Tuam golf club Galway

Members Achievements

Hannah McInerney was selected for Women’s Connaught in the Interprovincial team event at PGA Slieve Rusell Golf Club from 3rd to 5th July 2024. Others on the team were Sarah Prendergast (Castlebar Golf Club), Maeve Kelly (Strandhill Golf Club), Shannon Burke (Ballinrobe Golf Club), Maebh McLoughlin (Co. Sligo Golf Club), Sophie Leonard-Dodd (Enniscrone Golf Club) and Ellen Lonergan (Westport Golf Club) they were managed by Jacqui McGrath from Tuam Golf Club and captained by Enda Lonergan from Westport Golf Club.

The young boys' and girls' of Tuam Golf Club won the All-Ireland final of the Junior Sixes under 13 team championship at Black Bush Golf Club on Sunday 30th October 2022. The team on the day was Evan Burke, Joe Regan, Rory Williams, Dylan Broderick, Rachel Treacy and Olivia Lynch were the six-player team, and the substitutes were Joe O’Grady and Roisin O’Connor.

Tuam Golf Club won the Connaught Final of the Jimmy Bruen Shield when they beat Castlebar Golf Club by 3½-matches to 1½-matches at Roscommon Golf Club on Saturday 11th August 2018.

They were led out by Peter Ryan with Ben Carty who won their match by 4 and 2 against John F McHugh with Mark Jennings, they were followed by Seamus Kelly with Thomas Monaghan who beat Michael Kilcourse with Shane Rice by 4 and 3, next on the tee was Dónal Cunningham with Shane Quinn who halved their match against Paddy Burke with Colin Dawson, in the penultimate match Jack Davin and Michael Mulryan had a 2 and 1 win over Shane Quigley with Johan Collins and the bottom match of David Burke with Rory Donnellan went 3 and 2 to Tom Moylett with Ian Brennan.

They made their way to Thurles Golf Club to participate in the All-Ireland Deciders and were drawn against Leinster Champions Hermitage Golf Club in the All-Ireland Semi-Final on Friday 5th October and lost out by 3-matches to 2-matches to the men from the West Dublin.

They were led out by Peter Ryan with Ben Carty who won their match against Sean Pardy with Hugh Chambers by 4 and 3, they were followed by Jack Davin with Michael Mulryan who lost their match by 3 and 2 against Niall Callanan with Shaun Blackburn, next up was Dean Quinn with Donal Cunningham who lost their match against Sean Casey with Garry Beagan by 2 and 1, in the penultimate match of Seamus Kelly with Thomas Monaghan against Richard Gladney with Louis Hemeryck was recorded as a 2-hole win for Hermitage and in the bottom match Rory Donnellan with David Burke had a 3 and 2 win over Evan Lester with Fergus O’Herlihy.

Hermitage went on to play Munster Champions Kinsale Golf Club in the All-Ireland Final the following day with the Cork Club claiming the green pennant with a score of 3-matches to 2-matches.

The Ladies of Tuam Golf Club won the Connacht Final of the Junior Cup in the ILGU Inter-club Championship when they beat Carrick-on-Shannon Golf Club by 3½ matches to 1½-matches on Saturday 21st August 2010.

They made their way to Donabate Golf Club to participate in the National Deciders, when they were drawn against Ulster Champions Royal Belfast in the All-Ireland semi-final. First on the tee was Anneta O'Neill (12) who lost her match by 3 and 2 against Janet Wilson (10), she was followed by Susan McGann-O'Brien (12) who had a crushing 5 and 3 lose against Charmain Gifford (10), next up was Marian Mulryan (15) who was beaten by 1-hole against Patricia Boyd (12), the penultimate match of Jacqui McGrath (16) was won by 3 and 2 against Terry Wells (14), the bottom match of Joan Tighe (17) against Gillian Haldane (16) was called-in. So it was not to be for the ladies from Tuam for 2010.

Tuam Golf Club won the Connacht Final of the Jimmy Bruen Shield in 2007, and they travelled to Shandon Park Golf Club to compete in the All-Ireland deciders on Friday 14th September.

