Episode 18: Professor Paul Rouse - tracing the origin of golf in Ireland

The Firm & Fast Golf Podcast

Professor Paul Rouse from University College Dublin joins us on this episode to trace the origin story of Irish golf.

Commentators often erroneously pair the games' development in Ireland to that of Scotland - in this episode we explore how its' development in Ireland has more commonalities with the development trajectory in England than that exhibited in Bonnie Scotland.

From Elias de Butts documented efforts in 1762 on common land in Bray, Co. Wicklow, to the Scottish/Military influence through the Curragh Camp in Kildare, the Royal Clubs of Belfast, Dublin, Down and Portrush and onwards to the real golf boom in the late 1890's and onwards into the next few decades.

How the Great War, 1916 Rising and the Irish civil war changed Ireland and its' golf clubs forever, not to mention the more recent new club boom and the democratisation of golf that accompanied the rise and subsequent economic fall of the Celtic Tiger, Floridian resort golf 'Irish Style', the Ryder Cup and where the game goes from here.

Many thanks for tuning in, we hope you enjoy the show!

Special Guest: Professor Paul Rouse.