18-Hole Parkland
Course Facts: Address
Hodson Bay
Athlone
Co. RoscommonSecretary/Manager: Ita Dockery Captain: Joeeph Higgins Lady Captain: Anne Lynam Telephone: 090-6492073 President: John Kinahan Public No: 090-6494285 Vice-Captain: Willie Owens & Sheila Geraghty Fax: 090-6494080 Hon. Secretary: P. J. Naughton & Kay Vaughan E-mail: athlonegolfclub@eircom.net Club Pro: Kevin Grealy 087-2148828 Website: www.athlonegolfclub.ie Hon. Treasurer: Nicholas Barry, Nicholas Barry & Breda Ryan Founded: 1892 Designed by: J. McAllister Membership: 883 Course opening hours: Daylight hours Green Fees Midweek: €35 Clubhouse opening hours: 9:00am to midnight Green Fees Weekends & B.H.: €40 Mobile phones: Not on course or in clubhouse Green Fees With a Member: €15 Dress Code: Neat and casual, no denim Green Fees For Opens: €15 Catering: Full catering facilities Practice Area: Yes Days to Avoid: Sundays & Tuesdays Club Hire: Yes Green Fees and Societies Welcome: Other days Buggy Hire: Yes Pre-booking for open tournaments: 14 Days in advance Soft spikes: No
Course Description:
Athlone Golf Club is a superb 18-hole parkland course bounded on three sides by picturesque Lough Ree. Beautifully designed, the course exploits the natural splendour of its surroundings, affording from its vantage points and from the modern strategically appointed clubhouse panoramic views of the lake and its wooded islands. Its tree-lined fairways and undulating terrain make it a true test of golf. Selected to host numerous provincial and national championships, its profile was further enhanced by the staging of the prestigious All-Ireland Cups and Shields Finals in 1998.
Easily accessible, Athlone Golf Club is situated at Hudson Bay, 6km. from the centre of Athlone and just off the N61 to Roscommon.It has excellent bar and catering facilities, a Pro. Shop and visitors are always assured of a friendly Cead Mile Failte.Societies are welcome and group rates are available.Voted the No. 64-ranked golf course in Ireland, by “Golf Digest Ireland” in 2008.
Open & Major fixtures 2008: Event
Start
Finish
Type
Duration
December Fourball Friday 26 December Open 1 Ladies Singles Friday 26 December Open 1 Fourball Saturday 27 December Open 1 Ladies Singles Saturday 27 December Open 1 L. & G. Singles Sunday 28 December Open 1 L. & G. Singles Saturday 29 December Open 1 L. & G. Singles Sunday 30 December Open 1 L. & G. Singles Monday 31 December Open 1
Club History
Instituted 1892 affiliated 1895
Founded in 1892 as "Athlone Garrison Golf Club" it was during the early years, the preserve of British Army Officers, their wives and members of the Royal Irish Constabulary. Prominent among the early enthusiasts were Majors Harrison and Gaussens and Lt. Hamlin of the Royal Artillery.
At the turn of the century, leading business and professional people began to take an interest in the game. Those who played an important part in the development of the club at the time included P. V. C. Murtagh, J. Lyster, Dr. C. J. McCormack, J .J. Coen and P. B. Bingham. Because of this influence, a new constitution was drawn up and the Club was renamed "Athlone Golf Club".
The original Course was at the "Batteries" on land adjacent to the Victoria Barracks, now Custume Barracks. Because of the urban development this course had to be abandoned in 1920. It had however left an indelible mark on the history of Irish Golf by producing one of the country’s greatest amateur golfers. He was John Dillon McCormack who won three Close Championships and played for Ireland twenty-four times. In 1924 he was selected for the Walker Cup Team but had to turn down the opportunity for personal reasons.
Following the loss of the "Batteries" a new course was laid out at Garnafailagh, two miles north of the town. Golf continued there until 1938, when it was found desirable to move to the present beautiful setting on the west bank of the River Shannon and Lough Ree at Hudson Bay. The course was designed by J. McAllister of Portmarnock Golf Club.
Significant modifications and redevelopment, ongoing over the years, including the instillation of a course watering system in 1964, updated and automated in 1996.
The construction of a new clubhouse 1n 1972, the refurbishment and development of Ladies and Gents locker rooms, the construction of a new entrance and a Pro-Shop in 1998, all combined to provide members and visitors alike with facilities of exceptional standards. Today Athlone Golf Club stands as a golfing Mecca for all enthusiasts and a lasting tribute to the men and women of yesterday.
Location
Take the Roscommon Road and after 5 km. you will see a sharp right directing you to the course, which is up on your left.
Members Achievements
Mark Rowe was selected on the Connacht team for the Interprovincial Matches played at Portmarnock Golf Club from 11th to 13th August 2004.
