We were fortunate yesterday to be down in Dromoland Castle for the Partners Day ahead of next week’s KPMG Women’s Irish Open.

The course is in stunning condition with the infrastructure of hosting an international event like this on the Ladies European Tour, rising alongside the manicured greens.

We were among the last to play the course before the professionals arrive in town next weekend and the tournament gets underway with practice on Monday and Tuesday, a prestigious Pro-Am tournament on Wednesday and the tournament itself, with a prize fund of €400,000 from Thursday to Sunday.

Last year’s event was brought back after a ten year absence from the calendar and was one of the sporting highlights of the year in many different ways.

With Leona Maguire leading the home charge, the event attracted an audience of 25,000 and was hailed by players and officials alike as being on a par with any of thw Women’s Game Major tournament.

It was won in the end by Klara Spilkova from the Czech republic who beat Ursula Wikstrom and Nicole Broch Estrup in a play off on the closing sunday.

This year’s tournament is earlier in the calendar, only weeks out from the Solheim Cup and has attracted a strong field.

Leona Maguire will be the star attraction, supported by Áine Donegan from Clare who made a big impression when competing in the US Open during the summer and being within a shot of the lead after losing her clubs en route.

Donegan was present on the course yesterday and her winning personality will ensure that she is a crowd favourite next week.

Dromoland Castle provides a magnificent backdrop to the tournament and is visible from a number of holes around the lake.

The Tournament Village has been moved adjacent to the Castle this year, behind the Premium Hospitality alongside the 18th Green and with a new grandstand to provide an arena setting for the closing holes.

Sport for Business is once again an Official Media Partner of the event and we will be on-site throughout next week interviewing personalities at a number of functions and in the Hospitality area.

We will be delivering daily content looking at not only the tournament but at how each of the partners have been activating their association with the event.

These include the Title Sponsor KPMG; the premium partners Sports Direct, Amundi Asset Management and Horizon; the Official Host Partners the Ladies European Tour, Dromoland Castle, Fáilte Ireland and Sport Ireland; the Official Sponsors Visit Clare, preferred Hotels and Resorts, ForeFront Sports, the Wild Atlantic Way, Shannon Airport, Kinetica, Ishka, Pat Keogh Chauffeur Services, Monami Construction and CDGA Consultants; the Official Charity Partner the National Breast Cancer Research Institute; and the Official media Partners alongside Sport for Business, HerSport, Irish Golfer, Sky Sports, OTB Sports and The Bogey Men Podcast.