They were drawn against Ulster Champions Scrabo Golf Club in the All-Ireland Semi-Final. First on the tee for Tuam was Tom McHugh with Darren O'Connor who lost out to Tim Bailie with Bill Fulton by 4 and 3. They were followed by Jarlath Crisham with Odran Monaghan who lost out to Richard Corry with David Graham by 3 and 2. They were followed by Sean Acton with Padraic Forde who lost by a single hole to Nigel Carson with Ross Henderson. The penultimate match of Tom Farrell with Brian Flesk was halved with Mark Johnston with David Thompson. The anchor match of Tom Gohery with Padraic King was also halved against Tom Mageean with Glen Thompson. Giving the Ulster Champions a 4 matches to 1 match passage to the All-Ireland Final against Muskerry Golf Club in the afternoon. Muskerry were to win their first Jimmy Bruen Shield with a 3 matches to 2 match victory.

The Ladies of Tuam Golf Club won the Burren Cup in 2006, when the team was, Mary McDonagh, Noreen Rushe, Helen Keane, Eileen Finnegan, Sr. Agnes, Curley, Annette Dolan, Marian Coyle, Una Molloy, Marie Sheehan, Evelyn Ronayne, Breda Kilkenny, Angela Clancy, they were captained by Marian Mulryan.

The Seniors of Tuam Golf Club won the All-Ireland Jimmy Carroll Cup in 2005, when the team was, Austin Lydon, Jack Treacy, Jarlath McHugh, Tom Treacy, P. J. Melia, Joe O'Reilly, Pat Quinn, Jimmy Cleary, John Donnellan and they were captained by Jamsie Corbett.

Tuam Golf Club won the Arthur McDowell Trophy in 2005, when the team was, Jarlath McHugh, Jamsie Corbett, P. J. Melia, Jack Tracey, John Donnellan, Joe Rushe, Joe O'Reilly, Austin Lydon, Brian Flesk, Joe Waters, Jarlath Crisham, Tom Treacy, Tom Maher, Frank O'Neill, Jimmy Cleary, John Quirke, Pat Casey, Mick O'Gara and they were captained by Pat Quinn.

The Ladies of Tuam Golf Club were Runners-Up in the Connacht Section of the BMW Irish Mixed at Claremorris Golf Club in July 2002. They lost out to Enniscrone, the team was D. Coyne and F. Lydon, M. Cullen and J. Cleary, S. Wynne and C. Mulryan, O. Donagh and P. Ryan and P. J. Melia and A. O'Neill.

Prior to 2001:

Tuam Golf Club were Connacht Champions and All-Ireland Finalists in the Irish Junior Cup in 1998. The team was Damien Coyne, David Scully, Billy Cunniffe, John C. Davin, David Cleary, Michael McDonagh and Michael Cullen. They were, captained by Gay Hesskin.

They won the Connacht Pierce Purcell Shield in 1996, when the team was Tommy McCarthy, Martin O'Neill, John C. Davin, Fr. Fintan Monaghan, Joe Leufer Jnr. Seamus Tracey, Joe O'Reilly, Mick Barrett, P. J. Melia, Jack Tracy, Tommy Davin, Murt Coyne, Peter Quinn, Noel Higgins, Michael Casserly, Austin Lydon, Michael Cullen, Brendan Brady and Gerry King. They were captained by Joe Waters.

Tuam Golf Club Connaught Shield in 1996, when the team was Michael Mulryan, Paddy Coyne, Jimmy Cleary, Richard Canavan, John Bodkin, Billy Cunniffe, Vincent Cunniffe, Billy Winston, Jarlath Crisham, Ted Steed, they were managed by Danny McGrath.

They won it in 1995, when the team was Tommy Davin, John Bodkin, Peter Fahy, Tommy McCarthy, Seamus Tracey, Peter Finnerty, Frank O'Neill, Brendan P. O'Brien, P. J. Melia, Jarlath Crisham, Brendan Brady, Murt Coyne, Joe Waters, Austin Lydon, Gerry Fahy, Jack Treacy, Martin O'Neill and Michael Barrett.

They won it for the first time in 1979, when the team was Stephen Rowe, Jim Feele, John Farrell, Eamon Collins, Br. Mark Hogan, Joe Joyce, Eric Trainor, Paddy Langan, Bertie Gillard, Billy, Cunniffe and Jarlath Canavan. They were Captained by Tom Canavan and were All-Ireland Runners-Up.