Athlone Golf Club were Connacht Champions of the Irish Senior Cup in 2003 and were drawn against Portmarnock Golf Club in the Semi-Finals at Lisburn Golf Club on 12th September, when the team on the day was Kevin Sheedy, Hugh Feeney, Mark Rowe Padraig O'Boyle and James Joyce. Mark Rowe beat Colm Moriarty's fellow Walker Cup player Noel Fox by 3 and 1. However Portmarnock went on to win yet another Blue Ribon when they beat Mallow in the All-Ireland Final.
Athlone Golf Club were Runners-Up to Ballinasloe in the Connaught Finals of the Barton Shield at Galway Golf Club, when the team was Mark Butler, Mark Rowe, Hugh Feeney, Colm Moriarty and Padraig O'Boyle. They were managed by Seamus Moriarty.
Athlone Golf Club were Runners-Up in the Connaught Finals of the Jimmy Bruen Shield at Galway Golf Club in 2002. The team was Mick Butler, Jimmy Murray, Tom Dolan, Frank McGowan, Dermot Fagan, Eamonn Hardieman, Cieran O'Connor, Ken Skeffington, Michael Ryan, John Costello, Conor Fitzgerald, Liam Johnson, Declan Corcoran and Derek Kenna. They were captained by Pat Larkin.
Athlone Golf Club won the Cecil Ewing Shield in 2001 when the beat Castlebar in the final by 6.5 matches to 3.5 matches. The team was Michael Healy with Sean Kearney, Brendan Mahon with Bob Gilhooley, Adrian Downes with Aidan McGrath, Gerry Feary with Pat Carolan, Tom Browne with Brian Quigley, Kieran Horkan with Paul Ainsworth, Donald O'Brien with Tom Hurst, Martin Lydon with Paddy McWalter, Michael Staunton with Michael McGing and Louis Walsh with James Roche.
Colm Moriarty, won the South of Ireland Championship in one of the best golf matches I have had the pleasure of seeing at Lahinch on July the 31st. He was subsequently selected on the Irish Team for the Home Internationals at Royal St. David's Golf Club in Harlech, Wales, from September 11th-13th 2002.
Colm Moriarty, had a dream start to the 2003 season when he and Justin Keogh (Birr G. C.) headed to Australia in February to represent Ireland in the New South Wales Medal and the New South Wales Championship. Colm returned rounds of 64,67, 68 and 70 to leave the International field in his slip-screen, in The Medal.
Then it was on to Sydney for the Championship where he completed the double in the match-play Championship never been taken past the 34th hole. I was speaking to Colm in early 2002 and was wondering if he had a Major in him, he has convinced me by now, with his performances and dedication that he is a good one in the making.
Colm is one of four Irish golfers selected on the Walker Cup panel for 2003. Colm was selected on the Irish Team for the Eisenhower Trophy played in Kuala Lumpur from 24th to the 27th October 2002 and got to the Semi-Finals of the West of Ireland Open Championship at Co. Sligo on April 2nd 2002.
Colm Moriarty was selected on the six-man Irish team for the European stroke play championship from the 22nd to the 25th August 2001. Colm won the Mullingar Scratch Cup with 19-under par for three rounds. The record for the Mullingar Scratch Cup is 20-under over four rounds. I have no doubt Colm would have smashed this if one of the rounds wasn't rained off. Colm was the Leading Irish player in the Home Internationals and won the Athlone Scratch Cup. Colm first represented Ireland at Senior level at Maidstone Club, New York, 0n 13-14 October 1999. He played
Hugh Feeney was selected on the Connacht Boys' team for the Interprovincial Championships at Headfort Golf Club from August 28/30/2002.
Athlone won four Connacht Championships in 2001. They won the Mixed Foursomes, the Cecil Ewing Shield, the Junior Under-15 and the Junior Under-18 the same year.
A. Geoghegan was selected on the Connacht Ladies team in the AIB Interprovincial's at the Island on the 8th to 10th August 2001.
Athlone duo Gerard O'Kennedy (6) and John Duggan won the All-Ireland Golf as Gaeilge Holmpatrick Cup at Ceann Sibeal in September 2001. They returned a fine score of four under par, yet the standard was so high they only collected the cup on a count-back over the last three-holes.
Lelia Comber and Valerie Brennan qualified for the National Finals of the Kellogg's Nurti-Grain Ladies Golf Challenge at Druid's Glen Golf Club on the 21st of August 2001.
Prior to 2001:
Athlone Golf Clubwon the All-Ireland Barton Shield at Portmarnock G. C. in 1959, when the team was P. Cawfield, Fr. J. Solan, J. O'Sullivan and P. Hughes.
Tom Rogers was President of the GUI in 1978. Dr. Harry Rice was the Irish International Team Captain in 1970.
