Finally..... we’ve moved into our new home in Ireland and everyone has worked extremely hard to make sure that we could  move in last Saturday. Some of the guys are still here every day doing bits and pieces with the place but it’s great to be back in Northern Ireland.

I’ve even been doing a spot of cooking and entertaining and Jamie Oliver – my right hand man in the kitchen – has a lot to answer for! My friends are well impressed with my skills.

It’s fantastic to be back here looking at the ocean and me and the boys couldn’t be any happier. The only issue at the moment is that the dogs haven’t been able to join us yet as their home in Northern Ireland isn’t quite ready yet! So they are still down in London and will be joining us when their accommodation is ready for canine habitation.

Tyrone and Conor start school at Dalriada on Friday – it’s perfect as it’s where my sister’s two boys are as well. Conor starst in the prep school where he has two years before he goes to the senior school. It’s a really good school in Northern Ireland and I know they’re looking forward to their first day.

I’m delighted to be a vice-captain for Monty in the Ryder Cup, but obviously my number one priority was to try and make the team. Because I didn’t score well enough in the USPGA it became pretty apparent that I would have to win in the Czech Republic and at Gleneagles so I felt that people ahead of me in the World Rankings were more deserving of a spot than myself.  Consequently I decided to take both of those weeks off and be here for the big move and also for Tyrone and Conor’s first day at school.

There were too many important things going on for me at home and sometimes your family comes first and that is what I chose to do.

Unfortunately I shan’t be playing but I’m very excited about the vice-captaincy role and trying to assist Monty in whatever way that I can to try and ensure that we win the Ryder Cup back.

I’ve also been busy with my Darren Clarke Golf School which is at Greenmount near Antrim and that is a two year course run by Karl Morris where over sixteen years of age golfers are given an opportunity to maximise their potential in golf, education and personal development.

The facilities are amazing and include a Driving Range, Coaching Studio with GASP System Video Coaching Software, a Titleist Performance Institute Fitness Suite along with access to Castlerock and Massereene golf courses. It offers state of the art facilities, a unique golf training programme combined with a robust education all through the BTEC Extended National Diploma in Sport.

Also I’ve been down at the Darren Clarke Academies which is for 7 – 16 year olds and they took place at Greenmount, Carton House in Co Kildare and Blackwood in Co Down – all last week!  As well as playing the game the children also get sessions on etiquette, rules, how to mark you card, nutrition, fitness and even golf psychology. It really covers the whole spectrum of the game. It was great fun and I did a Q & A session with them and signed some autographs and stuff.

Anyway aside from all that, my goals for the year have now changed and I really want to get myself into contention to win before the end of the year and finish as high up as I can in the Race to Dubai which will result in exemptions into events next year.

But before all that Sunday is the day when tough decisions will have to be made regarding the wild cards for the Ryder Cup – the strength and depth of our plays is amazingly strong right now – and we have a lot of players vying for just three picks which will be an incredibly difficult decision. I shall be at Gleneagles on Sunday for the press conference when all will be revealed.

Bye for now, Darren.