Join sports presenter Graham Little as he charts the rise and success of golf in Northern Ireland over the last decade, culminating in The 148th Open at Royal Portrush in July 2019.
In a half-hour TV programme ‘Teed Up: Northern Ireland’s Golfing Revolution’, to be broadcast on Virgin Media 3 this weekend, Graham travels around Northern Ireland to assess the impact of an extraordinary last ten years for NI golf and considers what the next ten years might have in store.
Along the way, Graham meets leading celebrities including Jamie Dornan, Niall Horan, Jodie Kidd and James Nesbitt, who discuss how golf, and The Open in particular, has transformed perceptions of Northern Ireland and boosted tourism and investment in the region.
The last decade has seen a revolution in Northern Ireland golf. Northern Ireland has the world’s number one golfer in Rory McIlroy and also boasts some of the world’s most renowned golf courses, such as Royal Portrush and Royal County Down.
The region’s best players won an astounding 6 majors in 5 seasons, the Irish Open came to Northern Ireland three times, and golf’s original major championship, The Open, returned to Northern Ireland in a watershed moment last July, with Ireland’s Shane Lowry winning the coveted title.
It is estimated that The Open generated more than £100 million of economic benefit for Northern Ireland, and attracted over 237,750 fans from across the world, a record attendance for a Championship staged outside of St Andrews.
The programme explores the history of Northern Irish golf, how it has a global impact far beyond its size, and the plans for further world class tournaments and investment in the years ahead – all of which show Northern Ireland truly is ‘Made for Golf.’
‘Teed Up: Northern Ireland’s Golfing Revolution’, commissioned by Tourism Northern Ireland, will be broadcast on Virgin Media 3 at 7pm on Sunday 29 March.