Athlone won the Connacht Inter-Club Youths Championship in 1995, when the team was Mark Butler Colm Moriarty, N. Coyle, they were managed by Myrl Carroll. They won it again in 2000, when the team was Colm Moriarty, Mark Rowe and James Joyce.
They were All-Ireland Finalists in the Barton Shield in 1987, when the team was M. O'Riordan, P. O'Boyle, P. Egan, B. Burke, M. Herney and P. O'Loughlin.
They were Connaught Champions in the Barton Shield at Co. Sligo in 1994, when the team was Niel Kelly, Paddy Egan, Paddy O'Boyle, Mark Butler, Tom Campion and Niall O'Carroll, they were managed by Seamus Moriarty. They were Provincial Winners of the Bulmers Barton Shield and Senior Cup in 1986, when the team was B. Burke, P. O'Boyle, M. Harney, M. O'Riordan and they were captained by P. Egan. They were Conaught Champions of the Bulmers Barton Shield and Senior Cup in 1984, when the team was D. Reynolds. P. O'Sullivan, P. O'Boyle, M. O'Riordan, M. Tallon and A. Llyod.
They were Connaught Champions in the Irish Junior Cup in 1995, when the team was N. Coyle, P. McHale, K. Sheehy, M. Butler, S. Moriarty, C. Moriarty and P. O'Boyle, they were managed by T. Moriarty. The same year they won the Connaught Bulmers Jimmy Bruen Shield, when the team was D. Lally, K. Sheehy, F. McGowan, T. Dolan, W. Owens, E. Higgins, T. Campion, S. Kiernan, C. Moriarty, P. O'Boyle, P. Kiernan, M. Butler, V. Carr and T. Corry. They were managed by D. Fagan and E. Shanahan.
They won the Jack O'Sullivan Trophy in 1994, when the team was Peter Keenan, Willie Owens, John Joyce, Michael Hayes, Michael Butler, Padraig O'Boyle, Jimmy Reilly, Tom Collins, Sean Reynolds, Frank McGowan, Bob Deignan and Michael Ryan. They were managed by Billy Kennedy and Ger O'Kennedy.
They won the Hibernian Cecil Ewing Shield in 1996, when the team was Pat St. John, John O'Carroll, Frank Starkin, Benny Dunne, Tom Morris, Michael Downes, Denis O'Sullivan, Jimmy Fox, Aidan Gallagher, John Costello, John Killilea and Brendan Mahon.
Athlone were the beaten finalist in the Connacht section of the Jimmy Bruen Shield in 2000.
Past Captain, Pat Larkin (9) and his playing partner, Helen Costello (12), Mountbellew G. C., were leading qualifiers at Galway Bay, in the Spar-Irish Independent Mixed Pairs Championship with a score of 52pts. This is a very novel event, in that the first six holes are played as a scramble, followed by foursomes over the next six and finishing with singles.
Colm Moriarty was selected to represent Ireland at the Maidstone Club in New York, on 13-14 October, 1999, and played on the Irish Youths against Scotland at Cork G. C. 1999. Having played Boys' International in 1996 and 1997, he won the Connaught Youths in 1998, and represented his province with distinction, at all levels, from 1995 to 1999.
Neil Kelly participated in the Boys Home International matches in 1988 and 1989. He played Irish Youths in 1991 and Connaught Youths from 1989 to 1992, playing 23 matches.
Eddie Dunne was Captain of the Irish International Team and he represented Connaught from 1973 to 1984, playing 70 matches P. Egan represented Connaught from 1973 to 1986 playing 27 matches.
N. Kelly represented Connaught from 1990 to 1992.
Pat O'Sullivan played Irish Boys in 1977 and Irish Youths in 1979 represented Connaught from 1980 to 1982.
Mark Butler played Connaught Youths in 1996 and Connaught Boys in 1993, and 1994 playing 12 matches.
A. Pyke played Connaught Youths from 1982 to 1983.
D. Reynolds played Connaught Youths from 1982 to 1984.
Mark Rowe played Connaught Boys in 1997 and 1998, playing 12 matches.
The Ladies of Athlone Golf Club won the Connacht Intermediate Trophy in 2003, the All-Ireland Jefferson Smurfit Team Championship in 1984 and 1995.
They won the Connacht Cup in 1967.
Athlone won the Connacht Trophy in 1977, 1976, 1975, 1974, 1966 having first won it in 1957.
Kay & Niamh O'Regan won he Lancôme Trophy in 1985.
A. Geoghegan and S. Donnelly won the All-Ireland May Fitzgibbon Memorial Trophy in 1987.
Cathryan Mannion won the L.G.U. Golf Pin in 1994.
