Cobh Golf Club

Membership Options in Cobh and Youghal

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Youghal Golf Club. Picture: Niall O’Shea

We’re just about into February and many golfers who took the winter off will be targeting their return to the fairways this month.  Many clubs have announced membership offers for those looking to join a club, an option that gives golfers a number of benefits compared with casual golfers.

Golf Ireland is the national governing body for the sport and any affiliated club can provide a Golf Ireland handicap index for new members looking to play in competitions.  Generally three rounds of golf are needed to get an initial handicap index, but once a golfer has that there are very limitations.  Club members can usually access a large number of weekly open Continue reading →

Cork Women win second Pennant, Bruen in Cobh, Mullingar Round Up

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May be an image of 10 people, people golfing and golf courseCork Golf Club captured their second Women’s pennant of 2023 when the Junior Cup team came out on top at Muskerry last weekend.  For the second time this year Cork faced Douglas in a Munster East final and the Little Island won for the second time.  The final was a close match with Douglas taking the first two points before Cork came back to win it.  Cork’s Nuala Continue reading →

Cobh Set for Bumper 2023

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Cobh’s golfing year got off to a great start recently with the annual drive in taking place.  The incoming officers are Seamus Barry, President; Ciaran Harkins, Captain; Liz Ryan, Lady Captain; and Lee Prince, Youth Captain for 2023, and the traditional ceremony marked the start of the new season.  This will be their 15th season at Marion Point, which remains one of Ireland’s newest 18 hole developments.

Teresa Delius head’s up the club’s marketing committee and she is excited about the coming year.  “Cobh Golf Club is looking forward to a very exciting golfing season 2023.  The course, which was opened in 2010, is maturing very nicely and the Greens are in superb condition.  We are currently upgrading our green-keeping machinery Continue reading →

O’Sullivan Celebrates 10 Years in Cobh

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Cobh’s Club Professional David O’Sullivan PGA.

This summer marked an important anniversary for PGA Professional David O’Sullivan, he celebrated 10 years as the Club Professional in Cobh Golf Club.  The Ballincollig native has been in the PGA ranks for over 20 years and has made Cobh his home since 2010.  While golf itself has gone through a strange decade, and especially a strange 2020, David was delighted to celebrate a decade at the Marino Point club.  “Ten years on and the old saying is true, time flies when you’re having fun.  From my early days, it was very clear that the members were welcoming and proud of their golf club and that is still very much the vibe at Marino Point.  Cobh Golf Club is on a journey of progression and since I started in 2010 this has been our shared journey.  It became ‘home’ and a decade on, I still very much feel that sense of belonging.”

Although you mightn’t think it, David is now in his third decade as a golf pro.  He trained in Bandon under Paddy O’Boyle and Continue reading →

PGA’s Pro’s getting back in the swing

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Cork Golf Centre

While courses opened in mid-May, it took most Golf Professionals a few weeks more to restart their businesses.  Almost all PGA Professionals are now back in business following the lockdown and many are reporting a strong start to the shortened season.  Cork Golf Centre re-opened in May and the Ballincollig centre is now back to offering the full range or services.  Wayne O’Callaghan is one of three teaching professionals based in the centre and he’s delighted with the large number of golfers coming for lessons or just Continue reading →

East Cork’s Golfing History

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While Fota Island can be regarded as Cork’s top championship golf location, not many people will know that the Fota was the site of the first record organised golf in Cork.  Back in 1883, over 135 years ago the first course in Cork was laid out on the Smith Barry Estate.  The course in Fota was the second recorded course in Ireland, and it lasted around 30 years until the game spread by way of the large increase in the number of courses and clubs.  It’s not known where exactly on the island that the course was located but it’s unlikely that it was on the site of the current course.

Owned by Lady Barrymore who lived in Fota House, the course was a short nine hole layout and was mainly used in the early days by the Officers of the British Army stationed in Cork.  Although it boasts the earliest records of the sport in Cork, it seems that there was no golf in Fota until 1993 when a new course was established by an international property investment fund.  A fore runner to the current championship layout, the course was popular among local golfers and hosted the Irish Amateur Open and the Irish Club Professional tournaments in the early years.  All changed at the turn of the century when Dr Tim O’Mahony’s Killen Investments commenced a multi-million pound investment and redeveloped the course into a European Tour level course.  That course hosted the Murphy’s Irish Open in 2001 and 2002.  In 2004 there was another change of ownership when the course was bought by John Fleming who set about a substantial development that saw a hotel and housing development.  The property play was combined with a new nine hole course in addition to the development Continue reading →

East Cork’s Golfing History

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

While Fota Island can be regarded as Cork’s top championship golf location, not many people will know that the Fota was the site of the first record organised golf in Cork.  Back in 1883, over 135 years ago the first course in Cork was laid out on the Smith Barry Estate.  The course in Fota was the second recorded course in Ireland, and it lasted around 30 years until the game spread by way of the large increase in the number of courses and clubs.  It’s not known where exactly on the island that the course was located but it’s unlikely that it was on the site of the current course.  Owned by Lady Barrymore who lived in Fota House, the course was a short nine hole layout and was mainly used in the early days by the Officers of the British Army stationed in Cork.  Although it boasts the earliest records of the sport in Cork, it seems that there was no golf in Fota until 1993 when a ne Continue reading →