18 Hole Links
Course Facts: Address
Lisfannon
Buncranna
Co. DonegalSecretary/Manager: Eugene O'Connell Captain: Liam Galbraith Lady Captain: Nuala Mallon Telephone: 074-9361027 President: Dudley Coyle & Roisin Timoney Public No: 074-9361027 Vice-Captain: Eddie Curran & Maureen Cassidy Fax: 074-9363284 Hon. Secretary: Eugene O'Connell & Margaret O'Hea E-mail: secretary@northwestgolfclub.com Club Pro: Seamus McBriarty 074-9361715 Website: www.northwestgolfclub.com Hon. Treasurer: Donal Dunn & Mrs. Roisin Timoney Founded: 1891 Designed by: Thompson Membership: 478 Course opening hours: Daylight hours Green Fees Midweek: €30 Clubhouse opening hours: 1.30pm to 12.00am Green Fees Weekends & B.H.: €35 Mobile phones: Not on course or in clubhouse Green Fees With a Member: €20/25 Dress Code: Neat casual, no denim Green Fees For Opens: €18 Catering: Full catering facilities Practice Area: Yes Days to Avoid: Weekends Club Hire: No Green Fees and Societies Welcome: Midweek Buggy Hire: Yes Pre-booking for open tournaments: 14 Days in advance Soft spikes: No
Course Description:
The North West Golf Club is a fine links course located between the coastline of Lough Swilly and the picturesque Mouldy Mountains. Designed by Thompson at 6,239 metres with a par-70 and a standard scratch to match. The holes are varied, with many sandy knolls and undulating lies, but a generally flat. The club boasts a modern, newly refurbished clubhouse, with bar and excellent catering with wonderful views of the "Lake of Shadows" to the devil's backbone of the Killalla Hills. It has a proud history in Irish golf as being one of the founder members of the GUI and producing winners of the Irish Open Champions and International Captain of the Irish Amateur Team. The visitor is assured of a friendly welcome at North West and a golf experience you will never forget.
Open & Major fixtures 2008: Event
Start
Finish
Type
Duration
No fixtures until 2009.
Club History
Instituted 1891, affiliated 1891. This famous club has the distinction and honour of being one of the group of nine clubs of the GUI, in November, 1891. The preliminary meeting was held in the Guildhall Derry "For the purpose of starting a golf club in the neighbourhood of Derry". The meeting was informed of inquiries made by the Lough Swilly Hotel Company about use of land but the tenants had refused to sign agreements and "asked for an increase in rent" The meeting was adjourned for a fortnight.
The Derry Journal on the 3rd July reports "The course at Buncrana, having being carefully surveyed and laid out by Thompson, the professional at the County Club, Portrush, is now open for play." Ladies were connected with the club from its inauguration, and has their own nine-hole course immediately adjacent to the railway station. North West has the distinction of being one of the first clubs to have a separate course for the ladies. The fame of the course spread, and in 1936, the course, as we know it today, was laid out.
The first Captain was Mr. Thomas Hayes, Chief Inspector R. I. C, the Vice-President was G. H. Mitchell, J. P., and there were joint-Hon. Secretaries, G. V. Craig, and R. L. Hogg.
Location
After Fahan, North West is on your left-hand side.
Members Achievements
North West Golf Club won the Ulster Final of the Barton Shield in 2006 when they beat Cairndhu Golf Club by 2-holes at Kirkstown Castle Golf Club on 13th August.
It was on to Enniscrone Golf Club for the National Finals, where they where drawn against Connaught Champions Co. Sligo Golf Club in the All-Ireland Semi-Final on Wednesday 13th September.
First on the tee were Garrett Mallon with David McGeough against David Dunne with Serryth Heavey, the mach was halved. Next up were Pauric Og O’Flaherty with Cathal McElhinney against the strong pairing of Ken Kearney with Keith O‘Neill, they lost out to the Co. Sligo pair. Sligo went on to win the All-Ireland against Limerick by 7-holes.
North West Golf Club won a historic first All-Ireland Irish Senior Cup at Rosslare Golf Club on Saturday 17th September 2005, when they beat Leinster Champions Hermitage Golf Club in a thrilling final under team captains Vincent Grant and Frank Friel.
On the Friday morning they were up against Connacht Champions Galway Golf Club in the All-Ireland Semi-Final when Padraig MacLochlainn was drawn against John Neary in the top match he lost out to the Galway man by 2 and 1. Brian McElhinney was drawn against Eddie McCormack in the 2nd match and had a convincing win by 3 and 1. Michael McGeady was drawn against fellow International Mark O'Sullivan and delivered North West's second point with a 3 and 2 victory. Pauric OgO'Flaherty was drawn against Joe Lyons and lost by 3 and 2. Garrett Mallon delivered the 3rd point with a 2-hole win over Tom Nolan.
On the Saturday morning there was one change to the team when Paul Van Dessell was sent out in the top match against Hermitage's Brian O'Connor but lost out by 2 and 1. He was followed by Walker Cup player Brian McElhinney against Greg Bowden who delivered the first point with a 3 and 2 victory. Michel McGeady had a convincing 5 and 4 win over Greg Massey. Pauric OgO'Flaherty met an in form Alan Dowling who won his match 3 and 1. It was all down to he hero of the day with Garrett Mallon against Sean O'Flaherty in the bottom match. Garrett played a fantastic chip off the 17th green to bring to all-square and then sank a 10 foot pressure putt on the 18th to deliver the required 3rd point.
