Irish Stars to play in Adare Manor curtain-raiser

As part of a stunning new design at the Limerick-based course, Adare Manor is hosting a charity event to celebrate its opening.

Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, Shane Lowry and Paul McGinley will hit the inaugural tee-shots at the new Adare Manor Golf Course.

The Course is due to open this month, having been closed since 2016. The multi-million pound renovation is nearing its completion.

The Championship course first opened in 1995. It has undergone expansive reconstruction over the past two years and is due to host four of Irish golf's most prestigious names.

Horse-owner and former Manchester United shareholder, J.P. McManus, was given the green light to renovate the 17th Century manor and its surrounding golf course.

The Manor overlooks several of the holes to create a picturesque back-drop for the closing stretch.

The responsibility of reconstructing the golf course fell upon legendary designer, Tom Fazio. He has designed more than 120 courses worldwide, including Quail Hollow, which hosted last year's PGA Championship.

Fazio has created a unique masterpiece. Adare Manor will be the first golf course in Europe to feature greens with bentgrass. Its location on the River Maigue means the 7,500 yard course will present plenty of tough challenges, with 14 holes in danger of water.

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The course has previously hosted the Irish Open in 2007 and 2008. However, the new design provides a completely different proposition.

Lead designer, Fazio, said: "Most golfers will never have seen anything like this course. This will be the standout course in Europe. Everyone is going to want to see this place."

Padraig Harrington won the Irish Open at Adare Manor in 2007 echoed Fazio's claim. saying: "I think the re-opening of this golf course has been incredibly anticipated by all golfers in Ireland…It’s definitely going to be on the bucket list.”

McIlroy, Harrington, McGinley and Lowry, who have over 66 professional wins between them, are competing in a charity match worth €500,000. The winners will donate €350,000 to their charity of choice in a pairs matchplay exhibition.

Shane Lowry is excited to be part of the event, hailing the quality of the golf course. He said: "The greens are as quick as any tournament we play in Europe… 100% you could play a tournament here tomorrow.

Course owner, McManus, has expressed his desire to host a Ryder Cup in the future. He said: "The Ryder Cup is a very very big ask, and like every other golf club in Ireland, we’d be delighted to host the Ryder Cup, it’s one of (my) long term dreams"