Lily O'Sullivan won the Connacht Junior Championship in 2003,
Celeste O'Regan won the Connacht Junior Championship in the Millennium;
Mary Hynes won the Connacht Junior Championship in 1998;
Niamh O'Regan won the Connacht Junior Championship 1988;
Rosemary Kearon won the Connacht Junior Championship in 1979;
Lola Lyster won the Connacht Junior Championship in 1975;
Primrose Cotton was the first Lady in Athlone to win the Connacht Junior Championship in 1965;
Pat Eaton won the Western District Golden Years Tournament in 2001.
Card of the Course (yards)
Hole No Blue White Yellow Par Index Red Ladies Index 1 343 337 297 4 13 278 4 9 2 140 140 122 3 15 122 3 13 3 389 377 357 4 5 325 4 3 4 415 399 380 4 3 397 5 15 5 532 520 505 5 11 405 5 1 6 177 176 141 3 9 81 3 11 7 429 421 407 4 17 289 4 5 8 394 384 370 4 7 312 4 7 9 407 379 364 4 1 379 5 17 Out 3,226 3,108 2,943 36 2,588 37 10 176 176 154 3 14 157 3 14 11 390 365 355 4 6 303 4 6 12 476 454 440 5 10 375 5 2 13 396 396 372 4 4 360 5 4 14 313 313 308 4 12 247 4 16 15 296 296 281 4 16 262 4 10 16 421 407 395 4 2 370 5 8 17 139 107 102 3 18 102 3 18 18 361 361 343 4 8 339 5 12 In 2,968 2,875 2,752 35 2,515 38 Total 6,194 5,983 5,695 71 5,103 75 SSS 73 72 69 75
Men's Course Record: 66 Colm Moriarty
Roll of Honour Moira Grogan 1989 Ladies Captain Terry Carmody 1989 Men's Captain Michael O'Keeffe 1989 President Patricia Reynolds 1990 Ladies Captain Sean Kearney 1990 Men's Captain John Brennan 1990 President Marion O'Reilly 1991 Ladies Captain Kevin Murphy 1991 Men's Captain John Brennan 1991 President Sally Ronaghan 1992 Ladies Captain Jimmy Reynolds 1992 Men's Captain Egbert Moran 1992 President Mairead Cunney 1993 Ladies Captain Terry Hynes 1993 Men's Captain Egbert Moran 1993 President Bernie Mahon 1994 Ladies Captain John Gaffney 1994 Men's Captain George Sheffield 1994 President Frances Milling 1995 Ladies Captain Dan Clarke 1995 Men's Captain George Sheffield 1995 President Maeve Donohue 1996 Ladies Captain Joe Walsh 1996 Men's Captain Eugene Fayne 1996 President Nancy Kearney 1997 Ladies Captain Dermot Fagan 1997 Men's Captain Eugene Fayne 1997 President Dolores McGrath 1998 Ladies Captain John Kinahan 1998 Men's Captain Tom Collins 1998 President Rena Harney 1999 Ladies Captain Pat St. John 1999 Men's Captain Tom Collins 1999 President Cathryn Mannion 2000 Ladies Captain Pat Larkin 2000 Men's Captain John Gaffney 2000 President Cathryn Mannion 2001 Ladies Captain Tony Corry 2001 Men's Captain John Gaffney 2001 President Maura Cleary 2002 Ladies Captain Jimmy Fox 2002 Men's Captain Sean Kearney 2002 President St. John 2003 Ladies Captain Larry Fagan 2003 Men's Captain Eileen Collins 2003 President Anne Evans 2004 Ladies Captain Declan Corcoran 2004 Men's Captain Dan Clarke 2004 President Maria Elliott 2005 Ladies Captain Paddy Egan 2005 Men's Captain Margaret Heavey 2005 President Elizabeth Dunn 2006 Ladies Captain Philip O'Farrell 2006 Men's Captain Kevin Murphy 2006 President Mary McHale 2007 Ladies Captain John Costello 2007 Men's Captain Frances Milling 2007 President Anne Geoghegan (5) 2008 Lowest Ladies H'cap P. O'Boyle 2008 Lowest Men's H'cap Mark Rowe 2008 Lowest Men's H'cap Kelan McDonagh 2008 Lowest Men's H'cap Ciaran O'Connor 2008 Lowest Men's H'cap
Holes-in-One Person Date Hole No. Club Used Distance Jim Spain 21 May 1997 15th 162 m Albert Flanagan 30 January 1999 17th 9 Iron 121 m Michael O'Brien 5 April 1999 15th wedge 121 m John Coyle 20 April 1999 15th 171 m John Coyle 20 April 1999 15th 3 wood 171 m John Stansfield 2 June 1999 15th 3 wood 121 m Eugene Fayne 10 June 1999 2nd 5 iron 152 m Gerry Feary 30 June 1999 2nd 3 wood 152 m Eamon Higgins 13 August 1999 9th 172 m P. J. Naughton 5 December 1999 15th 171 m Eamon Hardiman 16 April 2000 9th 172 m Marc Theriault 21 July 2002