At the presentation to mark the 21st year of the Golfers Guide to Ireland were Paddy McCarthy (Portside Media), Minister of State for Tourism & Sport, Michael Ring TD, Martha Kennedy (Headfort Golf Club), Karen Scanlon (Tipperary Crystal) and Marty Burke (Portside Media).

The new year is already shaping up to be a successful and memorable one for Headfort Golf Club, Kells.

Last week the Golfers Guide to Ireland 2012 declared the club as the Best Parkland Course in the Leinster.

The Golfers Guide is Ireland's longest established golf guide and it is published by Portside Publications, an Irish company that has been operating in the tourism sector for over 21 years.

At a function in O'Connell's Restaurant, Donnybrook, on Tuesday of last week Minister of State for Tourism & Sport Michael Ring TD presented awards for various categories to provincial links and parklands courses, golf resorts and hotels specialising in golf.

Each of the award winners received a unique Graham Knuttle ceramic wall plaque crafted by Tipperary Crystal.

All awards were won on the basis of an All-Ireland poll undertaken from within the golf and golf-related business community

Over 50,000 copies of the Golfers Guide to Ireland 2012 have been printed this year and it will be distributed free to every golf club in Ireland. Online versions will be distributed to golf clubs in Japan, Sweden, UK and North America.

Portside Publications director Paddy McCarthy said that the guide had become an essential part of the travelling golfer's kit when planning a trip to or within Ireland.

"We have had magnificent support from Ireland's golf industry throughout the years and I am happy to report that the industry has expressed its confidence in the future," he said.

Winning the Best Parkland Course in Leinster award wasn't the only accolade bestowed upon Headfort last week as the newly released rankings show that the club is consistently ranked around the top 10 on the island of Ireland.

Headfort's new course is placed at number 11 in The Golf Digest Ireland Volvo Top 30 Ranked Parkland Courses for 2012, while the prestigious Backspin Golf magazine places Headfort (new) at number eight.

Author Kevin Markham spent two years traveling around the country to play and review all 349 of the 18-hole golf courses in Ireland and the result is his book 'Hooked: An Amateur's Guide to the Golf Courses of Ireland' - Markham rates Headfort at the sixth best in Ireland.

The website 'Top 100 Golf Courses of the World' rated Headfort (New) at 28 for the top 100 courses in Ireland and rated Headfort (new) as the number one golf course in Meath, with Headfort (old) placed at number six in its top 10 courses in the Royal County.

To celebrate all this good news, Headfort Golf Club has launched two special limited offers.

There is a Fabulous February at Headfort offer of playing any course at any time and any day for just €20 per person.

Most importantly, Headfort Golf Club is pleased to announce a special programme where existing members may invite one guest each of their choice to join the club without entrance fee expense.

This offer will run for a limited time only and there has already been a very strong response.

Contact a club member or the office at www.facebook.com/HeadfortGolfClub, www.headfortgolfclub.ie, info@headfortgolfclub.ie or phone (046) 9241046.