April was a great month for Golf as it is every year with The Masters. This year was special though. The play off between Bubba Watson and Louis (don’t ask me to pronounce it) Oosthuizen was as tense as I have seen it and I have watched every masters since Nick Faldo won it in 1989. He shot a 77 on the Saturday and then shot a 65 on the Sunday to force a three way play off with Crenshaw and Hoch. My mom was screaming for Faldo to win, don’t know if she is his greatest fan now but back then she was.
Similarly this year the excitement of a possible battle between Mickelson, Westwood, Oosthuizen and Bubba Watson, with eagles and double eagles and birdies being slotted in like they were playing a par three course. Bubba and Louis holding their own and force the 2 man play off. They both made par on 18 and then Bubba (Gerry) Watson pulled the shot of the tournament out of the bag on the 10th. Out of the trees, a 52degree wedge, 150 odd yards, (I’d normal hit an 
and he put it in middle of the green spinning off to the right. His fate was sealed. Oosthiuzen came up short and then chipped long and missed the putt by about a whisker. Bubba Watson, the 76th Master Champion and the 34th American to win it.
It is days like that make us remember why we love the game of golf. Watching two guys battle around a course for a Green Jacket. The most prestigious trophy in golf along with a cheque for $1.4million makes it a nice 4 days work but it’s all about the Green Jacket.
Wicklow Golf Resort
Come and play in Tulfarris, we don’t give out green jackets or cheques for $1.4million but our course is a challenge, the greens are super, the service is welcoming and the value can’t be beaten. Check on-line for our great Tulfarris Hotel & Golf Play, Stay and Dine Packages.
Remember, “golf for ever, work whenever”
Mark
Bubba’s shot to 10 on the second hole sudden death play-off.
It is the 1st of May and our championship golf course in Wicklow is closed, not my ideal way to welcome in the new summer but we can only look to the future. April was a terrible month for rain and snow and frost and all round brutal weather. We had an amazing April last year with only 31mil of rain compared with 104 this April. The cold weather has stunted growth, our trees aren’t in bloom, the grass isn’t growing but at least we don’t need our irrigation… 
May must be better, we have to have heat on the way, the golf course will dry up and our Play Stay and Dine packages will be flying out the door!
So we are well into spring and our wedding season has really kicked off. It is all go from now until the end of November. We have 96 weddings to the remainder of the year plus any new wedding bookings that are made. This is an amazing feat and I can only thank my team here in the Hotel for making it all happen, and so seamlessly!
Derek, Lillian, Kathryn and everyone else really do go that extra mile in making everything as perfect as our Bride and Grooms wish it to be and as perfect as I want it. The latter is less important but they know who’s boss…
We are surrounded by brides and grooms regularly but mid-January we had a more unusual enquiry. There was no bride. Now don’t going letting your mind run away with itself. It wasn’t a lonely groom looking for a bride, nor was it a gay wedding with no “bride” but it was a guy called Philip who had taken three stressful weeks off work to plan a wedding and put it on RTE for all to see.
“Don’t Tell the Bride” for those who don’t know is a show on RTE where the groom gets 3 weeks and €10,000 to plan and carry out his wife to be’s perfect wedding day.
It doesn’t seem to always go to plan but usually with hysterical results.
Philip unfortunately didn’t pick ourselves as it was just outside his budget constraints and didn’t want to forfeit his other wants for a more perfect Wicklow wedding venue but it was great to get some exposure and our old sales manager Louise did a stellar job in selling us on the small screen.
Of course this isn’t the first time Tulfarris has been on TV, the An Post advert filmed last year is still regularly shown. We had great time with the crew and it shows of the hotel beautifully.
So to end a note to all our Mother’s out there make sure you are extremely well looked after on the 18th. Maybe a stay over in Tulfarris is what you need? And for everyone else not long till Easter and the eventual end of the dreaded Lent. Which I gave up on after 11 seconds.
We only have a few rooms left over the Easter bank holiday weekend. If you’re planning a hotel break The Elk bar has live music on Good Friday or checkout our egg-cellent Easter Sunday break.
Good Afternoon one and all
At the end of January our beloved Sales Manager Louise left to go to pastures new and work with a rewarding charity in Dublin. This is something which is very close to Louise’s heart and since she hasn’t gone to any of our competition we wish her well I jest of course but this leaves me with the onerous task of writing my first blog for the hotel. Bear with me, I’m more of a tweeter but I will improve.
