‘C’mon Bernadette. You Can Play From The Ladies Tees’.
It was Monday morning July 8th, 2002 when I joined a group of journalists attending the official opening of Doonbeg Golf Club.
The night before we had been bused over from the K. Club soon after Swede Soren Hansen at the Fota Island course in Cork.
Overnight accommodation had been arranged for two nights for the media ahead of teeing-up on the fabulous-looking latest edition to Irish golf and also being in attendance on the Tuesday when Norman and Padraig Harrington played a match-play as the official course-opening ceremony.
C’MON BERDARDETTE. YOU CAN PLAY FROM THE LADIES TEE …
In 2002 & the offfical opening @TrumpDoonbeg as fellow #Aussie Greg Norman @SharkGregNorman takes the proverbial out of Bernie @TOURMISS when Bernie’s listed as ‘Bernardette’ on the tee sheet
Read:… pic.twitter.com/PYoAMoEnwI
— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) September 8, 2026
Norman and Harrington played four holes each with the media over our 18 holes. Harrington was already a four-time European Tour champion.
However, imagine my surprise when I learned my name on the official drawsheet had me listed as ‘Bernardette McGuire’ and not Bernie McGuire.
I was soon receiving ‘stick’ from all my media colleagues but it was nothing like the welcome I received from Norman, who was standing on the first tee awaiting to welcome my playing partners in legendary Irishman Charlie Mulqueen and American Mike Purkey from Golf Magazine.
A smiling Norman spotted me saying: “Now c’mon Bernadette. You should play off the Ladies Tee”.
Putting aside the embarrassment, I joined Norman, Charlie and Mike off the same tee and remembering that before tee-off there was two wet-suited guys carrying surf boards scurrying across the opening fairway headed for Doonbeg beach.
Much to my enormous relief I drove pass the ladies tee, proudly finding the right side of the fairway but the joking at my expense went on for all four holes before ‘The Shark’ joined another group.
A standout highlight that day was Mike Purdy acing the stunning par-3 14th, the first official ‘ace’ at Doonbeg. My other partner that morning Charlie walked off the same hole with a birdie.
The former and first version of the 14th hole at Doonbeg that was wiped out in an Atlantic storm
Not only did an Atlantic storm wipe-out the 14th hole but just a few months after Donald Trump had purchased the course and storms seriously damaged another 10 holes were damaged.
The continuing storm damage moved Trump into arranging for Martin Hawtree, who had been recommended by former R&A CEO, Peter Dawson to redesign Trump Turnberry, to alter the 11 affected holes ahead of the 2015 season and the remaining seven to be in place for 2016.
Ah, all very fond memories and thanks Greg for the winding-up (smiling).
