Tell us about your business and what you do.
We are Seapoint Golf club in Termofeckin ,a links course that is rated among the top 100 courses in Ireland . Created in the 1990s it was intended as a resort type community with homes and Golf Links on the Louth coastline. The East Coast of Ireland has perhaps been not as well promoted as the wild Atlantic way and the beautiful coasts of Cork and Kerry but in recent years Golf
Tourism is growing and our location close to Dublin is attracting increasing numbers of Domestic and International Tourists.
Golf Tourism is especially good in that it is a form of sustainable tourism that has a low impact on the environment especially in Coastal Areas . Louth and the surrounding counties are blessed with a number of excellent golf courses and along with our proximity to Dublin, we have all the ingredients to build a sizable visitor base of domestic and international tourists who will come for
the golf but stay for the Food ,Drinks ,Shopping and the amazing cultural and historical venues in this part of Ireland .
Q. What do you think has been your biggest achievement with the business?
The Club had ambitious plans for expansion some years ago which then ran into some difficulties. The future looked very uncertain until the current owners were able to step in. Now the future is much brighter with recent investment of over a million Euro in the Club house and soon to be
further investments in the course and facilities. Jobs have been secured and there is a future for the business as it builds its profile. Seapoint golf club recently announced it would be hosting the Irish seniors Open in June 2023 and in honour of it taking place here in Louth, it will be called the Irish Legends Tour. This will bring domestic and international visitors to Drogheda and the surrounding areas and build this areas reputation for tourism.
Q. Tell us one thing people might not know about the business.
The Course and development were originally the brain child of local man Des Smyth, a legend in the Irish and European golf world. Many people will be aware of Baltray Golf Course that adjoins Seapoint golf club and has a history going back over one hundred years. Seapoint was seen as the first of a new style of Golf resort for Ireland when it was built so it was blazing a trail even back in the 1990s. Now as it starts to come into its own, it will together with other courses in the area be part of a new wave of sustainable tourism that will be unique to Ireland .
Irelands ancient east already has a great cultural story with many historical sites, we are now adding a golf element to the mix which will make this a destination that has amazing things to do when you vacation. Overseas tourists recognize that they view Ireland as a place to visit for
cultural and increasingly sporting reasons and now we can fulfil that need in this area.
Q. What is the best piece of business advice you’ve ever been given?
Cut your greens not corners.