THE PGA

It has been the ambition of the PGA for a number of years to create and develop a spiritual home for the PGA in Ireland where we could establish a centre of excellence for golf.

The criteria for choosing a suitable golf venue as our partner was rigorous and this meant that only a course deemed by experts to be in the top ten in Ireland would be considered.

From the start of our search it was clear that Palmerstown House met all of our requirements and quickly became our preferred choice. As you will hopefully experience for yourself the reasons for this were abundantly clear. Its location, the layout of the golf course, the facilities and the unique ambience of the setting all contributed to Palmerstown House being chosen.

The golf course at Palmerstown House is one of the best new courses I have visited in recent years and I believe it will not be long before it is hosting some of the world's most prestigious golf events. Palmerstown House is a welcome addition to the existing PGA family which includes Gleneagles in Scotlland and The Belfry in England. I believe the whole Palmerstown House experience is something that golfers will treasure for a lifetime.

Sandy Jones
Chief Executive, PGA

The PGA is the oldest organisation of its type in the world and the Association is very conscious of its position as a leader and proudly guards its claim that the words "The Professional Golfers Association" shall at all times mean honesty, integrity, fair dealing and courtesy. Indeed the original founders of The PGA in 1901 were J H Taylor, Harry Vardon and James Braid and they are often commonly referred to as The Great Triumvirate. They are now part of golf folklore and there legacy continues to prosper.

One of the main aims of the Association is the training of its current members through the Continuing Professional Development Programme and also the training of future members through an intensive three year training programme. The PGA now has over 5,000 qualified professionals, who between them employ just under 1,000 registered trainees.

From its headquarters at The Belfry the association administers all aspects of its affairs and these include the training and further education of professional golfers and assistants, membership services and the organisation of tournaments at national level including the prestigious Ryder Cup (a joint venture between the PGA and the European Tour). The PGA also has seven regional headquarters located throughout Great Britain and Ireland that attend to members needs and organise their own tournament circuits.