According to our research this is the 3rd All-Ireland pennant ever won in the whole of Donegal and the first Blue Riband of Irish Golf but with a star studded team including Brian McElhinney the reigning British Amateur Champion, Ireland's only selection on the 2005 Walker Cup, the Irish Close Champion and past winner of he European Individual winner. Whit Michael McGeady a fellow Irish International I must admit that they were always my fancy to take the Bulmers Senior Cup. A fantastic achievement by this club, one of the nine founding members of the GUI with a relative small membership, Well done North West Golf Club.
Brian McElhinney was selected for the World Junior Championship at Hyogo, Japan from June 15th to the 18th 2001. He was selected on the Boys' Home International team at Portmarnock G. C. on 9th to 11th September 2000. Brian McElhinney won the Willie Gill Order of Merit Award in 2004 having finished with 115 points tied with Mark Campbell of Stackstown but won the coveted award by virtue of winning the Irish Close at Donegal Golf Club in June. There was a little bit of poetic justice with Brian receiving the award as he finished tied with Noel Fox of Portmarnock in 2003 with the same points but Noel was award it by virtue of winning the Irish Amateur Open Championship at The Royal Dublin. Brian is a member of the Walker Cup squad and won the European Individual Championship in 2003.
Michael McGeady played Ulster Youths in 1997. Michael was selected on the Ulster team for the Interprovincial Matches played at Portmarnock Golf Club from 11th to 13th August 2004. Brian & Michael were selected to play in the Home Internationals at Prestwick Golf Club from 8th to 10th September 2004.
C. Mallon played Ulster Youths in 1997
Julie Bradley played for the Girls' Home International Team at Gog Magog in 1994, and at Northop Golf Club in 1995.
F. E. McCarroll represented Ireland from 1968 to 1969 and was runner-up in the Irish Amateur Close Championship in 1968.
Card of the Course (metres)
Name Hole No. White Yellow Green Par Index Red Par Index The Long Green 1 402 395 385 4 3 384 5 15 Carrycullion 2 316 310 301 4 15 303 4 9 The Ex's 3 148 139 139 3 13 114 3 13 Kinnegar 4 314 305 297 4 9 298 4 7 Sally's 5 372 363 344 4 5 320 4 3 Windmill 6 374 359 341 4 7 283 4 17 The Witches 7 388 383 370 4 1 354 4 1 Piffler 8 127 122 122 3 17 118 3 11 The Long Hole 9 479 470 463 5 11 432 5 5 Out 2,920 2,846 2,762 35 2,606 36 Trews 10 362 353 344 4 4 332 4 2 Doctor's Folly 11 327 324 319 4 10 250 4 14 Gollan 12 405 395 384 4 2 384 5 8 The Valley 13 162 154 154 3 16 120 3 16 Jack's Worry 14 319 310 301 4 14 294 4 4 Inch 15 338 331 320 4 6 281 4 10 Fairy 16 85 82 82 3 18 68 3 18 Corner of Dyke 17 372 363 363 4 8 293 4 6 Meentiaghs 18 469 462 451 5 12 370 5 12 In 2,893 2,774 2,718 35 2,392 36 Total 5,759 5,620 5,480 70 4,998 72 SSS 70 70 70 71
Men's Course Record: Jimmy Kinsella
Ladies Course Record:
Roll of Honour U. Van Dessel 1989 Ladies Captain J. O'Brien 1989 Men's Captain C. Harvey 1989 President R. Williamson 1990 Ladies Captain Dermot Coyle 1990 Men's Captain C. Harvey 1990 President N. McCormack 1991 Ladies Captain C. Harvey 1991 Men's Captain D. Irwin 1991 President I. Grant 1992 Ladies Captain C. Harvey 1992 Men's Captain D. Irwin 1992 President K. Love 1993 Ladies Captain Dudley Coyle 1993 Men's Captain Frank Friel 1993 President R. Harney 1994 Ladies Captain T. Crossen 1994 Men's Captain B. Burke 1994 President U. Grant 1995 Ladies Captain P. O'Carolan 1995 Men's Captain A. Neff 1996 Ladies Captain J. Ryan 1996 Men's Captain B. Burke 1996 President B. Potts 1997 Ladies Captain S. Cassidy 1997 Men's Captain J. O'Brien 1997 President K. Sharkey 1998 Ladies Captain T. Caldwell 1998 Men's Captain J. O'Brien 1998 President Mr. Shaun Murphy 1999 Men's Captain Mr. Junior Crossan 1999 President M. McGee 2000 Ladies Captain John Deeney 2000 Men's Captain Mr. Michael Van Dessel 2000 President Ann Hume 2001 Ladies Captain Jim McCann 2001 Men's Captain Mr. Michael Van Dessel 2001 President Aileen McGlynn 2002 Ladies Captain Charlie Nicell 2002 Men's Captain Mr. Michael Van Dessel 2002 President Mrs. M. A. Scheel 2003 Ladies Captain Mrs. Marie Nangle 2003 Ladies President Seamus Gleeson 2003 Men's Captain Mr. Michael Van Dessel 2003 President Anne Coyle 2004 Ladies Captain Junior Crossan 2004 Men's Captain Dermot Coyle 2004 President Margaret O'Hea 2005 Ladies Captain rank McHale 2005 Men's Captain Dermot Coyle 2005 President Bernie Coyle 2006 Ladies Captain Hugh McDaid 2006 Men's Captain Dermot Coyle 2006 President Margaret McLaren 2007 Ladies Captain Jimmy McFadden 2007 Men's Captain Dudley Coyle 2007 President J. Brady 2008 Lowest Ladies H'cap Brian McElhinney 2008 Lowest Men's H'cap
Holes-in-One Person Date Hole No. Club Used Distance Rose Campbell 18 September 2001 16th