Fortwilliam golf club Antrim

Members Achievements

Fortwilliam Golf Club qualified for the Quarter-Finals of the All-Ireland Jimmy Bruen Shield at Slieve Russell Golf Club on Thursday 8th September 2022.
They were drawn against East Cork Golf Club and lost their match by 3½-matches to 1½ -match.
First on the tee was Stephen Benson with Cormac Gillespe who won their match by 1-hole against Bryan O’Byrne with Conor Meany, they were followed by Eamonn O’Kane with Patrick McGurnaghan who halved their match against Eric Cunningham with Daniel Coffey, next on the tee was Aidan Hawkins with Brian McLoughlin who lost their match against Scott Covle Garde by 3 and 2, in the penultimate match Jack Moffett with Rory McLarnon lost out by 5 and 4 against Christopher Cocking with Hugh Mulcahy and in the bottom match Brendan Lundy with Martin Kelly lost their match against Sean Harrigan with Stephen O’Brien by 4 and 3.

Fortwilliam Golf Club won the Ulster Final of the Irish Junior Cup when they beat Dunmurry Golf Club by 3-matches to 2-matches in 2018.
They made their way to Thurles Golf Club to participate in the All-Ireland Deciders they were drawn against Munster Champions Clonmel Golf Club in the All-Ireland Semi-Final and recorded a 3-matches to 2-matches against the Tipperary team on Saturday 6th October.

They were led out by Martin Colohan who lost his match by 5 and 4 against Billy Hewitt, he was followed by Conor Bradley who beat Brian McLean by 2 and 1, next on the tee was Declan Hughes who lost out to Darragh Lynch by 3 and 2, in the penultimate match Gary Currie beat Jack Alton by 2 and 1 and in the bottom match Eamonn O’Kane had a 1-hole win over Dennis Conway and a place in the decider.

They met Connaught Champions Portumna Golf Club in the All-Ireland Final the following day. They were led out by Gary Brown who lost his match against Sam Murphy, he was followed by Conor Bradley who lost out to Gerard Lynch by 4 and 2, next on the tee was Declan Hughes who had a similar result against Damien Burke, Gary Curries match against Michael Flanagan and Eamonn O’Kane against Eamonn Dervan were both recorded as halves when called in.    

Fortwilliam won the Ulster Final of the Jimmy Bruen Shield when the beat Faughan Valley by 4-matches to 1-match in  the Semi-Final and accounting for Enniskillen by 3-matches to 2-matches in the decider in 2016.  

They made their way to Carton House Golf Club to compete in the All-Ireland Finals when they drew Connaught Champions Athenry Golf Club in the All-Ireland Semi-Final.

They were led out by Aiden Hawkins with Patrick McGurnaghan who had a 3 and 1 win over Ethan Regan with Oisin O’Connell, they were followed by Donald Skeats with Martin Kelly who lost out to David Flaherty with David Mooney by 4 and 2, next up were Andrew Lane & Vincent McKinley who had one of those days when going down to Sean O’Connell & Paul Molloy by 7 and 6, in the penultimate match Paul Gillen with Conal Duffy had a 2-holes win over James O’Connor with Mark Moran, with a place in the All-Ireland Final at stake John M. McAuley with Alan Hawthorne took their match up the 20th before conceding the point to Ciaran Coughlan & Seamus Burke.

Athenry Golf Club lost the decider to Leinster Champions Cill Dara by 3-matches to 2-matches in the All-Ireland Final, this was Cill Dara’s first Green Pennant in their long history having being founded in 1920.

Fortwilliam Golf Club won the Ulster Final of the Jimmy Bruen Shield when they beat Mahee Island by 3½-matches to 1½-matches in the Quarter-Final; St. Patrick’s Golf Club by 4-matches to 1-match in the Semi-Final and accounted for Warrenpoint Golf Club by 3½-matches to 1½-matches in the decider in 2015.

They made their way to Carton House to compete in the All-Ireland Finals on 18th September, where they were drawn against Munster Champions Ballybunion Golf Club in the All-Ireland Semi-Final.

