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Members Achievements

Scrabo Golf Club won the Ulster Final of the Jimmy Bruen Shield in 2007, and were drawn against Connacht Champions Tuam Golf Club in the All-Ireland Semi-Final at Shandon Park Golf Club on Friday 14thSeptember.

First on the tee was Tim Ballie with Bill Fulton against Tom McHugh with Darren O'Connor, when they put the first points on the board with a 4 and 3 win. They were followed by David Graham with Richard Corry who had a 3 and 2 win over Jarlath Crisham with Odran Monaghan. Next up was Nigel Carson with Ross Henderson against Sean Acton with Padraic Forde this match finished with a 1-hole win for the Scrabo pair and effectively put then through to the All-Ireland decider. The penultimate match of David Thompson with Mark Johnston ended in a halve against Tom Farrell with Brian Flesk and the bottom match of Tom Mageean with Glen Thompson against Padraic King with Tom Gohery was also halved, giving Scrabo Golf Club a 4 matches to 1 match win and a place in the All-Ireland Final.

In the afternoon they met Munster Champions Muskerry Golf Club in the decider. Tim Ballie with Bill Fulton led against Paul Herlihy with Denis Lynch and put the first points on the board with a 3 and 2 win for Scrabo. They were followed by David Thompson with Mark Johnston who lost by 2 and 1 against Daniel Hallissey with Eoin O'Callaghan. Next up was David Graham with Richard Corry who had a bad day against David Lane with Jerry O'Callaghan when they lost their match by 7 and 5. The penultimate match of Nigel Carson with Ross Henderson against Neil O'Brien with Jimmy Hornibrook went all the way to extra holes with the Cork men clinching the match on the 20th-hole and their first All-Ireland win in the Jimmy Bruen Shield. The anchor match of Glen Thompson with Tom Mageean against Jackie Solan with Gordian Barry went with the Scrabo pair when they recorded a 1-hole win. The final score of 3 matches to 2 matches say the Jimmy Bruen Shield heading south to Muskerry in their Centenary Year.

Scrabo Golf Club won the Ulster Cup in 2006 when they beat Edenmore in the Semi-Final by 8 matches to 6 matches, they then went on to beat Tandragee by 9 and halve matches to 4 and halve matches in the Final.

Scrabo Golf Club won the Ulster Final of the Irish Mixed Foursomes when they beat Ballyclare Golf Club by 3 matches to 2 matches in the Ulster Final in 2006.

The All-Ireland Finals were played at Clandeboye Golf Club on 28th September where they were drawn against Leinster Champions Enniscrone Golf Club in the All-Ireland Semi-Final.

First on the tee were Ryan Boal with Michele Mills against William Rackard with Stella Sinnott, the Wexford pair won by 2 and1. They were followed by Martin Moreland with Sandra McMillan against Cormac Martin with Jennifer King, they lost by 5 matches to 3 matches. Next up were Noel Wishart with Alison Hiles who had a very convincing 6 and 4 win over Martin Sludds with Julie McCarthy. The penultimate match of Chris Trelfa with Hazel Barry was halved against Paul Gorby with Lori Whitney. The anchor match between Tim Bailie with Karen Clarke against Michael Healy with Pauline Byrne saw a very decisive 7 and 5 win for the Leinster Champions who went on to take the green pennant in the afternoon against Munster Champions Nenagh Golf Club by 3 and halve matched to 1 and halve matches.

Scrabo Golf Club won the Ulster Cup in 2005, when the team was, Warren Rainey, Stephen Tew, David Graham, Colin Morrison, Joe Clegg, John Ritchie, Derek Weir, Jonathon Patterson, Nigel Carson, Henry Carson and Richard Corry, they were captained by William Fulton.

The Boys' of Scrabo Golf Club won the Norman Drew Trophy in 2005, when the team was, Simon Hamill, Ross Henderson, Andrew Murdock, Martin Orme and Scott Crawford, they were managed by Leslie Busby.

Scrabo Golf Club won the Ulster Championship of the BMW Irish Mixed Foursomes and were All-Ireland Champions in 2003, when the team was, A. Hiles, J. Hiles, K. Clarke, L. Boal, C. Spence, H. Spence, M. Moreland, J. Clarke, B. Busby, S. McCormick, R. Boal, D. Cowan and S. L. Busby, they were captained by N. Wishart.

Andrew McCormick was selected on the Irish Team for the Home Internationals at Royal St. David's Golf Club in Harlech, Wales, from September 11 th -13 th 2002. Andrew was selected on the Irish Team to play in the Eisenhower Trophy in Kuala Lumpur from the 24 th to the 27 th October 2002.

Scrabo Golf Club won the Ulster Cup in 2001, when the team was, S. Tew, A. Rea, D. Thompson, H. Spence, A. McLean, W. Fulton, A. Plackitt, G. McCallum and D. Halliday, they were captained by D. Graham.

Prior to 2001

Scrabo Golf Club won the Ulster Fourball Trophy in 2000, when the team was, J. Jordan, T. Carson, S. McCune, V. McAuley, A. Donaldson, J. Hearth, R. McCrory, J. Coulter, S. Stewart, J. Muir, T. McGreevy, E. McCrory and S. Woodrow, they were captained by B. Orr.

