Even the Golf Balls were rationed! A centenary of Development and Progress at Ballina Golf Club

Ballina Golf Club, founded in 1910, initially a nine-hole course, it was situated at Knockleagha, a ten-minute walk from Ballina Station. The course was 2,185 yards in length and designed by Charles H. Wilkinson, the Malahide professional. The club was officially instituted in 1910. Its first President was John Garvey, and the Captain was H. Scroope with John Flanagan as Hon. Secretary and presumably the main founding members of the club.

In 1919 the club moved to Davis’ field on Quay road which was owned by John Garvey and remained there for four years. In 1924 the club moved to its permanent home at Mossgrove, which was formerly part of the Jones Estate, with 63 acres leased at £90 per year but was eventually bought outright in the fifties. The course was initially mapped out by ‘Doddy’ Guy and William Huggard but later developed by Messrs Crabbe and Beattie from Dunlops. The new nine-hole course was officially opened on 3 March 1924. WWII brought lean times for the club but they managed to survive and plan for the future.

The club is fully owned by its members and in 1974 they opened a new extended clubhouse which was celebrated with an exhibition match featuring Eddie Dunne, Rupert de Lacy Staunton, Mark Gannon and Hugh McKeown. As the club purchased more land feasibility studies were being carried out by Eddie Hackett who eventually designed the new nine holes. The new nine saw the planting of 5,000 trees (Oak, Scots Pine and Alder) all with differing lifespans and heights but planting always provided protection and definition since the move to Mossgrove, which would have been relatively bare.  Focus will be on the Oak, Ash and Sycamore trees as the existing trees mature and the Alders get phased out. Hackett described Ballina as an interesting, testing, and fair golf course. Over the years, it has adapted to meet the needs of its time, expanding to 18 holes in 1995 which was opened by Enda Kenny on 2 September 1995 and followed by the unveiling a state-of-the-art clubhouse in 2005. The course boasts several signature holes, including “The Larch Woods” and “The Rookery,” which are evocative landmarks recalling the days before the acquisition of the lands.

One of Ballina’s notable players is Joe Corcoran, a prolific scorer for the Mayo football team between 1958 and 1975 after which his natural talent for golf and competitive drive meant some progress in the West of Ireland and also held the course record in Ballina, Enniscrone and Swinford.