Co. Clare Golf - 24th Sep 2004

Lahinch Golf Club's origins go back to the closing decade of the nineteenth century.

In 1892 officers of the famous Black Watch Regiment stationed in Limerick came upon a vast wilderness of duneland two miles from the spectacular Cliffs of Moher.

Being good Scotsmen, they knew at once that they had found the perfect terrain for a golf links.

When this came to the attention of Alexander W. Shaw and Richard J. Plummer, prominent officials of the Limerick Golf Club, they at once went out and made enquiries.

The result was a second journey on April 9th when an eighteen-hole course was marked out.

They were helped in the laying out of the course by officers of the Black Watch Regiment.

Lahinch Golf Club was duly founded on Good Friday, 15th April 1892, and the first game of golf played there.

Lahinch Golf Club: Designing the Course.

The course has benefited both from the natural characteristics of the terrain and from the genius of distinguished course architects. Since the initial laying out of the links, various improvements have been made over the years.

Alexander Shaw was not long in realizing that the unique nature of this location deserved very special development.

The obvious choice as architect was Old Tom Morris of St Andrews.

He accepted the challenge, but other than laying out the tees and greens, he felt there was little he could do.

He commented: 'I consider the links is as fine a natural course as it has ever been my good fortune to play over.' More praise was to follow.

In 1927 Dr. Alister Mackenzie was invited to make a number of adjustments to the links.

On completion he remarked, 'Lahinch will make the finest and most popular course that I, or I believe anyone else, ever constructed.'

Not perhaps the most modest statement ever made, but coming from a man who would very shortly design Cypress Point on the Monterey Peninsula and later help to create the legendary Augusta, it can hardly be taken lightly.

In fact, Mackenzie was not too wide of the mark. Lahinch is undoubtedly one of the world's great classic links.

It has all the ingredients of greatness: a glorious setting, a rich history, superb natural terrain and, where man has 'intervened', it has been through the hand of an outstanding architect.

It also has a pair of notorious blind holes, a ruined castle and goats that roam freely on the dunes.

Related Links

• http://www.lahinchgolf.com

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