Scrabo Golf Club won the Ulster Cup in 1999, when the team was, D. Weir, H. Spence, J. Hiles, H. Patterson, D. Halliday, R. McCoosh, S. Tew, A. Rea and T. Mageean, they were captained by D. Graham.

Scrabo Golf Club won the Ulster Final of the Irish Senior Cup  in 1996, when the team was, A. Meharg, S. McCormick, R. Milligan, J. Rea, R. Boal, Andy McCormick and B. Mills, they were captained by T. Dodds assisted by D. Heaney.

Scrabo Golf Club won the Ulster Final of the Jimmy Bruen Shield in 1997, when the team was, T. Mageen, G. Roberts, M. Thompson, D. Graham, I. McKendrick, D. Weir, S. Beck, N. Wishart, A. Walsh, C. Stewart, R. P. Smyth, D. Patterson, C. Adair, W. Dunlop, D. Glover, J. Clegg, B. Shields and H. Trueman. 

Scrabo Golf Club won the Belfast and District Cup  in 1997, when the team was, D. Baker, R. Boal, S. McCormick, A. McCormick, M. Thompson, M. Moreland, R. Milligan, they were captained by T. Dodds.

Scrabo Golf Club won the Ulster Cup in 1981.

Scrabo Golf Club won the Ulster Cup in 1973.

Scrabo Golf Club won the Ulster Cup in 1969.

Scrabo Golf Club won the Ulster Cup in 1951, when the team was, J. Kerr, H. Stewart, E. Quiery, K. Boyd, H. Millar, G. Nicholl, W. Smyth, C. Marshall and T. Davis, they were captained by T. Jamison. 

 The Boys' of Scrabo Golf Club won the Coca Cola Cup in 1996, when the team was, L. Boal, A. Montgomery, A. Meharg, R. Boal, A. McCormick and I. Cook, they were captained by J. Hiles.

Members who played representative golf for Country or Province;

Andrew McCormick represented Ireland as a Senior International from 1997 to 2002 playing 34-times won 16-matches Halved seven and lost 11-matches accumulating 39-points. He represented Ireland at international Youths level from1994 to 1996 playing 18-matches, won 9-matches and lost 9-match accumulating 18-points. He represented Ireland at Irish Boys level from 1992 to 1993 playing  14-times won 7-matches halved one and lost 6-matches accumulating 15-points. He represented Ulster in the Senior Interprovincial’s from 1994 to 2008 playing 74-times won 40-matches halved twelve and lost 22-matches accumulating 92-points. He represented Ulster as a Youth in the Interprovincial Championships from 1992 to 1996 playing 30-times won 20-matches halved one and lost 9-matches accumulating 41-points;

D. Jackson represented Ulster in the Senior Interprovincial’s in 1969 playing 5-times won 2-matches and lost 3-matches accumulating 4-points;

A. Meharg represented Ulster in the Senior Interprovincial’s in 1997 playing 3-times won 1-match halved one and lost 1-match accumulating 3-points;

R. Boal represented Ulster as a Youth in the Interprovincial Championships in 1998 playing 1-time won 0-matches and lost 1-match accumulating 0-points;

History of Scrabo

Instituted 1907 affiliated 1908

About three hundred years before golf was first played at Newtownards the local school was gifted land by Hugh Montgomery "For recreation at golf, football and archery." This is the first recorded mention of golf anywhere in Ireland.

This is one of the few older clubs whose records are complete and they record that the first meeting to found a local club was held in the Town Hall, Newtownards, on 13^th December 1907. William Sibbald Johnston, J. P., was in the chair and it was agreed to form The Scrabo Golf Club, the local Scrabo Hill was selected as the location of the course. The first President was Lord Londonderry K. G. and the first Captain was William Sibbald Johnston.

C. L. Baillie from the Royal Belfast was paid two guineas to layout the nine-hole course, which was opened by Lady Londonderry on 11^th June, 1908. The course extended to eighteen holes in 1971.

What the Club tells us:

How Scrabo Golf Club was formed

A common drawback to all the suitable sites was that they all belonged to somebody and would have to be purchased, money in those days was not an easily acquired commodity. The utterly mad idea that it might possible to make a Golf Course on top of Scrabo was floated up out of the blue. Scrabo at that time was a wilderness of rock and whins. No sane person could ever have imagined that one day it might be a Golf Course. The main attraction was that it could be acquired cheaply.

A meeting was called in 1907 and a Golf Club was formed at Scrabo. On Thursday 11th May 1908 the course was opened. An energetic Council had enlisted seventy five members at an annual subscription of £1. Scrabo flourished over the next few years and the first Clubhouse was completed in August 1910 at a cost of £161.17.5.

The first few years

Scrabo started as a nine hole course and remained so until the 1960’s when 30 acres of ground was purchased for £6,000 to make the current 5th, 6th, 10th and 11th fairways.

During the change over period various combinations of holes were played depending on how quickly they became playable. In 1971 the new eighteen hole course was completed and play commenced on it on 20th March.