From Little Acorns…A Centenary History of Portumna Golf Club

Portumna Golf Club was founded in 1913 and founding members included Dr. Dignan (later catholic Bishop of Clonfert) and Monsignor Callinan P.P. . Initially, the course was located across the road from its current site in Claggernagh, on land rented from local farming families. During the troubles the golf pavilion was maliciously burnt to the ground in 1921.

In 1934, the club moved to its present location on the Harewood Estate (formerly the Clanricarde demesne), with permission from the Earl of Clanricarde. The landlord still had rights to graze on the land resulting in the greens being fenced off. The nine-hole course was designed by Michael O’Keeffe (county engineer for Portumna) but by all accounts the land dictated the course routing as there were neither funds (quite a low membership) or machinery to carry out major construction works. O’Keeffe would later revisit the design in 1950 and make improvements, as would Danny O’Brien the resident professional who had arrived from Ennis in 1953 – the newly modified course officially opening the following year.

In 1947 following the death of the 6^th Earl of Harewood the Irish Land Commission acquired the Portumna demesne and gave the club exclusive rights to the course which meant no more grazing or fencing. Leaner times would face the club at the end of the fifties as migration had a significant impact on the membership. In the seventies things were picking up for the club with more members and tourists and they reached out and secured £5k towards a new clubhouse in 1971.

After securing additional land, the members in 1975, in a close vote, voted in favour of improving the existing nine rather than extending to 18 holes and brought in Eddie Hackett to design a new layout, the STRI advised on maintenance of the grass and the plans provided for the addition of a sprinkler system. In the end the additional land had allowed them build a thirteen-hole course on a phased basis. In 1986 it was agreed to proceed with an eighteen-hole layout by using vacant land and engaged Duncan Gray, a course designer from Lahinch Golf Club to prepare the layout which was accepted at an extraordinary general meeting. By 1988 a further seven holes had been developed and over 2,000 trees planted. A grant of £10k was awarded by the then Minister for State at the Department of Finance, Noel Treacy to support it to completion and play began on the 18-hole course in 1991 and was officially opened the following year.

The quality of the new layout together with the popularity of the game in the nineties ensured a further increase in memberships and would eventually have to consider restricting membership which was capped at 800. In 1993, the club purchased the land from Coillte, securing 88 acres on a 99-year lease along with an additional 38 acres for £90,000. Further land was purchased from Coillte in 2001.  The club took steps to protect the course from deer who were encroaching on the course and damaging bunkers and grazing and Coillte helped by introducing a program for culling of deers.

In 1995 Eddie Connaughton, the golf course architect and agronomist was engaged to draw up a new design for the course with 9 and 18 finishing close to the clubhouse. The new course was developed over a five-year period with minimal disruptions to play on the course. There have been ongoing alterations and, under the guidance of Coillte, tree planting by the green staff over the years.

Notable golfers include senior international Suzanne Corcoran, Sam Murphy who lost in a play-off in the 2023 East of Ireland championship and went to Grand Canyon University and Padraic O’Rourke who turned professional and went from Black Bush to Pine Valley and is now a successful Director of Golf at the Marine Drive Golf Club in Canada which was designed by the Irish architect Arthur Vernon Macan.