Weddings
So to begin, we were very excited about our short-listing for the weddingsonline “Best Wedding Venue for Leinster” but unfortunately we lost out to some great competition. The old adages of “what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger” or “next year will be our year” spring to mind. We are looking forward to a great year for weddings at Tulfarris with over 100 weddings booked in 2012. Lillian and Kathryn are working exceptionally hard and already planning 2013 Brides & Grooms dream days.
Spring Special Offers at Tulfarris
We have some great deals coming online in the next few days for relaxing short breaks in March and April so hopefully we will be welcoming you back to Tulfarris shortly.
Until then please have a great Paddy’s day and Good Luck to Ireland in the remainder of the 6 Nations. Unfortunately the loss to Wales has scuppered our chances of a grand slam or Triple Crown so like us with our ‘Weddingsonline’ award – There’s always next year.
Till next month,
Mark
PS: Don’t forget Mother’s Day on the 18th
The Christmas trees are up in Tulfarris and we are now steadily approaching the New Year! With 4 weddings left in 2011 we will soon be able to take a step back and reminisce over all we have achieved this year. Who would have thought back in May 2009 when Tulfarris reopened its doors that in the year 2011 we would have been host to 99 weddings!
Back on that day that when Tulfarris opened its doors, we firmly believed the resort had the potential to be one of Ireland’s top wedding venues. Our aim was not to be thought of as just another hotel but as a 4 star wedding venue and who could have anticipated how quickly that would happen.
We reopened our doors with 9 weddings on the books for 2009, we finished the year with 22. Our first full year of trading 2010, saw us host to 75 weddings, followed by a very strong 2011 with 99 weddings. For 2012 we are 15% ahead on our wedding bookings than we were at this time last year. In February 2011 we were selected as one of the Top 50 Wedding Venues in Ireland at the weddingsonline awards. A title of which our team are very proud!
So why choose Tulfarris? Well we are situated on the shores of the Blessington Lakes in Co. Wicklow only 50 minutes from the M50 and the resort is an oasis of calm and beauty on Dublin’s door step. We have an intimate 59 bedroom hotel together with the magnificent 18th century Manor House which can be held exclusively for your bridal party complete with 7 luxurious suites and opulent drawing rooms. A stunning courtyard for your drinks reception that on a warm day you could mistake for being somewhere in sunny Europe and you can choose from one of our 2 banqueting suites in which your reception will be held. With only one wedding per day your celebration always takes centre stage!
But the thing that makes us extra special is our team, we know how important this big day is for you and one of us is always around to help with the preparations leading up to it. One of our Wedding co-ordinators Lillian or Kathryn is on site 7 days a week to answer any questions you may have. On that special day Derek, Honora and their team will ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible for you and our Head Chef William and his team will guarantee a mouth-watering meal for your guests.
So we look forward to ringing in the New Year and new wedding season here at the resort! Roll on 2012 and more wedded bliss for our happy couples.
Please vote for us to be shortlisted as best wedding venue in Leinster for the WeddingsOnline Awards in February this year, we really want to win this so bad!
For a wedding pack please call our Banqueting Team on 045 867600 or e-mail banq@tulfarris.com
Ok folks it seems like another lifetime ago but here is my BIG DAY Blog!! It was the most amazing day of my life!
The venue I choose was Kilronan Castle in Roscommon… coming from a hotel background I was always going to be a bit fussier than your normal bride but Kilronan exceeded my expectations from start to finish. The team are a credit to the hotel industry.
As our venue was in Roscommon I had the pleasure of waking up in Kilronan on the morning of my wedding. Myself, my bridesmaids and my Mam got ready in the bridal suite. I felt like an absolute princess having my breakfast & a glass of bubbly in the Bridal Suite.
Martina from Grafters hairdressers arrived firstly and got working on the girls hair and shortly after Donna Morris of Donna Morris Makeup arrived to the makeup. Both girls were great to have around on the day.
My photographer Will O’Reilly arrived around 11 o’clock and took a couple of pictures in the room and then headed off to take a couple of pics of the lads. Will was a godsend on the day… even having to remind the priest to have us light the candles when we were married! Danny from Smart Video arrived next, they were amazing.. you wouldn’t have even known they were there. My flowers then arrived looking stunning. Everything went so perfect!
