Ireland’s greatest single day Pro-Am on August 5th. An even bigger prize fund this year of €16,500, and 50 teams set to play.
Like the previous year, the event will be held in Portmarnock Links. mac are delighted to not only be staging our event at this location, but also to be the biggest single day Pro-Am the PGA experiences annually. The mac group Pro-Am kicks off a week of competitive golf at Portmarnock Links – The Festival of Golf.
The Portmarnock Links were designed by German professional golfer, Bernhard Langer. Langer is a two-time Masters champion and was one of the world’s leading golfers throughout the 1980s and 1990s. After years of success, Langer decided to make the career move from golf player to golf designer. His course design has been described as “Everything a links course should be” by Golf World Magazine. It has since held numerous golfing events varying from amateur to professional, such as the 2008 and 2009 Ladies Irish Open. As you can imagine, this course is as impressive as it sounds!
mac Brand Ambassador, David Higgins, will be in attendance at this year’s Pro-Am. As the official golfing representative of mac-group and the champion of the 2017 event, David reflects on his experience of last year’s event and how he’s looking forward to the long-awaited day in August.
I am really looking forward to the 2019 mac-group Pro-Am at the Portmarnock Links, as it’s always a day to remember. The combination of one of Ireland’s finest links courses and the passion and professionalism of the mac-group team, makes this the biggest one day Pro-Am on the Irish PGA schedule. I have no doubt that the bar will be raised once again this year.
David Higgins
This year, professional golfer, Conor Russell; the club professional at Portmarnock, will be helping out with the preparations for the big day. Conor has been a big help in organising mac’s event of the year. After working in the golf industry since 1996, Conor brings years of knowledge, experience and advice to the table. Conor has recently made a great addition to Portmarnock Links and an even greater addition to the annual event.
Portmarnock Links is a truly great links course. The recent investment in the course has brought it back to its very best. I believe the course, coupled with the recently refurbished hotel makes it an ideal base for the many golfers who come to Ireland to play links golf.
Conor Russell
The competition is more heated than ever before, especially considering the recent addition of the impressive mac-group Pro-Am trophy. The trophy is striking in appearance, resembling an antique distillery pot. This design is in acknowledgement to Jameson Whiskey and their historic connection to Portmarnock. This long association began between the Jameson family and Portmarnock when John Jameson III, the grandson of the founder of the Jameson Distillery on Bow Street, moved to St. Marnocks in 1847. John brought two magnificent portraits to Portmarnock house by the Scottish artist Sir Henry Raeburn, of his grandparents, John and Margaret Johnson, of which replicas still hang in Portmarnock’s hotel bar today. The Jameson family crest and the motto ‘Sine Metu,’ Latin for ‘Without Fear’; the emblem and slogan that is carried on every bottle of Jameson produced, is also incorporated into the building’s design. John’s son, John Jameson IV, also went on to become the president of the local Golf Club at Portmarnock. Ultimately, mac deemed it appropriate to give a nod to the ever-lasting mark the Jameson family have left on Portmarnock House and their Golfing association.
The mac trophy is on display in Portmarnock and will be a perpetual record for the years to come of this annually, highly anticipated day.
But enough with the history lesson, this trophy and more could be yours! In addition, we are also offering a prize of a high-end luxury car for whoever can get a hole in 1 at hole 17! Think you’ve got what it takes? Sign up today! It’s time to whip out your best golfing shoes and your Big Dog and give it your best shot at this year’s mac-group Pro-Am! So, rally some team members and come down to Portmarnock Links on August 5th. As the saying goes: “To find a man’s true character, play golf with him.”
