Business acumen is an increasingly important factor in golf, Ryder Cup star tells Emmet Oliver

The legendary US golfer Bobby Jones once said golf was a game played on a five-inch course - the distance between the ears.

All the great players certainly seem to share a robust psychological make-up and Paul McGinley's putt, which won the Ryder Cup at the Belfry in 2002, displayed his mental strength.

But sporting steel will only carry you so far. Business acumen is increasingly becoming a more prized commodity in such a money-driven sport.

While many of today's professional golfers took up their clubs at a very young age, McGinley took a more circuitous route to success. His roots are in business - he has a diploma in marketing from DIT, and a degree in international business from University of San Diego, California.

It was by accident, McGinley says, that he ended up playing golf professionally.

"I left school, went to college - golf wasn't even on the horizon. But at 19 I broke my knee, smashed my kneecap, I was on crutches for nine months. That was the end of my football. I then started to play golf for 12 months of the year, as opposed to just three. I got my handicap down pretty good, worked for a year. Then I thought, you know I am good at this golf, I wonder could I make a career out of it?"

With worldwide winnings last year of about € 3 million, several lucrative sponsorship deals and a embryonic business in golf course architecture, McGinley is increasingly having to think like a businessman.

The intersection of business and sport will be most pronounced this September when the world's largest golfing event touches down on a course near the small Kildare town of Straffan. The Ryder Cup is the biggest sporting event ever staged in Ireland. It will be a big showcase for Ireland and business life here. The golf tourism market in the US, for instance, is worth $19.5 billion (€16.1 billion); in Europe it is worth $2.75 billion. Ireland will hope in the long term to get an increased share of this via the Ryder Cup. Why? Because the typical profile of the golfer is male, 35 to 45 of age, in the ABC1 socio-economic category, with an average household income of $50,000 per annum.

All of this makes the Ryder Cup a key global sporting property. It is understood that to be a partner of the Ryder Cup will cost a company $2.5 million and there are six companies at partner level. To be a sponsor, of which there are 10, costs up to $1.5 million.

McGinley says getting the tournament here is a great triumph for corporate Ireland. "You have to give credit to Michael Smurfit, Padraig O'hUiginn and the tourist board. They are the ones who saw the potential for the Ryder Cup, the exposure Ireland would be getting and, as a result, they went after it very vigorously."

He is confident the traffic, security and logistics surrounding the event will work like a treat. Sponsors will be getting value for money, he says, and all corporate seats are already sold out.

"Tickets are obviously like hen's teeth, it's a huge corporate thing... there is a lot of money available, people want to be involved. The K Club has been a hugely successful place, properties have been sold on the back of the Ryder Cup. There is already merchandise made up. It's a big, big corporate deal."

The marketing of golf interests McGinley. Up to now, golf has been a "high end, snobbish, well- to-do" sport. Things are changing, with Tiger Woods bringing the sport into the heart of the African American community in the US, he says. The endlessly changing hairstyles of English golfer Ian Poulter also helps break down barriers.

"We want to get away from this high-end snobbish value that golf has had over the years," he adds. This new inclusivity, real or imagined, is also going to help the Ryder Cup, he says, particularly for those watching on television.

Those with subscriptions to Sky Sports will have no problem come September, but the Taoiseach is adamant the event should be shown live on free-to- air television, most likely on RTÉ. BSkyB has the live rights to the event in Ireland and is likely to resist; however, there is a big political campaign to have the event "designated" as a free-to- air event in legislation.

McGinley wants to see a practical solution to the problem. "There are two sides to the coin ... the European Tour negotiated a deal and part of that deal was with Sky television. So there are contracts in place. But from my point of view and from an Irish point of view this is going to be the biggest sporting occasion I'll ever see in my lifetime in Ireland.

"It's the third-biggest sporting event in the world in terms of viewing figures. A billion people watched it the last time, and there'll be more people watching this time. So I want as many people as possible in Ireland to have it." But it's easier said than done, he says.

"Outside of Ireland I think people can pay as much as they want to watch it, that's not an issue. Here in Ireland I would like to see it being made available. However that does come at a price. I'll leave that to the politicians and the European Tour to sort out. I would like to think a compromise would be made between the European Tour, Sky and the Government as to what's going to happen," he says.

His views carry some weight considering he is on the players' committee of the European Tour.

Asked if this should involve some form of compensation, McGinley says: "Yes. Compensation, I'm sure. They're the experts, I'm sure they can resolve something between them."

McGinley knows professional golfers have a limited shelf-life, and need an exit strategy. He believes he has one - golf course architecture. He is currently building a course in Macreddin, Co Wicklow.

"[ This] will open more doors in the future ... certainly in another five or six years, when I start to wind down my career. It's an area of business I really want to get into, because it combines golf, being out in the open air and also business acumen."

In relation to golf courses, however, McGinley believes the golf industry in Ireland is getting it wrong. "One of the bees I have in my bonnet at the moment is modern golf course course architecture ... I want to bring it back to the old traditions, bring it back to the fun element of the game that I certainly grew up with.

"Nowadays the courses are being designed too difficult, too long, too challenging. The average handicap in the world is 17. Golf courses now are being built for very low single-figure handicappers. I think they've got it wrong. I want to design a golf course that is challenging for me, but also allows the amateur and the lady golfer can get around it too. I think there is a big market for that," he says.

His main sponsor is Allianz Ireland, which has invested heavily in golf sponsorship and is underwriting the risk of the Ryder Cup event in Ireland. Investec, the South African bank, and health insurer Bupa are among McGinley's other sponsors.

As part of these sponsorships he plays golf with staff from the companies and their clients. He also gives golf clinics. He enjoys this work. "Because of my business background I learn a lot, I pick up a lot," he says.

McGinley also gives motivational talks to corporate clients. It usually has one central message. "I'm 39 years of age now... it has taken 14 years to reach a proficient level in my game, where I know my game, where I know my business. I bring that back to business, I say how long did it take you to understand your business or your profession or at least have a good understanding of it? It takes a while to know your business no matter what business you are in."