The extent of Ryder Cup hype in Ireland is at levels that should embarrass any self-respecting country and the already-underway backlash has even drawn in the US Ambassador, James Kenny (incidentally, the Irish media finally seem to have caught up to a BOBW exclusive from 2 months ago, that he's leaving the job). Kenny, not hiding his devotion to one of a diplomat's most important jobs -- golf --, has drawn attention to the practice of courses throughout the island increasing the price on Ryder Cup weekend for a round of golf:
"Some of the courses are doubling their fees for the Ryder Cup or for the summer, just because it's Ryder Cup year," U.S. Ambassador to Ireland James Kenny said. "That isn't real welcoming for Americans who might want to come back" ... While clubs such as Ballybunion in Kerry aren't raising greens fees, others are applying weekend rates for the Ryder Cup week. The Royal County Down course, ranked the world's ninth-best by Golf Magazine, is raising prices by as much as 27 percent; Dublin Bay's Royal Dublin club by 13 percent.
"We are charging a little extra, but there's extra costs involved," said Paul Muldowney, Royal Dublin's chief executive. "There will be a lot of people who will have to be in work earlier and obviously they will have to be paid for that."
Now who knows: maybe the visiting golf fans that weekend really are suckers who'll pay a high price to be able to say that they played a round of golf in Ireland, but it's looking like the hype may have gotten ahead of market demand. The government is a willing participant in the boosterism, so bleatings of concern from ministers are simply laughable.
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