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The Best Irish Golf Tours Story
The roads worth traveling are often unpaved.
​Founded in 2019 by our dear friend Brannon Adkisson, this company was established with a very simple mission: to unite individuals who share a passion for the game of golf by bringing them together at the world’s greatest golf venues in the beautiful country of Ireland.
When the Covid-19 pandemic put the entire world on hold, Best Irish Golf Tours was similarly impacted. Travel restrictions and course closures forced the inaugural trips to be postponed, giving Brannon time to refine and develop the concept of the company even further.
Finally, in 2022, the first trip took off with eight clients. Among the clients on that trip were two special individuals, Shawn Dean and Evan Preston. Over the course of several rounds of golf, Shawn and Brannon developed a strong friendship that led to a partnership in the company. Best Irish Golf Tours was now a company of two! Having known Evan for quite some time, Brannon would often lean on his good friend for logistical support and sales leads.
In late 2022, a special invitation was extended to Andrew Barone, the Head Golf Professional at Brannon’s home club, to attend a tour. When Andrew returned from this trip, he reviewed the company’s website, social media, and marketing materials, and proposed to Brannon and Shawn that he revamp the public-facing digital presence of the company. After a few meetings, Andrew was brought on board as a subsidized volunteer. Best Irish Golf Tours became a family of three!
The company’s roots really began to take hold, and we experienced very positive growth. Several more trips took place to Ireland, and we even embarked on our first journey to England and Scotland. The company remained focused on current tour operations, but there were always sales calls and plans being made for future tours; the company was healthy and thriving.
In June 2025, tragedy struck our Best Irish Golf Tours family with the sudden passing of Brannon Adkisson. A company lost its founder, a family lost their patriarch, and we all lost a beloved friend and golfer. It did not take long to recognize that the best way we could honor our friend was to continue this company and ensure his vision and legacy live on through Best Irish Golf Tours.
The vision of the organization will remain unchanged. We will continue to provide staff-accompanied, world-class golf tours throughout Ireland and beyond. However, organizational changes have become necessary. Shawn Dean will assume the roles and responsibilities of CEO, Director of Sales, and Tour Operator as the Managing Partner of Best Irish Golf Tours. Evan Preston has been brought on board as a Member Partner and will fulfill the roles of Director of Operations and Tour Operator. Andrew Barone will continue as Director of Marketing and Social Media, and Tour Operator, moving from volunteer to Member Partner.
Our promise—to our clients, to our company, and to one another—is to carry out Brannon’s vision for Best Irish Golf Tours: to bring together people who love this game, take them to world-class golf courses, and provide them with memories that will last a lifetime. We will retain our steadfast focus on our three pillars: quality, affordability, and family. We look forward to this new chapter, strongly illuminated by the torch of Brannon’s legacy.
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