Golf's Greatest Holes

Rob Smith talks to Paul McGinley about course design and his forthcoming TV series, where he plays some of the world’s best holes

- Paul McGinley

As a golf architecture enthusiast, I was excited to spend some time with Paul McGinley at Sunningdale in the summer in order to discuss an exciting new project and his views on course design. The catalyst was that the former Ryder Cup captain and Sky Sports pundit had recently filmed the first of what is hoped to be a number of TV series featuring some of the greatest holes in world golf.

Aside from tournament coverage, there has been little on television here that shows off some of the amazing golf holes you can find in all corners of the world. Nothing has really been dedicated to the subject, but happily that is changing with a new series on Sky TV devised and presented by Paul and BBC personality Chris Hollins. It is the brainchild of the 2009 Strictly Come Dancing winner Hollins, a single-figure handicapper whose passion for golf sparked the idea.

The inaugural series was filmed in Ireland and Northern Ireland this spring and will comprise six 30-minute episodes. In it, the two presenters play selected holes at fabulous courses such as Royal County Down, Ballyliffin, Adare Manor, Rosapenna and Lahinch. As they go, they talk about each hole’s design, setting, history and anything else that is relevant. Future series are expected to be filmed in the USA, the Caribbean, Australia and Europe, and more than 20 broadcasters have committed to screen the series across 160 countries with a potential audience of up to 500 million.