Skerries Golf Club 1905-2005

Description

The story of the SGC is that of a small fishing village on the G.N.R. line who decided to have a golf course to wake interest in the location as a place to visit and settle. W.C.Pickeman of Portmarnock and Cecil Barcroft from Royal Dublin (Dollymount at the time) respectively created and improved upon the nine hole layout. It was not until 1971 that it was extended to 18 holes following swift action to purchase to parcels of adjoining land which had come up for sale. As with many clubs family dynasties were the catalyst for the clubs success with the O’Hares who proved both successful locally and in the United States where Paddy won the North and South Championship at Pinehurst and Peter had Walter Hagen’s scalp from the USPGA championship and recorded a 7th place finish in the 1924 US Open championships where Cyril Walker had pipped Bobby Jones for the title. Another renowned family would be the Kinsella’s and Dermot Gilleece does a biopic of Jimmy Kinsella the most successful of these. Dr. Gerry H. Owens and his father J.F. Owens were also successful amateurs with the former winning the 1939 Irish Close championship in County Sligo after a blistering seven 3s he later became president of the GUI and a member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club. Sean Lemass was probably their most famous member as Taoiseach of Ireland and an active participant in the Easter Rising of 1916, one member recounts a tale of a ‘high stakes’ fourball match he was roped into and the shenagins that ensued.