While the 2027 Junior Ryder Cup will showcase Ballyneety to the world, the extensive renovation project is ultimately about giving members a top-quality, sustainable course for generations to come.
When renowned golf course designer Ken Kearney developed his masterplan for Ballyneety Golf Club in 2022, he knew that at his fingertips lay the potential to create one of the finest championship golf courses around.
Indeed, this 1994 Des Smyth design has been restored into one of Ireland’s premier parkland courses and was recently named the 2025 Great Britain and Ireland Golf Course of the Year.
The story of Ballyneety’s recovery is well documented, but since its reopening, the club has undergone a major renovation project that began in 2021. Kearney, Head Greenkeeper Dave Bailey and his team, and General Manager John Leamy will reap the rewards when the club hosts the Junior Ryder Cup next year. Yet the work being undertaken will leave a lasting legacy and ensure a top-quality golf course.
After a comprehensive drainage of the fairways in 2022, Kearney’s masterplan was implemented with a strong focus on bunker reconstruction. This was followed by the restoration and expansion of the lakes, overseeding of fairways, and the introduction of brown-top bentgrass to predominantly fescue greens.
“What we are doing in terms of overseeding the fairways, introducing new grass on the greens – the bunker project is almost complete – and the bunkers will make everyone sit up and take notice. It is an eco-friendly bunker with a turf fold-over design, which hasn’t been seen before. When fully opened, people will be pleasantly surprised,” said Leamy.
This project has been a labour of love for Bailey, who joined the club from Adare Manor. He and his team have been heavily motivated by Ballyneety’s commitment to improvement.
“We knew we would have to up our game with overseeding the fairways. We did that last year, and we will continue this year. We have moved to granular applications on the fairways to enhance our top dressing. Anything I’ve proposed to the committee has been approved because it’s all being invested in the right areas of the course.
“The greens have traditionally been fescue-based, and we introduced bentgrass last year. They will become firm, links-style greens – a different style for a parkland course – but this keeps them firm and reduces the risk of disease.
“The club is fully supportive; we are saving on fungicides and don’t need to spray as much. Anything we propose is accepted with open arms, which is a massive plus.
“The biggest outlay was for the bunkers. Extensive drainage had been done on seven holes before my time, and nowadays the course is bone dry.”
Kearney played a pivotal role in the bunker restoration project. It wasn’t just about repairing existing bunkers – he relocated some, altered their angles, and gave the course a fresh perspective. This was key in transforming a members’ club into a true championship test.
“The brief was to make the golf course as good and challenging as possible. The skeleton of the course was solid from when Des Smyth designed it.
“The bunkering wasn’t just about remodelling the existing bunkers. We wanted to make them more relevant for the championship player, the tournament player, or the stronger player, while keeping them playable for the regular golfer.
“A lot of the fairway bunkers were positioned at the edges to catch errant shots, whereas we moved them to be more strategic, placing them in the fairway at different angles to make you think about your tee shots.
“We moved some of the greenside bunkers two or three metres, creating a very different aesthetic.”
This year marks the next stage of the project. Eight new tee complexes will be built for the Junior Ryder Cup, while the irrigation system and clubhouse have undergone extensive improvements.
“Tees will be the big focus for us. We are levelling a lot of tee boxes for the Junior Ryder Cup and adding five or six more to increase the yardage to 7,000 yards,” said Bailey on the year’s largest undertaking.
“Irrigation has also been a major project. I recruited a new assistant, Dean Gillane, who came from Adare and brings a wealth of experience in irrigation construction, which is another massive plus for the club.”
Ballyneety has, some might say, risen from the ashes, and the 2027 Junior Ryder Cup will showcase this stunning parkland course on the world stage. Yet the fruits of this extensive project will benefit future generations and ensure the club’s long-term success.
“It’s about more than the Ryder Cup. The Junior Ryder Cup is a huge accolade, and we are delighted to host it, but this is ultimately for the members. When building a golf course for the future, that’s what it’s all about,” Kearney concluded.
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