IT'S a major challenge for golf clubs to survive in the current harsh climate – both in terms of the recession and bad weather – and it doesn't help that barely a ball was struck in anger in the first 12 days of 2010.

When the Celtic Tiger was in full swing, it was the driving force that saw hundreds of new courses open across the nation, but now some clubs are having to be pro-active to keep their heads above water.

Take the case of Seapoint, which is openly advertising special rates to boost membership – and the message from the club's recently appointed general manager John Shortt is that there's never been a better time to join.

'I was doing sales and marketing for Golf Digest when I heard there was a position up here from the director of golf at Failte Ireland,' he recalled.

'Having known the club for a long long time and made innumerable visits there, I was aware it had lost its lustre a little bit. There's a huge furore when a new club opens and there have been so many that they have depleted the market.

'I wouldn't say that Seapoint had been forgotten, but it wasn't near the top of the list for a lot of people, so I saw it as a good opportunity to go in and bring the club back to where it should be.'

For John, the key during his three months at the helm has been to make the club a friendlier environment – an issue he feels needs to be addressed across the hospitality industry.

'What I'm trying to do is bring back a customer service ethic and get more of a sales focus going.

'The Céad Mile Fáilte has disappeared in many places – not just golf courses but restaurants and hotels too. We have become more continental and moved away from the Irishness.

'I want to get the message across that Seapoint is open for business, we do want you to come and will welcome you when you do come.

'The club is owned by the members, but it's a community asset and we are getting proactive in terms of promoting the club and making people aware the club is there.

'Baltray is the best course in the region, but Seapoint was rated number 27 in Ireland in an independent poll last year and the next best in the area is 85th, so people should be thinking about Seapoint.'

As an incentive, Seapoint are currently offering what they see as a recession-busting annual membership rate.

'People just don't have the money to spend on a share of the club, so we've come up with this membership which comes with the same playing privileges and the same access for e1,500 which is very, very good value.

'It's a links course, playable all year round – although at the moment we're shut because of the snow – and you can walk straight off the course without getting muck on your clothes.

'The only differences with this membership are that you can't sit on committees or become captain, and you don't have voting rights at the agm.'

The Seapoint links, which backs on to County Louth Golf Club, is a testing 7,150-yard Par 72 course set on 260 acres, designed by Des Smyth and Declan Branigan, and Declan is still involved with the day-today running of the course.

John explained: 'He is contracted to the club and maintains the course. Declan and his staff are on site 365 days a year and we are always in discussion with him about changes to the course.

'That could be adding new bunkers or making changes to holes, like we did with the 18th last October.'

Somewhere along the line, John would like to play a bit more himself – for he needs the practice!

'I was bitten by the golf bug in my early teens and got my handicap down to about 10, but now I'm a very bad 16 and going in the wrong direction.

'One of the disadvantages of working in golf is that you get lots of invitations to play but have little opportunity to take them up.'

Among John's targets for 2010 are to attract more overseas visitors, be more proactive in terms of 'addressing membership issues', increase the membership base and encourage use of the bar and restaurant where a threecourse Sunday lunch costs e15.

'We have picked up a lot of new members and we do have a limit on the number we take. We are in the process of interviewing a significant number of people and when we got to our threshold level we have to stop.

'The most important thing is to change the perception of the club, and if we get back to the Céad Mile Fáilte that's the beginning of the road. Seapoint is very well positioned and has huge potential.'

Perhaps, then, the notion that this links course could follow in the footsteps of its Baltray neighbour and stage the Irish Open Championship is a realistic one?

'I don't see why not. Darren Clarke played here last year and was quoted as saying that Seapoint is capable of holding any major tournament right now – that's coming from a European Tour golfer.

'It's ready if we were to get a major tournament, and in the long term we would love to. It's just a case of seeing how the club develops over the next few years.'

- Marcus CAVAROLI