan Keating in 29th place.
Irish Examiner
09-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Increased green fees set to push Lahinch Golf Club income to €3.8m
Record green fee income of €3.3m at Lahinch Golf Club last year contributed to the club making an operating surplus of €1.72m. This year, the club has increased green fees to €375 for non-members to play a round of golf at its 'iconic' Old Course. In his report to members, outgoing chairperson John Gleeson said that on foot of the 2025 green fee increase, 'we expect our revenue from green fee activity to exceed 2024 levels'. The 2023 US Masters champion and now LIV tour member, Jon Rahm won the Irish Open staged at Lahinch in 2019 which raised the course's international profile. US golfers usually make up a sizeable chunk of the green fee income and the annual report shows that arising from green fees increasing to €375 from April 22 to October 10, Lahinch Golf Club is projecting that its green fee income will increase to €3.8m in 2025. Mr Gleeson said that while members' annual subscription income increased to €1.23m in 2024 'we continue to rely very heavily on revenue generated from green fee visitors'. Last year, the club's golf shop alone generated €1.38m in revenues from the sales of Lahinch GC branded clothing and accessories and other items, contributing a gross profit of €611,318 to the club's finances. Mr Gleeson said that the operating surplus of €1.72m 'has allowed us to rebuild our finances with our contingency fund of €2m in place, while providing additional funding for our clubhouse project'. Construction work continues on the upgrade of its clubhouse, which is now almost 60 years old and Mr Gleeson said that 'the tender price was €6.6m which is a major undertaking for the club'. "We look forward to having the 'new clubhouse' completed ahead of the Walker Cup in 2026,' Mr Gleeson said. Mr Gleeson said golfing activity was at record levels by both members and guests and the Castle Course saw a large increase in usage by members. The club's finances were also boosted by new members spending €245,000 on 'overseas life memberships'. The €3.32m in green fee income along with €1.23m in members' subs and the €681,141 golf shop gross contribution contributed to overall revenues last year of €5.42m. Staff costs in 2024 increased from €1.88m to €2.08m. At the end of December, the club's equity increased to €10.7m. The golf club's cash funds increased from €3.57 million to €3.78m.
Irish Independent
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Irish Independent
Conor Purcell hits career-low 65 as Leona Maguire finishes well off pace
The Dublin rookie (27) arrived at Mission Hills looking to build on a season's best tie for 15th in the Volvo China Open. He went into the final round tied for 60th on level par but fed off some recent good form and fired a bogey-free 65 for his lowest score on the DP World Tour to tie for 20th on seven-under. The former Walker Cup star finished ten strokes behind England's Marco Penge, who shot 67 to win his maiden DP World Tour title by three strokes from American Sean Crocker and Norway's Kristoffer Reitan. But after earning €26,181 and valuable Race to Dubai points with back-to-back top-20 finishes, Purcell's looking to push on in this week's Turkish Airlines Open. 'The game has been feeling good lately,' said Purcell, who was 187th in the points list after six missed cuts in his first eight events but now lies 127th. 'Getting competitive reps consistently is important, and I'm just looking to keep the ball rolling now in Turkey.' Like Purcell, Penge (26) is a HotelPlanner Tour graduate, and he's now set for his third Major appearance at next month's PGA Championship. His win helped him finish third in the Asian Swing rankings to earn one of three spots at Quail Hollow alongside Japan's Keita Nakajima and Spain's Eugenio Chacarra, who finished first and second in the list. 'This obviously means the world to me,' Penge said. 'It's something that I've always dreamt of achieving – winning on the biggest stage.' Leona Maguire's quest for a maiden Major win continues after she tied for 68th in The Chevron Championship in Texas. After carding rounds of 75 and 71 to make the two-over cut on the mark at The Club at Carlton Woods, she closed with two 75s to finish on eight over.
