Tag Archives: golf

ONE of the country’s best known golf clubs, Lahinch Golf Club recorded a “manageable” operating loss of €303,199 last year, reports Gordon Deegan. In a report presented to members at the club’s virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Friday via Zoom, chairperson of Lahinch GC Council, Martin O’Sullivan stated that “the overwhelming dominant feature of 2020 was the advent of Covid-19 and the consequent challenges it presented”. Lahinch staged the 2019 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open and counts former Ireland rugby captain, Paul O’Connell as one of its members. Commenting on the 2020 operating loss in the report, Mr O’Sullivan said, “While any loss is unwelcome, the outturn is acceptable, when compared with our peer group, and is manageable once some normality returns, hopefully later this year.” Mr O’Sullivan said Lahinch GC’s financial performance has been substantially impacted as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic “which resulted in the closure of the club and its facilities to members and guests …

Having taken a €0.5million hit last year to stage the Irish Open, Lahinch Golf Club is now preparing for a loss of over €2 million in green fee business this season due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With international travel grounded, particularly from the States which would be a strong market for Lahinch, the grim financial outlook on green fee revenue was outlined to members in the past week by club chairman, Martin O’Sullivan who also emphasised that sales at the golf shop will also be severely impacted. “Green fee income has been severely affected by the pandemic. Projected green fee revenue from guests of members and possibly some visitors later in the year has been reduced by €2.4million to just over €100,000. “The reduction on visitor numbers will also have a direct impact on golf shop sales which has been reduced by 85% (€825,000),” he cautioned. Mr O’Sullivan said the club does not expect any overseas visitors before mid-August as …

MEMBERS of Extinction Rebellion Clare who disrupted the first day of the Irish Open golf tournament in Lahinch today (Thursday, July 4), say they wanted to appeal to its global TV audience to demand urgent action by the world’s governments to prevent a climate catastrophe.  At 1:20 pm, just as Shane Lowry was approaching the 18th green, the Clare-based climate activists unfurled a huge banner that read, “Game Over: Climate Action Now!”  Aisling Wheeler of Extinction Rebellion Clare said, “We disrupted the golf event for a few moments to draw attention to the unimaginable disruption to our world that is threatened due to climate breakdown. If governments do not take radical action very quickly, the result will be catastrophic extreme weather events, drought and food shortages, from which Ireland will not be spared. “More than half a billion TV viewers will be watching Lahinch this weekend but what nobody is talking about is that Lahinch will be a series of …

THE substantial shadow of the man who is not there will not damage the Irish Open. That’s the firm view of host Paul McGinley but he admits that Rory McIlroy is a major loss from the field at Lahinch. “I’m still very disappointed. He’s one of the top players in the world, he’s Irish and he’s chosen this year to sit out the Irish Open, which is a huge disappointment for everyone; you’ve got to be honest and open about it. But, you know what, the Irish Open isn’t going to be defined by whether Rory McIlroy plays or not. The Irish Open has been in the schedule for a great number of years, with some great champions like Seve Ballesteros, Olazábal, Bernhard Langer; Rory’s won it himself. Players come and go, eras come and go but the Irish Open will always remain.” McIlroy’s reasoning that playing Lahinch would damage his chances at the British Open doesn’t hold water, McGinley …

RORY McIlroy has said he will not play at the Irish Open in Lahinch this summer. He has said he will not be playing there, because he will be focusing on the British Open in Portrush. Speaking to BBC Northern Ireland he said, “If there is ever a year when I feel I can miss this Irish Open, it’s this year. If I was to play the Irish Open, The Open Championship would be my third event in a row. For me, that’s not the best way to prepare for what could be the biggest event of my life.”

NORTH Clare homeowners are looking for more than €8,000 to rent out their properties for the Irish Open and this week has seen calls for more moderate pricing. On Monday, on airbnb.ie, a house described in its blurb as a “Lahinch Irish Open house in Miltown Malbay”, could be booked for €8,169. On the same site, €7,879 could secure a golf fan a three-bedroom house, which was described as being an eight minute walk from Lahinch’s main street. Another property in the village was available for the princely sum of €7,022 for the week. Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship winner, Offaly’s Shane Lowry and world number 13, Tommy Fleetwood, were confirmed this week for the tournament, which is taking place from July 4 to 7. Local hotelier Michael Vaughan is a past president of the Irish Hotels Federation and he said some of the prices being sought are very high. “As far as we’re concerned in Lahinch and North Clare, the …

Portumna landed the Irish Mixed Foursomes in dramatic fashion when Damien Burke holed the winning putt at the second extra hole. Burke partnered Mary McElroy to victory in the decisive match, which went to the 20th, sinking a crucial five-footer to seal the winning point against the Ulster champions, Ballybofey & Stranorlar for a 3-2 win. This was a second green pennant for the club, who had previously won the Irish Mixed Foursomes at Bandon in 2009 In the final Portumna’s James McLoughlin (0) and Rachel Madden (22) beat T Griffen (8) and M McHugh (15) 5&3; Ger Lynch (6) and Bernie Kilmartin (19) beat F Wilson (10) and D Devaney (11) 4&3; Damien Burke (4) and Mary McElroy (17) beat J McMenamin (8) and S Maloney (18) 20th; P Cahalan (12) and A Fahey (13) lost to E Bradley (14) and M McConnell (10) 3&2; G Brehony (14) and M Kelly (13) lost to S Carlin (10) and J …

By Seamus Hayes THE inaugural Munster final of the Irish Boys inter-club championship will take place in Tramore golf club on Tuesday July 31. Among the eight clubs from across the province competing, will be two from Clare. Ennis and Lahinch will be the two representatives from North Munster and they will join Waterford Castle and Youghal (South Munster), Tralee and Ballybunion (West Munster), Mahon and Kinsale from South Munster Following proposals at provincial level last November, the event was added to the GUI Championships calendar for 2018. The new event is a strokeplay team event with five golfers playing for each team. Based on handicaps, the event differs from the Fred Daly trophy with the best three nett stableford scores counting towards each teams total.  The winning team will go forward to the All-Ireland finals which will also be played at Tramore at the end of September.  Play in Tramore gets underway at 11am with the final group of golfers teeing …