Malone golf club Antrim

Members Achievements

The Boys’ of Malone Golf Club won the Ulster Final of the Fred Daly Trophy in 2021 when they beat Galgorm Castle by 4-matches to 1-match and qualified for the All-Ireland deciders at Clontarf Golf Club when they met Roganstown Golf Club on Thursday 24th and lost out to the eventual champions by 5-matches to 0-matches.

They were led out by Fionn Dobbin who lost his match to Patrick Keeling by 2 and 1, he was followed by George Craigan who lost his match by the minimum against Sean Keeling, next on the tee Robert Craigan who went down by 5 and 4 against Charlie Kelly, in the penultimate match Joseph O’Sullivan lost out to Padraig O’Dochartaigh by 3 and 2 and in the bottom match Aaron Rose lost his match by 4 and 3 against Aaron Murray.

The team was Dan Kernohan, Aaron Rose, Robert Craigan, Joe O'Sullivan, George Craigan, Michael Hollway, Fionn Dobbin and Will Kernohan they were Captained by David Craigan

Malone Golf Club won the Ulster Final of the Irish Junior Cup at Lisburn Golf Club on Saturday 31st August 2019 when the beat Warrenpoint Golf Club by 3-matches to 2-matches.
They were led out by Luke O’Sullivan who beat Stephen Campbell by 1-hole, he was followed by Fionn Dobbin who had a 2 and 1 win over Shane McMahon, next on the tee was Benjamin Connolly who lost his match by 3 and 2 against Vincent Toner, in the penultimate match Marco Deane lost his match against Dee Morgan by 3 and 2 it was all down to the bottom match of Jamie Thompson who won by the minimum 1-hole against Niall McGivern and their passage to the All-Ireland Deciders at Westport Golf Club in September. 

The Ladies of Malone Golf Club won the Ulster Final of the Irish Junior Cup when they beat Ballycastle Golf Club by 4-matches to 1-match at Clandeboye Golf Club on Sunday 2nd September 2018.

They were led out by Sara O'Sullivan (9) who beat Mary McKiernan (9) by 4 and 3, she was followed by Miriam O'Doherty (9) who won her match by 1-hole against Brenda McNeill (9) next up was Ann Brown (10) who also had a 1-hole win over Fiona McComb (9), the penultimate match of Ellen Greene (11) against Joan Kennedy (12) and the bottom match of  Karina Brady (12) against Fiona Glass (13)were both recorded as halves when called-in.

They made the long journey to Knightsbrook Hotel & Golf Resort to participate in the All-Ireland Deciders where they met Munster Champions East Cork in the All-Ireland Semi-Final on Friday 28th September and lost out by 3½-matches to 1½-matches.

They were led out again by Sara O’Sullivan who lost her match against Deirdre O’Mahony by 4 and 2, next up was Miriam O'Doherty who halved her match against Mairead Ni Mhurchu, she was followed by Ann Brown who won her match against Tara McCarthy, in the penultimate match Ellen Greene lost her match against Sel O’Leary by 2 and 1 and in the bottom match Karena Brady lost out to Anne O’Connell by 4 and 3. East Cork went on and lost out to Rathfarnham Golf Club in the All-Ireland Final the following day.    

The Ladies of Malone Golf Club won the Ulster Final of the Irish Intermediate Cup when they beat Shandon Park Golf Club by 3 ½-matches to 1 ½-matches at Clandeboye Golf Club on Sunday 2nd September 2018.

They were led out by Kay Gilbert (16) who beat Debbie Sweeney (16) by 3 and 2, she was followed by  Claire Canning (16) who lost her match against Mary Thompson (16) by 5 and 4, next on the tee was Caroline Jones (17) who recorded a halve against Debbie Thompson (18), in the penultimate match Anita Goan (19) had a resounding 7 and 5 win against Aoife Bradley (19) in the bottom match Sharon Cox (21) beat Lorraine McCaffrey (20) by 4 and 3.

They made the long journey to Knightsbrook Hotel & Golf Resort to participate in the All-Ireland Deciders where they met Mid Leinster Champions Mount Juliet Golf Club in the All-Ireland Semi-Final on Thursday 27th September and recorded another 3 ½-matches to 1 ½-matches over the ladies from Kilkenny.

They were led out again by Kay Gilbert who lost her match by 3 and 2 against Brenda O’Sullivan, next on the tee was Claire Canning who won her match by 2-holes against Kathleen Hession, she was followed by Caroline Jones who halved her match against Helen Walsh, in the penultimate match Anita Goan recorded a 2 and 1 win over Mary Quigley and in the bottom match Sharon Cox clinched their place in the decider when beating Mary Molloy by 3 and 2.

They met Munster Champions Douglas Golf Club in the All-Ireland Final the following day and went down by 4-matches to 1-match to the ladies from Cork.