Tuam Golf Club won the Connacht Championship in the Bulmers Jimmy Bruen in 1991, when the team was Paddy Coyne, Kieran Shields, Danny McGrath, Thomas Niland, Ollie McDonagh, Tom McHugh, Tom Canavan, Tom Gohery, Sean Quinn, John G. Davin, Michel McPhillips, Billy Cunniffe, James A. Davin, Richard Canavan, Austin Lydon, David Stapleton Jnr. Jimmy Cleary, Ronan Murphy, David Scully and Jack McElroy.

They won it in 1994, when the team was Jarlath Crisham, Danny McGrath, Paddy Coyne, Tom Farrell, Jimmy Cleary, John D. Davin, David Burke, Matt Melvin, John Donnellan, Vincent, Cunniffe, Brendan Cummins, Michael Cullen, P. J. Melia, Joe O'Reilly, Tom McHugh, Michael Lynch, Tommy McCarthy and they were managed by Tom Canavan.

They won it in 1988, when the team was Michael Lynch, Tom Gohery, Tommy Davin, John G. Davin, Tom Farrell, Tom Canavan, Matt Melvin, Noel Mannion, James A. Davin, Joe O'Reilly, David Burke, Austin Lydon, Bill Cunniffe, Richard Canavan and Bob McDonald.

They won it for the first time in1985, when the team was Tommy Davin, Tom Gohery, Sean Quinn, Tom Canavan, Matt Melvin, Jamsey Corbett, Austin Lydon, Noel Mannion, Ritchie Connolly, Michael McGrath and James A. Davin.

Tuam Golf Club won the Cecil Ewing Shield in 1995-1996, when the team was, Michael Niland, P. J. Kavanagh, Tadg McDonagh, John Quinn, Ciaran Herbert, Noel Connolly, John Mulryan, Padraig Fitzmaurice, Paddy Darcy, Jimmy Bane, Peter Ryan, Jarlath Keane, Eamon Hurst, Tom Joyce, Christy Tighe and Luke Tighe. They were captained by Jarlath McHugh.

They won the Cecil Ewing Trophy in 1983, when the team was Noel Loftus, Frank Glynn, Michael Mulryan, Billy Fahy, Jack Tracy, P. J. Melia, John O'Halloran, Ritchie Connolly, Gerry Fahy and Noel Mannion.

Tuam Golf Club won the County Trophy in 1999, when the team was Michael Niland, Paul Leufer, Mark Jennings, John Bodkin, Pat Casey, Christy Tighe, P. J. Burke, Peter Quinn, Ted Steed, David Burke Jnr. Martin Mulryan and Jimmy Davin. They were captained by Jarlath McHugh.

Tuam won the County Championship of the J. B. Carr Diamond Trophy in 2000.

They won the County Galway Trophy in 1933 when the team was M. Finucane, D. Denneghy, D. Cummins, Dr. J. Nohilly, P. Noone, P. Crean and J. P. Glynn.

Their first recorded win was in 1927 when they won the County Galway Cup, with G. Guy D. J., Dr. J. Nohilly, O. Browne, s. Hehir, F. F. Stafford, D. Denneghy, J. Lynch, J. Daly, D. Cummins, J. P. Glynn and H. B. Maher.

The Ladies of Tuam Golf Club won the ILGU Western District Connaught Trophy in1999, when the team was Annette O'Neill, Fiona Clinton, Marion Mulryan, Ann Gleeson, Pauline Ryan, Mary Nolan. They were, captained by Margaret Gilligan.

They won the ILGU Western District Intermediate Team Event in 1996, when the team was Fiona Clinton, Mary Davine, Maureen Donnelley, Margaret Gilligan, Rita Purcell, Mary Flynn, Jacqui McGrath and Susan McGann-O'Brien. They were, captained by Helen Colleran.