They were led out by John Michael McAuley with Alan Hawthorne who lost their match on the 18th against Des O'Donnell with Iarla O'Mahony, they were followed by Declan Hughes with Martin McKeown who lost their match against Ronan Cross with Finbarr Carrig by 3 and 2, next up were Eamonn O'Kane with William Rooney who halved their match against Mark Dilger with Kevin Frost, in the penultimate match Patrick McDiarmuid with Marshall Sharpe went down by 7 and 6 against Brian Slattery with Adrian Walsh, in the bottom match Aidan Hawkins with Patrick McGurnaghan halved their match against Dale O'Sullivan with Brendan Daly.

Fortwilliam Golf Club won the Ulster Final of the Junior Foursomes in 2006. It was on to Balbriggan Golf Club in North Dublin on 29th August, where they were drawn against Connaught Champions Portumna Golf Club in the Semi-Final.

First on the tee were Conor McLarnon with Mark Fitzgerald, against Tristan O’Rourke with Peter Dillon, they had a comfortable 5-hole win over the Galway pair. They were followed by Chris Crangle with Eoin McComb, who lost out to Paul Carty with Shane Ryan by 3-holes, however their 2-hole win was enough to put them through to the All-Ireland final against Leinster Champions The Island Golf Club in the afternoon.

In a trilling final that went all the way to the 2nd play-off hole, Conor McLarnon with Mark Fitzgerald were pitched against James Monaghan with Darragh Rodgers when they lost by 2-holes. They were followed by Chris Crangle with Eoin McComb against Simon Arthur with David Weldon, they won their match by 2-holes, leading to an exiting play-off, however it was not to be for the Ulster Champions.

Fortwilliam Golf Club won the All-Ireland Final of the Irish Junior Cup, having been crowned Ulster Champions they were drawn against Leinster Champions Castle Golf Club in the National deciders at Rosslare Golf Club on 14th September 2005.

In the Semi-Final Gary Brown was first up against James Hanby when James had a 3 and 2 win. Next up was Conan McLarnon who had a 4 and 3 win over Karl Swaine, he was followed by Paul Maguire who had an off day against Stephen Webster when he lost by 7 and 3. The penultimate match saw Gary O’Hara beat Omer Bhamjee by 1-hole. The bottom match saw Michael Tierney have a convincing 5 and 4 win over Harry Gleeson.

Having reached the All-Ireland Final they met Connacht Champions Galway Golf Club in the decider. Gary Brown lead the way with a win on the 19th over Jonathan Hehir, he was followed by Conan McLarnon who had an off day against Gary Scott when losing by 5 and 4. Next on the tee Paul Maguire who lost by 5 and 3 to Joe Costello. Gary O’Hara had a vital 3 and 2 win over Michael Hennelly. The bottom match saw Michael Tierney beat Eddie Mulholland by the narrowest of margins on the 18th hole, which delivered the green pennant in an exciting final.

The squad was Len McCauley, Mark McKenna, Michael Graham, Michael Tierney, Gareth Tierney, Ryan McLarnon, Paul Maguire, Kris Krangle, Gary Brown, Eoin McComb, Conan McLarnon and Gary O’Hara, they were captained by Tony Campbell.

Simon Doherty was selected to represent Ireland at the Boys Home Internationals played at Woodhall Spa, Lioncolnshire from 2nd to 4th August 2005.

Brenda McLarnon a student at the Ledbetter Golf Academy in Florida was selected on the Ulster Senior team for the Inter Provincials at Mount Wolseley Golf Club on August 7th and 8th 2002. She played for the Ulster Girls' team in the Smurfit Interprovincial Championship at Enniscrone Golf Club from the 18th to the 20th of April 2001. She was on the ILGU Junior squad in November 2000 and was on the Irish Girls' team for the Home Internationals, at Downfield Golf Club, Dundee from the 15th to the 17th, March 2000.

