In common with other institutions, certain golf clubs have appeared to thrive, only to go into decline and die. Like the Riverside club at Portmarnock, which fell victim to World War I; Killua Castle in Co Meath, which disappeared between the two world wars, and the Fonthill club in Chapelizod, which had a short existence around the turn of the last century. But details of two particular clubs are worth recalling, simply because they were different.

The first of these was Stillorgan Park GC, which existed from 1908 to 1917, and the other was the Berehaven club in west Cork, which had the unique distinction of being formed by semaphore. More of that, later.

A brief history of Stillorgan Park was written by Cornelius F Smith - Neil to his friends - who was kind enough to send me a copy nearly 18 years ago.

He discovered the club was founded as an amenity to enhance the value of the adjoining residential area. Its first president was William J Shannon, an influential land owner who was also president of the Incorporated Law Society of Ireland.

Initially, there were nine holes known as the "Front Links" and in 1910, the "Back Links" were added to make up 18 holes.

We are informed that the clubhouse, which had a steward, and his wife, was listed in Thom's Directory of 1911 as being at numbers one and two Ulster Terrace, which would now be 44/46 Stillorgan Grove. The site of the Front Links later became known as the Obelisk Park grounds and the Back Links site was eventually occupied by the houses and gardens of numbers two to 34 Stillorgan Grove. Essentially, it was between the St John of God's Hospital and Linden Nursing Home.

According to the Irish Golfing Guide of 1916, it was within 15 minutes' walk of Blackrock railway station. There were 220 male members and 180 women and membership fees were £2 12s 6d per year for men; £1 10s for women. Bogey for the 18 holes was 74; the amateur record of 75 was held by T F Perrin and, as might be expected, the resident professional Willie Holley held the professional record of 70.

Recommended hotels were the Shelbourne, Metropole, Dolphin and Moira. The Guide also informs us that "Officers and men of His Majesty's Forces who are golfers, may use the links free of Green Fee during the War."

Holley, who moved to Castle GC after the demise of Stillorgan Park, later recalled that, during Easter Week 1916, a British army corporal and some men camped "peacefully" near his professional hut by a stream. Apparently, they had come off a ship at Kingstown and were awaiting further orders.

As Smith wrote: "A last echo of those lusty cries of 'fore!' is still to be heard in the grounds of St John of God's, where a nine-hole, par-three course survives, as originally laid out by Willie Holley on the high ground across the Glaslower Stream. The Brothers bought Stillorgan Castle in 1882 for £4,000 but it was burnt to the ground in 1908, the year the club was founded."

Membership, we are told, was drawn "very selectively" from the professional and civil service classes resident in the area.

Meanwhile, Smith informs us that well-known residents in the neighbourhood of the club at the time were authors Maurice Walshe, Nevil Shute, James Joyce and artist William Orpen.

Among the reasons for the demise of the club was the high premium on agricultural land and the casualties of the Great War. There was also a concerted move to Castle GC by Major W F Bailey of Bailey, Son & Gibson, along with 90 members.

This resulted in Stillorgan Park becoming uneconomic and there is an inescapable irony in a club professional, with the name of Holley, being given his notice in Christmas week, 1917.

As to events at the southern end of the country, we are familiar with deals being done on a nod and a wink, but it's not often one hears of a golf club being formed by semaphore - flag signals to you and me-and being ready for play in just 24 hours. It happened at Castletown Berehaven in west Cork, back in 1902.

Details of this extraordinary venture, which appeared in The Irish Tourist in 1902, landed on my desk courtesy of indefatigable golf historian, Col Bill Gibson.

Known as the Atlantic Fleet Golf Club, the nine-hole layout on Bere Island was described elsewhere as "most inaccessible, except for residents and members of the Fleet." The Irish Tourist reported: "Castletown Berehaven is now becoming an important naval station and it is destined to become a harbour and refuge, second only to Portsmouth. Owing to the high pressure at which our naval staff are kept working when on the high seas, it is found necessary to run into some convenient harbour for recreation purposes.

"Not very long ago, 10 warships ran into Castletown for this object, and it was resolved to form a golf club and that a match should be played at two o'clock the next day. After coming to anchor, accordingly, a committee was formed by signal and called together immediately, comprising an officer from each vessel.

"Within 15 minutes, the committee had met and sent ashore a sub-committee to survey, select and obtain a suitable site for a nine-hole course. This was done within the space of an hour or so; Jack tars were then told off, each ship providing a battalion to tackle and finish, fit to play, one green and teeing ground.

"The result was evidently satisfactory and play was begun at two o'clock precisely as resolved at the meeting held at 12 o'clock the day previous. This is a record performance in the way of establishing a golf club and it is interesting to know that this club is in a thriving state, supported almost entirely by naval officers.

"The small farmer who provided the ground on which the links were made, has dropped agriculture and, instead, has built an iron pavilion, become greenkeeper and caterer and is now thriving better at this occupation than he did at farming."

But there were fascinating, later developments. Along with details of the Stillorgan Park club, The Irish Golfing Guide of 1916, carried extensive information on the Royal Naval Club, Berehaven. It informed its readers: "There are nine holes which have been laid out within the past few years, three miles to the east of Castletown.

Formerly, the club existed as the Atlantic Fleet Club and had a nine-hole course on Bere Island." Affiliated to the GUI in 1939, Berehaven GC eventually became defunct about 27 years ago.