Members who played representative golf for their Province;

P. Cotter represented Connacht at Senior Interprovincial level from 1964 to 1967 playing 13-times won 3-matches halved one and lost 9-matches accumulating 7-points;

D. Coyne represented Connacht at Senior Interprovincial level from 2005 to 2009 playing 11-times won 7-matches and lost 4-matches accumulating 14-points;

T. Curran represented Connacht at Senior Interprovincial level from 1961 to 1962 playing 12-times won 0-matches halved one and lost 11-matches accumulating 1-point;

F. Glynn represented Connacht at Senior Interprovincial level from 1957 to 1963 playing 24-times won 7-matches halved four and lost 13-matches accumulating 18-points;

W. Keane represented Connacht at Senior Interprovincial level from 1966 to 1968 playing 7-times won 1-match halved one and lost 5-matches accumulating 3-points;

M. Quinn represented Connacht at Senior Interprovincial level from 1961 to 1964 playing 18-times won 0-matches halved two and lost 16-matches accumulating 2-points;

Jason Cullen represented Connacht at the Boys Interprovincial in 2003  playing 4-times won 1-match and lost 3-matches accumulating 2-points;

History of Tuam

Instituted 1904 affiliated 1907

Tuam is first mentioned in the "Golf Annual" 1906-7 which gives an institution date as October, 1904, with a membership of 60. The "Golfers Guide" 1910 recorded a new clubhouse under construction. It was a nine-hole course located at Cloonascragh, which was the clubs home until 1937. In 1938, the club moved to Mayfield. Then in 1975 the club moved again to Barnacurragh where a nine-hole course was laid out. In 1978, the present eighteen-hole course, as we know it to-day, was laid out.

James McDonnell and Harry Concannon, who went on holidays together to Harrogate in 1903, brought clubs and balls back with them and introduced the game to the town. James McDonnell gave the use of his lands at Cloonascragh Hill free. "The Irish Field", on the 26th November, 1904, reports "The Tuam Golf Club is now fairly launched, the course has been carefully laid out, many influential people in the neighbourhood, too, are interesting themselves in the welfare of the club, amongst others Colonel Nolan, who is brother of Sebastian Nolan, the owner of Galway links and well known to the Irish Turf".

What the Club tells us:

GLIMPSES OF TUAM GOLF CLUB 1904 TO 2004. – by Michael Moroney

In the beginning…..

James McDonnell, Chairman Town Commissioners, was elected as first President of Tuam Golf Club at the inaugural meeting to establish the club which was held in the Town Hall, Tuam, on Monday, 17^th. October 1904. James McDonnell was a prominent Tuam businessman whose business premises were situated at the corner of Dublin Road and Vicar Street which is now occupied by the Allied Irish Bank. He also had other business outlets in Milltown, Ballinafad, Dunmore and Mountbellew. As well as engaging in business in the town Mr. McDonnell was also very active in political, social and sporting activities in the life of Tuam and its surrounds towards the end of the nineteenth century and well into the twentieth.

THE FOUNDING OF THE CLUB.

New golf clubs were established in Athenry, Ballinasloe, Ballinrobe and Galway during the concluding decade of the nineteenth century. A meeting was advertised in the Tuam Herald for Monday 17^th of October 1904 at 4pm. All who were interested in the new venture were invited to attend. The meeting was so enthusiastic it was unanimously decided to formally establish a golf club.  The annual subscription was fixed as follows: Gentlemen £1.00, Ladies 5 shillings, Family £2.00.

A further milestone in the development of the club occurred on the 3^rd of May 1910 with the official opening of the new clubhouse which was built into the side of Cloonascragh sand hill and we are told it had a commanding view of the first and fourth greens. To mark the occasion a mens single v bogey, ladies single v bogey and mixed foursomes competitions were held. The entry fee for each was two shillings. The prizes were presented by Henry Concannon, Mrs Henry Concannon, Rev. Cannon Higgins and Patrick Murphy respectively. To help defray the cost of construction a concert was held on the previous Monday in the Town Hall. The first club dance was held in the Tuam Club on the Dublin Road in a further fundraising effort on Tuesday of the following week. There was an attendance of 82 ladies and gents and the catering was provided by the ladies committee and it was a resounding success.

THE FINAL YEARS AT CLOONASCRAGH.
The 1930´s were noted for the club´s very successful series of Open meetings. Competitors for these occasions came from Castlerea, Ballyhaunis, Sligo, Galway, Athlone, Claremorris, Westport, Ballinrobe and Dublin. An interesting feature of these open days was the fact that competitors played in two competitions, singles and fourball v bogey. Some names of winners over the period may be of interest to the more senior members of the club: Dr T. Waldron, Dr. Nohilly, Rev J. G. McGarry, Oswald Browne, H. Campion, D. D. Dennehy, B. S. Kenny, R. Leake, Dr T.Cunningham, J. P. Glynn amongst others.

