Stunning New Home For AGW Home Internationals & Celebrating 25 Years.

A NEW HOME FOR THE HOME INTERNATIONALS – David Facey.

Some of the world’s leading golf writers will try to show the Ryder Cup stars how the game should be played, as their own match-play competition celebrates its silver anniversary in style this year.

Twenty five years after the Association of Golf Writers launched the Home Internationals – featuring six-man teams from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales – the event will move to Turkey.

That is due to the generosity of Turkish Airlines – who have become greatly -appreciated friends and supporters of the AGW – and the Maxx Royal Belek Golf Resort.

The four teams usually take turns to act as hosts, and it has been played at some of the best-known courses in Britain and Ireland, including Ryder Cup venues Celtic Manor and The K Club.

The golfing hacks – or hackers! – have also competed over a host of courses used for European Tour events, including Close House, the venue for this year’s British Masters, and Dundonald Links, which hosted the 2017 Scottish Open.

But a special anniversary required a special venue and the Montgomerie course at the Maxx Royal, which has become established as one of the world’s most luxurious golf resorts, certainly fits the bill.

The all-suites, all-inclusive hotel has won a host of awards since it opened in 2011, and has just undergone a multi-million pound refurbishment to raise the standards of service and  accommodation to new levels.

In addition, the resort’s championship golf course – designed by eight-times European champion golfer Colin Montgomerie – hosted the Turkish Airlines Open three years in succession.

It deservedly earned widespread applause  from the world’s top golfers, including Tiger Woods, and with nine of the holes now floodlit, it is an even more attractive proposition for players of all levels.

It also has an obvious connection with the golf writers, who have penned thousands of words about course architect Montgomerie over the years!

Montgomerie has showed incredible staying power, and is still making headlines – as a double Major champion on the Sernior circuit.

But nobody could have imagined the Home Internationals event would enjoy the same longevity when it was first held in 1992, at the windswept St Margaret’s course just outside Dublin as the brainchild of one of Ireland’s most respected golfing figures, Pat Ruddy.

As well as being one of Ireland’s best-loved golf writers, Ruddy is also a famous course architect. His designs include Druids Glen, Ballyliffin, Donegal and Sandy Hill Links., and his masterpiece, the European Club near Dublin, where Tiger Woods holds the course record.

Pat is delighted his vision for bringing his peers together to test their own playing skills is still being pursued.

Only the prospect of a fourth hip operation has prevented Ruddy from joining the army of scribes boarding the flights arranged by Europe’s No 1 airline, Turkish Airlines, for a trip to the Maxx Royal.

Even though he cannot be part of the 25^th anniversary celebrations, Ruddy was only too happy to recall how he set the golf ball rolling a quarter of a century ago.

He said: “As a golf-writer who fanatically admired every writer of my age and every other one – and who loved the opportunity to mingle a little with the scribes, it seemed to me that it would be great to have an annual golf match, with social activities added.

“The dream became a possibility when my parallel activity as a golf course designer, and later a course owner, took shape.

“A party needs a venue and money, and I had the key to both of these elements. I had St. Margaret’s Opening in 1992, Druids Glen opening in 1994 and my own European Club already opened.

So it took just ten seconds to get each on-board as hosts for the Golf Writers’ Home Internationals. And the finest golf reporters of their generation – including Peter Dobreiner, Peter Corrigan, Colm Smith, John Hopkins, Michael McDonnell, and Jock McVicar, John Hopkins and others – ensured that the best teams were fielded by each nation.

“As with this year’s wonderful sponsors, flights and hotels were put in place and efforts were made to make it a true gala, with a flag-raising ceremony to start the proceedings.

“I was delighted with the reaction at the first event in 1992 when we had the Artane Boys’ Band play the anthems and do some rousing marching before the games began at St. Margarets.

“Now, understand, the Artane Band is BIG in Ireland as it plays before all the big matches in Croke Park, including the football and hurling finals. They are magnificent.   No wonder the players were wired to the moon going to the tee.

“Everyone got logoed sweaters and shirts in their national colours, Titleist golf balls for all, other gifts and big dinners both nights with top Irish entertainers singing and telling jokes.

“The format was Greensomes (Scotch Foursomes) with one round on day one after the players had arrived in town and two rounds on day two.  We still play Greensomes, but rather than a round robin format we play a straight knockout – two semi-finals followed by a final and a third-fourth place play-off.

“It is a worthy event which helps to bond a hard-working group of writers and I regret that we didn’t fund an annual collection of short-stories by those playing – not about the event, just an annual book by those who care about good story-telling.

 “I am delighted that the event I envisioned continues to attract great support, and to provide a golfing spectacle that can only be described as unique.

“Good luck in Turkey, and my thanks to everyone who has helped to keep this wonderful tradition going.”