From the Links with Captain John
Hip Hip Hooray!!! Finally, the good news we have all been waiting for: Golf has been given the green light to re-open from April 26th . Although this is slightly later than we had hoped for, we welcome any little ray of light and look forward to members getting out on the link once again. Golf Ireland have issued their Return to Golf Protocol which recently was shared with you on the club website. We don’t however envisage many changes from the arrangements which were in place prior to the current lockdown. Once again, council would like to thank members for their support, words of encouragement and patience.
As mentioned in my previous update, I did say that I would give more detail on the projects we
identified for the recently awarded Golf Ireland €20,000 Resilience Grant. In response to several
queries, it should be noted that a condition for this funding is that it can only be used towards the 3 identified projects below:
1) Golf Academy: Working closely with our club professional, Brian McElhinney, we hope to
develop in the coming years the leading academy in the region for young and aspiring
golfers of all abilities and gender.
2) Coastal Erosion: Several stretches of our sea-wall defences have been highlighted as
potential areas of concern. We intend to engage the services of an engineer to carry out a
detailed assessment of our current structures and provide us with an Action Plan and costing
going forward.
3) On-course toilets: Can any of us say that we have never struggled over the period of 18
holes/4 hrs to ‘tough it out’? As one of the few clubs locally not to offer on-course toilets we
feel they are a necessity for members and visitors alike. We recently met with a local
Architect, as planning permission is required, to discuss/cost all options.
Council recognises that none of the projects mentioned above are instantly achievable. It is however our intention to move forward on all three this year and see them come to fruition as quickly as possible.
On behalf of council, members of the NWGC and myself, I would like to take this opportunity to
publicly acknowledge the tremendous work of Mr Donal Dunne who is stepping down as trustee. His dedication, hard work and love of the club are exemplary. Your continued support and efforts Donal are very much appreciated.
Replacing Donal as a trustee is, long time member, past captain and a man who needs little
introduction from me - Mr Eugene O’Connell. I am delighted to welcome Eugene to the team and
look forward to working alongside him in these exciting times for the NWGC. Congratulations
Eugene.
As you may have seen from pictures posted recently by our Head Green Keeper Damien work on the 3 rd hole has now been completed. Obviously it will take a little time for recently sown areas and re- turfed banks to become established but initial reaction from those members lucky enough to have had the privilege of being able to walk the course during lockdown have all been extremely positive.
We believe the changes will enhance the hole and help maximise the views and experience for both members and visitors alike. A special word of thanks must go out to Past Captain Mr Pat Mackey for the total funding of these improvements. Many thanks Pat for your generosity.
I have been asked to bring the following to your attention: Council acknowledge and recognise the emergence and influence of Social Media in the modern world and the rights of individuals to
actively participate in the undertaking of such activities. We would however, respectfully remind
members of their responsibility to ensure that they conduct themselves in a way that reflects
positively on the North West Golf Club and to carefully consider postings that may be detrimental or discredit the club.
Once again, a big thank you to all members who have paid their subs and a gentle reminder that the 10% reduction for eligible members remains in place until the 30/4/21. Please check your
email/spam folders in the coming days for additional information and a small token of thanks from council. (Payment methods are also included in this email)
Finally, I would like to thank the 3 people who read my first blog - My Wife, Uncle Cathal and
Anonymous. Your words of encouragement are …………. short!
Captain John
