Democracy thriving in Claremorris

Claremorris

Location: Castlemagarrett, on N17, two miles south of Claremorris. Contact: Clubhouse - 094 71527 Course: 18 holes parkland, par 73. Back tees - 6,750 yards; Medal - 6,410 yards; Women - 5,490 yards (par 73). Architect: Tom Craddock; previous upgrade by Eddie Hackett. Open for play: New 18 - July 1998. Green fees: Weekdays - £12; weekends - £14.

Accommodation: Dalton Inn Hotel, Claremorris. Tel (094) 71604; fax (094) 71488. 17 rooms. Single B and B - £27.50; double B and B - £50. Dalton Inn Hotel self-catering apartments. 14 rooms. One-bedroom (two occupants) - £25 per night; Two-bedroom (four occupants) - £35 per night. Belmont Hotel, Knock (7 miles from course). Tel (094) 88122; fax (094) 88532. 49 rooms. Single B and B - £42; double B and B - £70.

On arriving in the club car-park, the owner of the Mercedes got out and opened the boot. Instead of unloading a bag of golf clubs and trolley, however, he took out a lawnmower and immediately set about some tidying-up work around the course.

That was at the end of last month, 10 days before the official opening of the new, 18-hole layout at Claremorris GC, where democracy is thriving. Tom Craddock had done a splendid job of integrating the new holes into the existing, nine-hole layout but his design had to be brought to fruition. So it was that the members, men and women, didn't hesitate to help with the finishing touches.

After nearly 80 years as a nine-hole facility, Claremorris GC are proud of what they have achieved over the last few years. And to ensure that the word spreads far and wide throughout Co Mayo and beyond, they have advertised the fact by placing a large billboard at the entrance to the club driveway on the N17, outside the town.

During a recent visit to this admirably progressive club which, among other things, can boast 10 Swiss as overseas members, my guide was Willie Feeley, the honorary secretary. He identified himself as a garda detective, a senior inter-county referee and a former Roscommon footballer. With those credentials, it came as no surprise to discover that he has a facility for getting the job done.

It is in the nature of policemen that they like things to have a sense of order. This trait became evident in Feeley as he described the various elements which came together in the construction of the course: some were highly-efficient, others were not. But at the end of the day, a major undertaking had been successfully completed.

Over the charming, wooden mantelpiece in the clubhouse lounge is a photograph of the so-called "Famous Five", who are identified as Michael Conway (the then competitions' secretary), Ger Conroy (captain), Frank Finan (president), Frank Horkan (hon treasurer) and Feeley. Significantly, Conway is a garda and Finan is a retired superintendent.

"I suppose we're not afraid of getting stuck into a project like this," said Feeley. "Another obvious advantage for gardai is that we have a fairly intimate knowledge of the local community. And when we came together in September 1995, our main motivating force was that we knew it would be a tremendous boost to the town."

Undeterred by the fact that the club was £20,000 in debt at the time, they approached two landowners about the purchase of 30acre and 27-acre sites. Then there was a three-and-a-half-acre site which they acquired from Coillte. Together with the existing nine, they made up a perfectly-balanced, integrated site, ideal for golf-course development.

Apart from the rolling nature of the terrain, there were mature ash and sycamore trees, along with numerous water features provided by tributaries to the River Robe which borders the course behind the 15th tee. "That's the famous Castlemagarrett ash," said Feeley.

He was particularly anxious to show me the 440-yard sixth hole, where the tee is on the highest point of the course. A wonderfully testing par four, it has three bunkers placed strategically at driving distance on the right of the fairway and another to the left. But as a bonus, the tee offers a view of Caltra Hill in the distance, while to the rear is the old Oranmore and Brown estate.

This brought back childhood memories of the time, shortly after World War Two, when my father, who was a garage owner, took delivery of a beautiful blue and white Rolls Royce. On inquiring eagerly if we were stepping up in the world, I was informed that the car was for Lord Oranmore and Brown.

Feeley informed me that the original course was built in 1917 on 50 acres of land donated by his lordship to the people of the town. I also learned that the stone-wall bordering the left side of the long 16th hole - an outstanding par five - had itself once bordered a roadway along which pigs would be brought by horse and cart to auction in Castlemagarrett Estate.

"One of our members, Henry Dixon, who was in the famous Mayo teams of the early 1950s, remembers those times," said my guide.

Then I found myself looking out at an inviting, albeit blind tee-shot to the 396-yard 13th which is the index-two and dog-legs to the right. Danger lurks off the tee with the ubiquitous stream ready to consign a poor drive to a watery grave. But Feeley, a 12-handicapper, scorned such concerns.

"See the lone ash there?" he pointed towards a forbidding carry. "That's the line we take." Mentally, I made a note not to get involved in any cash-games with the good detective on any future visit I might make to Claremorris.

But the man also has a gentle touch, as I learned from a close look at the 14th, where there are charming ponds right and left of the approach to the green. Out of a right-hand pond, the water courses over a little weir. "Myself and a few of the lads built that one day," he said. And I could detect the pleasure in his voice, at how well the little feature had worked out.

Then I saw a real gem of a hole, the 381-yard 11th, where the drive is framed by trees right and left and the flag in the distance sweeps up from a valley cut between mounds short of the green.

It is one of the old holes where the green was re-laid in common with the other eight, to match the sand-based quality of the new nine. The overall quality of the greens is quite simply outstanding and a credit to the head green-keeper, Joe Disken.

On arriving at the clubhouse, one notices a plaque to the left of the entrance, commemorating its official opening in 1991 by Des Mahon, the former Connacht interprovincial golfer, who also happens to be the Mayo county manager. I learned that he has been a good friend to the club.

I also discovered their satisfaction at the fine construction work done on the course by Frank Higgins, who was the contractor on Galway Bay GC and is currently working on a new nine at Connemara GC. And looking at the quality of Craddock's design work, it was easy to understand how he, too, is highly respected at the club.

But Feeley expressed disappointment at the lack of financial support at an official level in this country. "The first cheque we got was in sterling," he said. That, as it happened, came from the Royal and Ancient who gave the club a £5,000 grant and an interest-free loan of £20,000.

They needed it. Land purchase cost £287,500 which, when legal fees were added, rose to £312,000. Undaunted, the club raised £160,000 from life memberships. Then there was the £36,000 which they got from sponsorship of the tees and £90,000 raised from a club draw at £100 per ticket. "We sold 1,500 tickets in a month," said Feeley.

And what of the Swiss? They are life overseas members who paid £1,000 each for the privilege, having been encouraged by Frank Farragher, a brother of the former Mayo footballer T J Garragher who was club captain in 1993. "Frank is a financier, living near Zurich, and we had his friends over here for a competition a few weeks ago," said the hon secretary.

Soon it was time to leave. As I drove away from this fine, upgraded facility, I wondered about that old road where Henry Dixon saw pigs being brought to auction. And whether he had ever caught sight of a blue and white Rolls Royce.