I was ready by 20 to One but when I went to leave at 10 to one some of my guests were still in the lobby and Sam my Wedding Co-ordinator came up to tell me not to leave… I ended up not getting to the church until after half one!! I am surprised to say I loved the church. I choose Sinead Conway and Kieran for the church music and they literally took my breath away. On the way back to the hotel we stopped at a marina to take a few pictures with the bridal party.
The main aim for me for my wedding was for it to be a fun party one so I booked Manilla Strings to entertain my guests for the drinks receptions. They were absolutely amazing and so much fun, everyone was talking about them the next day. For the first hour of the meal they went from table to table taking requests from guests and they created such a party atmosphere.
I had asked Will to do something a bit different for me and to set up a backdrop when guests were coming into the room where my guests wore wigs and funny hats and these were some of my favourite pictures. Here is a link to them
After the speeches Smash Hits took to the stage and they did not disappoint. As they were a 90’s band I had been unsure if they would suit the older wedding guests but they had the dance floor packed for the night. They even threw mini glow sticks onto the dance floor in the middle of their set much to my guests delight! When they were finished they Keith Healy from Explosive DJ’s kept everyone on the floor for the rest of the night. Not only were Keith and Smash Hits amazing but they were both so professional and friendly to deal with and I would highly recommend them both!
All in all it was the best day of my life surrounded by all the important people in my life and I would do it again within a heartbeat!
A couple of weeks after the wedding Danny sent me on the trailer for our wedding video… needless to say I balled my eyes out crying and have watched it close to one million times… here it is for you to have a look at It was one of my best decisions ever to choose Smart Video!
Now if anyone out there needs a wedding planner give me a call!! SERIOUSLY!
If you live in the UK and are planning a golf break in Ireland there has never been a better time as Ryanair will fly your clubs for free! Golfers can fly from any of the 13 UK airports served by Ryanair direct to Dublin, pick up a rental car and be on the course in no time at all!
Offer applies to return flights from 1st September until 7th November booked on-line at the Ryanair site before midnight on Friday 30th September (subject to availability).
Ryanair use Terminal 1 at Dublin Airport and all the rental companies have desks in the Arrivals Hall. A courtesy shuttle will whisk you round to collect your vehicle. Driving to Tulfarris from Dublin Airport takes about 50 minutes, simply follow the M50 South to Jct 11 then onto the N81 through Blessington village.
As well as playing our very own 18-hole championship course you’ll want to play as many great courses as you can and there are many other great golf courses nearby. Top County Wicklow golf courses include Killeen Castle, home to the 2011 Solheim Cup and Druids Glen. Around Dublin the Hermitage overlooks Liffey Valley and on the coast St Anne’s is situated within the Bull Island Nature Reserve. Slightly further afield in County Kilkenny is the Jack Nicklaus signature course Mount Juliet, just over 1 hours’ drive away.
However you choose to spend your golf break in Ireland there are a fantastic selection of Wicklow golf break packages at Tulfarris, perfect for a weekends or just one night and by booking directly with us you are guaranteed our best deals.
When we talk about golf holidays most people think of places such as the traditional home of golf Scotland, a world class golf resort hotel in Ireland or perhaps the sunny Algarve, you probably didn’t think of Belgium.
It may sound like an odd idea but Belgium has some spectacular courses. I recently spent a long weekend on the Belgian coast, staying at the Ramada Hotel Ostend, and had the opportunity to play the nearby Wellington Golf Course.
The Wellington’s 9-hole, PAR 35 course is in the historic racecourse, just outside the town centre is fun to play and has some rewarding sea views. Golf clubs are available (complementary for Ramada hotel guests), the clubhouse is fantastic and we enjoyed an excellent lunch in the restaurant.
Ostend is an excellent base for exploring the area. Flying into Brussels the easiest way to get to Ostend is by train with services about every 20 minutes (changing at Brussels North is pretty straightforward) and you’re there in about 1 hour 40.
The town is most famous for its miles of sandy beaches, promenade and the Kursaal. Pottering around the streets in the evening you’ll stumble across some lovely restaurants and bars and the weather allows you to sit outside enjoying the evening sun.
There are plenty of other must-see places near Ostend, all easily accessible by train or coast tram. Bruges is just 13 minutes away and it’s medieval heart is as beautiful as in the film. Along the coast Antwerp is also well worth visiting for its history, architecture and galleries. If you’re brining the family kids will adore Plopsaland theme park or see the Atlantic Wall coastal defences from the first and second world wars.
The Belgian coast many seem an unusual suggestion but I can’t recommend it enough for a break with a difference.
