LandSwap: Dún Laoghaire Golf Club's 700 members will move next June to its new 27-hole golf course and state-of-the-art clubhouse at Ballyman Road in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.
The club took the decision to leave its home of 97 years - it celebrates its centenary in 2010 - for a greenfield site at Ballyman, following an EGM at the club in June 2002. The initial contact with Cosgrave Developments came in the summer of the previous year.
While the executive committee charged with putting the proposal to the members was optimistic that their argument would be enough to negotiate the move, they were overwhelmed by the 80 per cent majority that accepted the proposal.
Hawtree design was contracted to develop the new course at Ballyman with architect Marc Westenborg charged with designing the 27-hole layout. There are three nines, the upper (3,516 yards), the middle (3,670) and lower (3,397), with any combination capable of taking an 18-hole round over the magic 7,000-yard mark, a prerequisite of any modern golf course.
The high point of the new course layout is at Carrickgollan Hill with a gradual 300ft drop down through the middle and lower nines to Ballyman Glen. There are views of the Sugarloaf and the Irish Sea. More than 100,000 new trees were planted with some imported from Germany to add instant maturity.
The new development will include a 330-yard, 12-bay driving range, a teaching area, fitness room and a 2,508sq m (27,000sq ft) clubhouse. The club has purchased 50 golf buggies while there is car-parking for 250 vehicles.
The existing greenkeeping staff will double from eight to 16.
There will also be a €20.3 million golden handshake from the Cosgrave Property Group to Dún Laoghaire Golf Club when the development at Ballyman is completed. The financial windfall will not be divided up amongst the members but will serve as a particularly healthy bank balance for the club, allowing them the luxury of not chasing green fee traffic or looking to boost membership.
The 27-hole layout is due to be completed and ready for play next summer when the golf club is expected to decamp to Ballyman. There are many clubs in Dublin, similarly land-locked by housing, that will be looking at the outcome of this venture. Bray Golf Club was arguably the guinea pig for this kind of land swap and it has thrived. Dún Laoghaire Golf Club appears set to follow.