They retained the same formation and Kay Gilbert lost her match by 1-hole against Jill Morris then Claire Canning lost her match against Jessica Kavanagh by 2 and 1 when Caroline Jones lost by 4 and 3 against Orla Coughlin the green pennant was heading south, the penultimate match of Anita Goan against Mary O’Leary-Cooney and bottom match of Sharon Cox against Helen Barry where both declared as halves.

The Ladies of Malone Golf Club won the Ulster Final of the Irish Minor Cup when they beat Dungannon Golf Club by 3-matches to 2-matches at Clandeboye Golf Club on Sunday 2nd September 2018.

They were led out by Hilary Agnew (22) who lost her match against Anne Burns (22) by 3 and 2, she was followed by Wendy Reid (23) who had a very comfortable 5 and 4 win against Hazel Annesley (22), next on the tee was Margaret Crossey (23) who had a resounding 7 and 5 win over Deidre O'Rourke (22) in the penultimate match Janet Pritchard (24) lost her match by 5 and 3 against Thelma Redpath (23)  in the bottom match Janet Bailie (26) won her match by the minimum 1-hole against Rosin Kelly (27) and with it a place in the National Deciders.

They made their way to Knightsbrook Hotel & Golf Resort to participate in the All-Ireland Deciders where they met East Leinster Champions Druid’s Heath Golf Club in the All-Ireland Semi-Final on Thursday 27th September and won their match by 3½ -matches to 1½-matches against the ladies from the Garden County.

They were led out this time by Deborah Wilson who lost out to Norma Malone by 5 and 4, next up was Hilary Agnew who had a 1-hole win over Margie Rennix, she was followed by Wendy Reid who recorded a 2-hole win over Joanne Tebbs in the penultimate match Margaret Crossey had a very comfortable 6 and 4 win over Martina Murphy and the bottom match was called in and recorded as a halve when Janet Bailie was playing Bernadette Linnie.

They met Munster Champions Monkstown Golf Club in the All-Ireland Final the following day and lost out by 3½ -matches to 1½-matches. They were led out again by Deborah Wilson who lost her match against Jane O’Hagan by 3 and 2, she was followed by Hilary Agnew who had a resounding 7 and 6 win over Sieglinde Murphy, next on the tee was Wendy Reid who lost her match by 2-holes against Nina Kearney in the penultimate match Margaret Crossey was beaten by Martina McCarthy by 3 and 2 and the bottom match of Janet Bailie against Catheraine Rice was called-in and recorded as a halve. The Ladies of Malone just kept hitting the cross bar but no green pennant.

Malone Golf Club won the Ulster Final of the Irish Junior Cup in 2017 when they beat Fortwilliam Golf Club by 3½-matches to 1½-matches in the Final and Rockmount Golf Club by 3-matches to 2-matches in the Semi-Final.
They made their way to Carton House Golf Club in Co. Kildare where they were drawn against Leinster Champions Grange Golf Club in the All-Ireland Semi-Final on Wednesday 20th September.
They were led out by Ben Brennan who lost his match against Kevin O’Meara by 2 and 1, next on the tee was Luke O’Sullivan who won his match against Paul McNiff by 3 and 2, he was followed by James Millar who recorded a halve against Graham McDonnell when called in. the penultimate match of David Fleming against Niall McCormick went 2 and 1 to the Rathfarnham Club and in the bottom match Jamie Thompson went down by 7 and 6 against Jack Ward.

Malone Golf Club won the All-Ireland Final of the Irish Junior Cup at Tullamore Golf Club on Thursday 17th September 2009. They beat the Munster Champions in the All-Ireland Semi-Final and met Connaught Champions Oughterard Golf Club in the decider. The team was Barry Brennan, Dan McCrea, Jamie Thompson, Andy Montgomery and Jan Gilbert.

Karl Gilbert was selected on the Irish Boys' International team that played at Portmarnock Golf Club from 11th to 13th August and was on the Ulster team for the Boys' Interprovincial Championships at Warrenpoint from 25th to 27th August 2004. Karl was selected on the Irish Boys Team that played Canada in a Junior Challenge match at Hamilton Golf and Country Club from 7th to 9th September 2004.

Malone Golf Club won the Ulster Final of the Irish Junior Cup in 2002, and where drawn against Leinster Champions Co. Louth in the All-Ireland Semi-Finals at Galway Golf Club on September 5th. The team was Maurice Bell, Barry Brennan, Karl Gilbert Jamie Conlon, Jan Gilbert.

Andrew Boyle was selected on the Ulster Boys' team for the Inter-provincial Championships at Headfort Golf Club from August 28-30 2002.

Colm Montgomery was selected on the Irish Boys' team for the Home Internationals at Moortown, Leeds in August 2001.