Its been a long time since Ive written but it has been a hectic few weeks with my exams and the wedding plans have been put on the back burner for a bit but its been all systems go as of last week!
So the stress has kicked in, I’ve so much to do in the next few weeks! Since I last blogged I have had my hen party, which was amazing. It was probably the best weekend of my life and brings a big smile to my face thinking about it. The girls went all out, there was dressing up, beer bikes, hen books and prezzies. My bridesmaids pulled out all the stops and I could not have asked for a more perfect weekend with more amazing people.
But most importantly I finally did it! I picked my ENGAGEMENT ring! It took my until 6 weeks before the wedding but at last it is done and my wedding ring also. At long last I finally found a ring that I love.
I also went for my first dress fitting which was a bit of a crazy feeling altogether, I don’t know if I can get my head around wearing such a dress. I feel like an imposter. The best thing about it was that on the way to the fitting I stopped in to have a look at the shoes I had been eyeing up for about 3 months and there was 50% off! Winning!
So everything for me has all been a last minute job and I have still lots to do but getting there slowly but surely. The thing I think I found the hardest was where to go on honeymoon! So many places to choose from, so many tripadvisor / review websites to look at. I just couldn’t make a decision. So we are off to Cancun for 10 days after our wedding… can’t wait! I won’t know what hit me when I’m lying on the beach with nothing to organise.
We went on our pre-marriage course, not without trying to get out of it but the priest was having none of it. So we found a great one where you go for a one on one session for 2 ½ hours, which was doable. Can’t imagine having to do a 2 day one! I had to keep nudging Greg beside me who kept nodding off to sleep.
Now im getting down to the nitty gritty and trying to organise the little bits and pieces which is the hardest part. Im making list, after list and loosing them all again. We’re working on the table plan and trying to decide whether to sit friends with friends or mix people up a little, so we’ll see what we decide on that. Trying to pick songs for the church, the entrance and all the rest is tough because you want them all to mean something but as soon as it comes to picking songs you cannot think of one song you even like.
Then it’s all the little extra bits like jewellery, veils, shoes, clothes, that take up so much time and cost an absolute fortune! Trying to stick to the budget has been hard as I keep on getting carried away with myself. If anyone has any good suggestions of where to get a nice veil it would be much appreciated.
Well I will write once more before the wedding when I have the whole plan together which should be fun!
Louise x
Have you noticed the new An Post advert showing on RTÉ and TV3?
Does the hotel look familiar?
Eagle eyed guests will have spotted it was filmed here at Tulfarris!
Everyone in the advert is an actor so you won’t see any of our familiar faces but from the lobby to bedroom, kitchen to guests walking up to the Manor House are all our hotel.
If you didn’t realise it was us don’t worry: I showed it to some of our team and they didn’t recognise the location till the end when the fictional hotel was busy.
Although it’s a short advert the crew spent 15 hours here filming!
Sooo we met with the priest while down at the hotel for my tasting and we started to discuss the legal side of things. He reminded us we had to give 3 months notice of intention to marry, which I hadn’t forgotten but I still had 2 weeks to sort, loads of time.
So first thing Monday morning I ring the Dublin Office to get an appointment and they have nothing until May!!!!!! PANIC… I ring the Kildare office… nothing until May.. Wicklow nothing until May! But thank god for compassion and the lovely lady in Wicklow managed to find a cancellation for me for the 12th of April (after being very close to tears).
Moral of the story as soon as you get the venue booked sort out the legal side of things. The priest gave me a great link http://www.groireland.ie/getting_married.htm and now I have to organise my pre-marriage course, I looked up courses on Accord and then Avalon. Should be interesting!
We had a fab stay in the hotel, everything was perfect, we were delighted and it made everything seem so real. We went for a hot starter and a soup, which is probably a bit controversial for a summer wedding but the food was so good we couldn’t resist.
So we met with the Wedding DJ, booked the florist which we got a great offer with due to attending the hotel’s wedding fair, finalised details for the church, picked our menu and booked a band for my drinks reception! PHEW!!!!
Poulaphouca Suite at Tulfarris Hotel, lighting by Discopops
I am also looking at Finesse Weddings and Discocops to do a bit of decorating and uplighting to the room to add that little bit of extra sparkle. Check out the picture above.
So tonight we are going to have the infamous wedding list chat and agree/argue about who we are inviting. At this stage the whole world and their granny are coming and we need to be a little bit more realistic on our numbers. Let the battle commence.
Chat to you soon!
Louise