Prior to 2001:

Members who played representative golf for Country or Province;

A. Adare represented Ireland at international Boys' level in 1990 playing 4-matches, won 1-match and lost 3-matches accumulating 2-points;

S. Doherty represented Ireland at Irish Boys' level in 2005 playing 6-times won 1-match halved one and lost 4-matches accumulating 3-points;

Steven Hood represented Ireland at Irish Boys' level from 1994 to 1996 playing 16-times won 5-matches halved one and lost 10-matches accumulating 11-points. He represented Ulster at the Boys Interprovincial Championships from 1994 to 1995 playing 12-times won 4-matches halved four and lost 4-matches accumulating 12-points;

D. E. Soulby* represented Ireland as a Senior International from 1929 to 1930;

A. Black* represented Ulster as a Youth in the Interprovincial Championships in 1965 playing 2-times; 

J. R. McGinty* represented Ulster as a Youth in the Interprovincial Championships from 1972 to 1973 playing 2-times;

P. J. O’Hara represented Ulster as a Youth in the Interprovincial Championships in 1978 playing 3-times won 1-match and lost 2-matches accumulating 2-points;

Simon Doherty represented Ulster at the Boys' Interprovincial Championships in 2005 playing 6-times won 3-matches halved two and lost 1-match accumulating 8-points;

Maeve McConnell played for the Irish Girls' against Wales, in 1965, and won the Irish Girls' Close Championship, in 1966, and 1967;

Caitriona Hinds played for the Irish Girls' in 1981;

History of Fortwilliam

Instituted 1891 affiliated 1895

According to the club records, the club was "first" founded on the 16th October 1891, they read "Eleven gentlemen of the Antrim Road area met in No. 1, Custom House Square, on the inaugural date, and the chair was occupied by Mr. J. T. Reade. Initially, nine holes were laid out on land between Fortwilliam Park and Parkmount, but this course was only playable in the winter months."

The club went into decline, and was not revived until 1903. The first meeting took place on 10th January, that year, and in February C. S. Butchart, the professional at Royal Co. Down Golf Club, laid out a nine-hole course. Before 1924, the club had extended to eighteen-holes, and opened a new clubhouse.

What the club tells us:

On Friday, 16th October, 1891 a meeting of eleven gentlemen from the Antrim Road area
met in No. 1 Custom House Square and formed the Fortwilliam Golf Club.
The golf course was sited on land between Fortwilliam Park and Parkmount.
Play was only allowed between November and March because the owner required
the ground for grazing and/or hay during the spring and summer.
A Ladies branch was established right from the start although ladies were not permitted
to play on Saturdays after 1pm.

1903 - The move to our present site

As Belfast expanded the land used by the club was being more and more used for building and in 1897 the Club Committee started to look for a new site.

It wasn't until 1903 that the club
secured our own well-loved site and on the 10th January 1903 the first General Meeting of the
club took place.

The residents of the Antrim Road area had been circulated and a large attendance
ensured a broadly based membership structure. The following month Mr Butchart,
the professional at Royal County Down was asked to construct the course
which he accomplished in one day!
The ground used for the nine holes was the 58 acres to the south side of Gray's Lane.

In March of that yearthe building of the first clubhouse was started, the cost being £378.
The following May Mr Butchart was called into redesign the course.
This was because an area of ground (roughly our present 9th and 10th holes) had been
used by a Miss MacDermott for grazing cattle and only after much trouble did the club
obtain the use of that area. The field below Miss MacDermott's ground was used for
practising and professional coaching.

1923 - Expansion to 18 holes

In 1923 agreement was reached with Sir Harold Gray to secure the land to the north side
of Gray's Lane and the first eighteen hole course was established with nine holes on each
side of Gray's Lane. However the nine holes on the north side of the Lane were found to be
too cramped and CW (Charlie Pope), the Club's Pro from 1904 redesigned the course with
eleven holes on the south side and seven on the north side and this is essentially the course
we play today.

Sunday golf was not permitted until 1926 and the clubhouse was extended and enhanced
over the next three decades, the first Liquor license being applied for and obtained in 1936.

1972 - The new clubhouse

The new building was opened in August 1972 by Mr Tom Montgomery,
President of the GUI, Judge Fox, President of Fortwilliam, Club Captain Mr JD Burne
and Lady Captain Mrs T Lowry.
The cost was approx. £80,000. The old clubhouse was still standing.

1982 - Extension and Demolition

In 1982 the old clubhouse was demolished and an extension to the 1972 building
was opened by the Lord Mayor, Councillor Tom Patton at a cost of £230,000.

1990 - New Pros Shop

The pros shop which had originally been sited adjacent to the old clubhouse in an area
where cars are now parked at the rear of the 14th tee was moved to a location which is the
small annex at the north side of the men's locker rooms. This was far too small and in 1990
the existing pro shop was constructed.