Prior to 2001:

Malone Golf Club won the All-Ireland Irish Senior Cup at Lahinch G. C. in 1955, at Carlow G. C., when the team was R. M. Craigan, W. J. J. Ferguson, G. J. Irvine, J. G. McErvel and Ian Nesbitt.

Malone Golf Club won the All-Ireland Irish Senior Cup at Carlow G. C. in 1954, and at Carlow G. C., when the team was Michael Craigan, W. J. J. Ferguson, Ian Forsythe, Gerry Irvine and J. G. McErvel.

Malone Golf Club won the All-Ireland Irish Senior Cup at Cork G. C., in 1951, when the team was Ned Dornan, Billy Ferguson, Bob Frizzell, Robbie Lowry, and Don McErvel.

Malone Golf Club won the All-Ireland Irish Senior Cup in 1922,1921,1909 and 1908.

They won the All-Ireland Barton Shield at Killarney G. C. in 1969, at Lahinch G. C., when the team was W. J. J. Ferguson, Rollo McClure, David Nelson, and David Young.

They won the All-Ireland Barton Shield in 1961, at Castlerock G. C., when the team was R. M. Craigan; W. J. J. Ferguson, Peter Froggatt, and J. G. McErvel.

They also won it in 1936 and in 1921.

They won the All-Ireland Irish Junior Cup in 1923.

They won the All-Ireland Irish Club Youths' Championship at City of Derry G. C. in 1997.

James McCracken was selected on the Irish team for the World Junior Championship in Hyogo, Japan, in June, 1999, and played in the European Amateur Team Championship at Uppsala, Sweden in July, 1999, and represented Ireland in the Boys' Home Internationals at Conwy G.C., Wales, in August, 1999.

Irish Seniors L.G.A. team champions 1996,' 97,' 98.

Debbie Hanna played for the Irish Girls in 1984, and 1985. Nicola Gorman played in the Girls' Home Internationals at Whitechurch Golf Club in 1991, at Mosley Golf Club in 1992, and at Helensburgh Golf Club in 1993.

Paula Gorman was selected to play for Ireland in the European Ladies' Junior Championships at Shannon Golf Club in 1990, but withdrew. She played for the Ladies' Home Internationals at Lahinch Golf Club in 1997 and she was the reserve on the European Ladies Team Championship at Nordcentre Golf and Country Club, Finland in 1997. She won the Stroke Play Foursomes together with Miss Valerie Hassett, in 1991.

History of Malone

Instituted 1895 affiliated 1895

Ernest Young, the first Captain at Malone, was the guiding light behind the founding of this famous club. He was a member of the Royal Belfast Golf Club in 1885 in 1890 he became Hon. Secretary of the new Co. Down Golf Club at Newcastle. He found these two clubs too far from Belfast and decided to form a club nearer the city.

The Belfast Newsletter 29th April, 1895, records the first meeting "On Friday last 26th inst., a meeting of the promoters was held in the National Schoolroom, Malone Road. The Rev. R. W. Seavers B. D. Rector of St. John’s church, was in the chair. It was unanimously resolved that such a club should be forthwith established and that its designation be "Malone Golf Club", membership of which should be open to ladies and gentlemen. A committee was elected and the first Captain was Ernest Young, the Hon. Secretary was Mr. Joseph Pyke, the Hon Treasurer was Mr. W. A. Chapman.

By 1896, the club had 450 members and the entry fee was two guineas and an annual subscription of two guineas.

In 1919, the club moved to the Harberton Estate, which was an eighteen-hole course. Then in 1962 it moved again to its present location at Ballydrain, Upper Malone, and is now a twenty seven hole course.

What the Club tells us:

Malone Golf Club was founded in 1895 – with a course laid out at Stranmillis. Here is an extract from the Belfast News Letter – “That the ‘Royal Game’ as it is usually termed, has lost none of its well merited popularity in our northern province and especially in the suburbs of Belfast is a fact that has been practically emphasised by the advent of another golf club, which has just been organised in the beautiful suburb district of Malone”.

Within a few years there were 450 members.

In 1903 Caddies were paid 6d (2.5 pence) a round. Mr A McIlwaine who had acted as a caddie at Stranmillis recalled his reasons for starting the job. He was paid 6d for carrying a bag 18 holes, and if he did not lose a ball received a silver 3d as a tip. 6d was a fortune to this young caddie, when his father earned between 10 and 15 shillings a week working in Anderson McAuley Department Store in Belfast.

In 1905 the Club entered the Golfing Union of Ireland Senior cup for the first time – and won – defeating Greystones in a very close final.

Queen’s University Golf Club applied for affiliation to the GUI in 1907. They needed a course to play on so the relationship with Malone began that continues to this day.

Hunter Sharpe, US Consul in Belfast in 1911 was elected an Honorary Member – a practice that continues to this day.