RELOCATION TO MAYFIELD.
In 1937 the Club took the decision to leave Cloonascragh and re-locate to the lands of the Kilgarriff family at Mayfield on the Dunmore Road and stretching over to the Tullinadaly Road, now the Milltown Road. It appears that the decision to leave was because of the state of the fairways at Cloonascragh which had deteriorated to a significant degree and it was considered that it would cost an amount way beyond the financial capability of the Club to remedy them. Also James McDonnell, the President, had left Tuam on his retirement some years previously and his interests in the town had been sold off.
In March of 1940 a new golf club called the Commercial Golf Club was formed and took over the old course at Cloonascragh which was renovated and made playable again. This club was affiliated to the Golfing Union of Ireland and golf was played on that course for many years afterwards. In 1942 they employed the services of a professional.

In 1948 Christy O Connor Senior came to the club as professional. While here he gave golf lessons not only to the members of Tuam but also in several of the surrounding clubs. In 1951 he was encouraged by his friends in Galway and Tuam to play in the British Open in Royal Portrush. He finished as leading Irishman in the championship and later that year he was invited to take up the position as professional at Bundoran Golf Club, then owned by the Great Northern Railway Company, from where he went on to even greater fame on the professional tour. Due to his expert tuition and the encouragement of the management committee of Tuam Golf Club in those years some very promising young golfers emerged in the club.

Barnacurragh Development Company and Tuam Golf Club.
Tuam Golf Club members were becoming restless from the mid 1960´s on. They were playing on a 9- hole course, which they had to share with sheep and cattle as the land was rented. They were also hearing on the grapevine about other local clubs like Athenry and Loughrea which were extending their courses to 18 holes. While they had enjoyed their days in Mayfield they felt the time was ripe for them to buy their own property and develop an 18-hole course adjacent to the town of Tuam.

An extraordinary general meeting of the club members was held and it was agreed that the club purchase the lands, but as the club had no money and the members would only guarantee £5,000 it was decided to establish a company to purchase the property and develop the lands into an 18-holes golf course. Barnacurragh Development Company was set up.
The first priority of the company was to level and develop the land and drain it where necessary. A deal was done with a local land developer, Sean Ryan. He was given the land, rent free, for two years. He was to level it and sow two crops of barley and then hand it back under grass. This was duly done and some drainage work was carried out.

The next step was to engage a golf architect to design an 18-holes course. We were lucky to get the eminent golf architect, Eddie Hackett. He spent a week here in Tuam staying in the Hermitage Hotel and cycled back and forth every day to Barnacurragh and at the end of the week provided us with a blueprint for the course. His fee for the week was £250 plus the cost of his keep in the hotel and his train expenses up and down from Dublin!! His design for the course envisaged the 1^st. and 18^th. holes in the town side of the bridge but the company felt it would be better to have all 18 holes in the one side of the bridge and this was duly done by creating two new holes where the present 8^th. and 10^th. now are.

As the course development works were going on the construction of a new clubhouse was put in hand. It was designed as a single-storey building with provision in the design to construct a second storey overhead. This work was done by direct labour.

Works on the first nine holes and clubhouse were completed by the end of 1974 and the course was opened for play in the spring of 1975. There was an official opening in 1978 by the Presidents of the I.L.G.U. and the G.U.I. and the course and clubhouse were blessed by the Most. Rev. Dr. J.Cunnane, Catholic Archbishop of Tuam, and Most Rev. Dr. Butler, the Protestant Bishop of Tuam.

Work continued on the development of the second nine holes and these were completed a year later and the 18 holes came into play in 1979. Some years later the Radhairc tree planting company were employed to carry out a programme of tree planting on the course and thousands of trees of all kinds suitable for the terrain were sown. At this stage Dave Burke was very much involved in the development work.

Work on improvement of the course was ongoing year after year by each succeeding committee and a second storey was added to the clubhouse in 1991. The well known golf professional, Christy O´Connor Junior, was employed in 1990 to examine the course and advise on any improvements he considered necessary. He proposed a new green for the 7^th. , a new tee for the 9^th. , relocating the 4^th. green across the drain and minor changes such as planting of trees and placing of bunkers at strategic points throughout the course. These works were duly carried out.