Sir, - On behalf of all the members of Ballyliffin Golf Club, I wish to place on record that we take the gravest exception to the remark made by one of your golf correspondents in your issue of Tuesday, 7th September (Irish Women's Open) that "it seems Ballyliffin, where Sophie Gustafson won last year, is considered too remote for the average golf fan". I certainly do not know where your anonymous contributor obtains this patently ill-informed information; it certainly cannot be from the many thousands of highly satisfied, and enthused "average golfers" who visit our widely acclaimed courses in ever increasing numbers.
For his/her benefit let me point out the following:
- Ballyliffin is not materially further from Dublin than Ballybunion or Killarney.
- The airports and ports in Belfast, Larne and Derry make us more accessible to many tourists, including golfers, than any other part of the country.
- The neighbouring links courses in Portrush, Portstewart and Castlerock, not to mention the 17 other quality courses in Donegal, make Ballyliffin a natural venue for an extended golfing trip or the staging of any golfing event/competition.
- With absolutely no disrespect whatsoever to Rosapenna, it is hard to fathom how Ballyliffin could be considered to be any more remote, as is the clear implication.
Finally, let me state that this type of remark is considered very damaging to all our efforts to promote tourism in Inishowen and in particular golf tourism in the peninsula and indeed the wider golfing hinterland. - Yours, etc.,
Frank Logue, Captain, Ballyliffin Golf Club, Ballyliffin, Inishowen, Co Donegal.