Description
Belmullet Golf Club was founded in 1925. The club was established with the first President being the Very Reverend Cannon J.J. Hegarty and the first Captain being J. A. O’Donoghue. Initially, the club was situated at Ballymacsheerin Cross, Binghamstown.
Turasoireacht Iorrais (Erris Tourism) is a community owned and controlled company which was set up in 1984 to develop and promote the tourism industry in the region. Belmullet was the centre of the Erris Peninsula region and the economy was stagnating. As part of this development the Company undertook the construction of Carne Golf Links on part of 260 acres of commonage which it purchased in 1985. The company engaged Eddie Hackett a well-known Irish golf links designer to lay out the 18 holes. At the invitation of Turasoireacht Iorrais, the Belmullet Golf Club moved from Binghamstown and became the resident club at Carne Golf Links. Belmullet Golf Club operates under a license agreement with Carne Golf Links so Erris Tourism was responsible for the running of the operation whose income is predominately (90%) earned from overseas green fees. The club is owned by the Erris Tourism Development, a non-profit company set up to promote tourism in the area.
The club’s logo denotes the Legend of the Children of Lir (an Irish King) who were turned into swans for 900 years by their stepmother and some of the holes are named after them (i.e. Conn, Fiachra, Aodh and Fionnuala). The course was twinned with Gerhardt Golf Links in Oregon when Tim Boyle (Columbia Sportwear), the owner reached out with a view to arranging a connection between the two courses. It was Columbia Sportwear that sponsored the Irish PGA Championship which was being hosted (2021-2023) at Carne Golf Links.
The Hackett course at Carne Golf Links was designed by Eddie Hackett, one of Ireland’s most renowned golf course architects. The course overlooks Blacksod Bay and the Wild Atlantic ocean and weaves through a spectacular dunescapes. Hackett’s design philosophy focused on creating simple, raw links courses that blend seamlessly with their natural surroundings. The site for the course was on 260 acres and Hackett thought that another 18 could be built and although he drew a design for another 18 he passed away not long afterwards. Although the seed had been set as early as 2003 the additional nine-holes, known as the Kilmore 9, were not opened until 2013 and were designed by an American Jim Engh and a Scot, Ally McIntosh. This nine took advantage of some of the largest dunes on the property. While there are only 27-holes in all, the club decided to rebrand the Hackett Back Nine (where the most severe dunes were located) and new Kilmore nine as ‘The Wild Atlantic Dunes Course’. This expansion has helped the club grow and attract more golfers. Even with just 27 holes the club recognises three courses, the original Hackett course, the Wild Atlantic Dunes Course’ and the Kilmore course.
The course at Carne Golf Links is known for its stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean and challenging layout. The course has a slope rating of 135 for men and 125 for women, making it a challenging yet rewarding experience for golfers of all skill levels.
When the COVID pandemic hit just before St. Patricks Day 2020 Carne found itself in a precarious position as there would be no income from overseas visitors for the foreseeable future and the staff were laid off and negotiations began with suppliers and banks for moratoriums on their payments. The Kilmore 9 had been temporarily closed to upgrade it to align with a new marketing strategy around the Wild Atlantic Dunes and it had just reopened as COVID restrictions hit. Fiona Togher, the General Manager and Gerry Maguire the chairman of Erris Tourism were in a ‘all hands on deck’ situation to ensure that Carne Links rode out the storm. A little outside help from Tom Coyne and the No Laying Up crew highlighted their plight and it brought in a lot of international and life (including Bill Murray during his well-publicised visit in 2021) memberships. Out the other end they are continuous looking the future and how to develop the Belmullet area including a proposal to build holiday cottages.