The first indications that the club would move to the Harberton Estate are noted in 1914. 110 acres was leased and possession was from 1st November 1915. Dr McKenzie, a well known golf architect is engaged at a sum of £1200 to complete the course. All is put on hold as war breaks out.

World War I The daily life of the Club was curtailed by the effects of the Great War, as many members were involved both directly and indirectly. Those that fought are commemorated on the Roll of Honour in the entrance of the current Clubhouse.

Not long after the opening members are unhappy with the state of the new course (members unhappy...that is a surprise) Dr MacKenzie returned £200 of the £300 that he was paid as reparation. The dispute resolved, Dr MacKenzie’s reputation was safe. He went on to design Cypress Point, the Augusta National and Royal Melbourne golf courses (whose members were happy). The restriction on Sunday play was proposed with the change in course location, causing much debate.

In the 1920s the social life of the Club was central to the lives of many members. The Duchess of Abercorn came to acquaint herself with the game of golf and remarked on the beauty of the surroundings.

The economic crisis of the 1930s affected Malone... The incoming President of the GUI remarked on the economic changes: “we do not have so many men of independent means in the game. In the old days they had the time and the money, and they simply spent it.”

The Irish Open Championship came to Belfast for the first time – played at Malone in 1933. There were 128 entries, with some twenty Irish amateurs. The winner was E W H Kenyon by two strokes.

In 1939 An exhibition match featuring ‘Bobby’ Locke took place. While he was from South Africa, his father had left the Lisburn Road in Belfast to emigrate.

World War II many members joined H M Forces. At the time of the 50th AGM eighty two men and twenty five ladies had served or were serving. Ten had been killed, or died while serving. Despite the War, Saturday at the Club had a great atmosphere, with a golfer’s fry being the standard meal, made from accumulated rations.

In 1948 There are 750 members, green fees are 2s 6d with a member, and 5s on Saturday, or 7s 6d without a member. Dunlop 65 balls were 4s

The Irish Amateur Close was played at Malone in 1956. A fire in the Clubhouse only a few days before the competition started caused havoc.

By 1957 there was talk about the possibility of new houses being developed and the road being widened that would result in costs being incurred, and protection erected. Had the time come to move again? J.F. Stevenson had been advocating for several years a move to the Ballydrain Estate, owned by his friend Maynard Morrison. The first approaches were not fruitful, but discussions continued into 1958 and ’59.

W.J.J. Ferguson and J.G. McErvel walked the land at Ballydrain, and brought clubs and balls, reporting enthusiastically about the potential. £90,000 was required for the purchase, and £115,000 raised from the sale of the existing course to Queen’s.

The new course was designed by Commander John Harris from C.K.Cotton. In May the golfers moved from the old course to the new one by playing from one course to the other.

Architects Hawtree and Son proposed a new layout of the first nine holes in 1965. Members would recognise these as the current Ballydrain nine, and they also suggested playing the course in its current order.

The Blaxnit International Golf Tournament was staged in May 1966. The winner of the tournament was none other than future major winner Tony Jacklin, who while in Northern Ireland met his first wife.

The 1971 Ulster Open was held at Malone with a prize fund of £12,000. The event was won by Tommy Horton, but was not to happen again due to the worsening political situation in Northern Ireland.

On the 25th February 1972 the clubhouse was entered in broad daylight and a bomb placed, which caused considerable damage around the Ladies’ Room and the Snooker Room collapsed into it. Malone Members were immediately offered the facilities of Balmoral Golf Club by their Captain.

In 1976 it was proposed that part of the Ladies’ Locker room should be used for a snooker room, with the ladies moving out to the courtyard. This was not a step forward in the relationship between members and associates. The dispute that arose was only settled when the decision was made to build a snooker room as an extension.

The Irish Close Championship returned to Malone in 1984, with the course and the organisation of the event receiving much praise. The event was won by Brian Hoey, of Shandon Park Golf Club.

The Captain, Brian Boyd and his wife Glenis, visited Malone Golf Club, New York State, in 1987, thus reviving a relationship that had been lost for 80 years. A letter from 1907 had been discovered that included an explanation of the name of Malone and a score card from the course at that time. At the opening of their new course, designed by Robert Trent Jones, the prize was a trip to Malone in Belfast for two people.

For the Centenary Year of the Golfing Union of Ireland and Malone was honoured to be selected to host the All Ireland Cups and Shields Finals. This was the first time that a Stimpmeter, showing that the average speed on the greens was normally 7 – 8 feet, was used. At the All-Ireland Finals the speed was 9 – 10 feet.

Positively Belfast were tasked with changing the image of Belfast in the 90’s. As part of this they promoted the Irish Senior Masters, with Malone being selected as the venue. The first star golfer was Billy Casper, but the competition was won by South African John Fourie The Second Irish Senior Masters was held the following year and eight times major winner Gary Player was the star attraction.