*Lahinch Golf Club.
RECORD GREEN fee income of €3.3m at Lahinch Golf Club last year contributed to the club making an operating surplus of €1.72m.
This year, the club has increased green fees to €375 for non-members to play a round of golf at its ‘iconic’ Old Course.
In his report to members, outgoing chairperson, John Gleeson said that on foot of the 2025 green fee increase “we expect our revenue from green fee activity to exceed 2024 levels”.
2023 US Masters champion and LIV tour member, Jon Rahm won the highly successful Dubai Duty Free Irish Open staged at Lahinch in 2019 which raised the course’s international profile.
US golfers usually make up a sizeable chunk of the green fee income and the annual report shows that arising from green fees increasing to €375 from April 22nd to October 10th, Lahinch Golf Club is projecting that its green fee income will increase to €3.8m in 2025.
Mr Gleeson said that while members’ annual subscription income increased to €1.23m in 2024 “we continue to rely very heavily on revenue generated from green fee visitors”.
Last year, the golf club’s Golf Shop alone generated €1.38 million in revenues from the sales of Lahinch GC branded clothing and accessories and other items, contributing a gross profit of €611,318 to the club’s finances.
In his report attached to the club’s 2024 annual report, chairperson Gleeson stated that “it was another successful financial year for the club”.
He said that the operating surplus of €1.72m “has allowed us to rebuild our finances with our contingency fund of €2m in place, while providing additional funding for our clubhouse project”.
Construction work continues on the upgrade of its ‘no longer fit for purpose’ clubhouse, which is now almost 60 years old and Mr Gleeson said that “the tender price was €6.6m which is a major undertaking for the Club”.
He said, “We look forward to having the ‘new clubhouse’ completed ahead of the Walker Cup in 2026”.
Mr Gleeson said that the €2m contingency fund is in place “to deal with any significant downturn which would put pressure on our finances”.
Mr Gleeson said, “Golfing activity was at record levels by both members and guests and in particular the Castle Course has seen a large increase in usage by members”.
The club’s finances were also boosted by new members spending €245,000 on ‘Overseas Life Memberships’.
The €3.32m in green fee income along with €1.23m in members’ subs and the €681,141 golf shop gross contribution contributed to overall revenues last year of €5.42 million.
Mr Gleeson describes the Old Course as “iconic” and that it “continues to be our jewel” attracting people from all corners of the world. The spend on all aspects of the course totalled €2.49 million in 2024.
Mr Gleeson said, “We are very grateful to our General Manager Paddy Keane, for his tireless and excellent work on behalf of the Club. Paddy’s leadership, dedication and professionalism are crucial to the success of Lahinch, and he leads a great team of people committed to the success of the Club”.
Overall staff costs last year increased from €1.88 million to €2.08m
At the end of December, the golf club’s equity had increased to €10.7 million made up of €8.76 million in accumulated funds and €2 million in a contingency fund.
The golf club’s cash funds increased from €3.57 million to €3.78m.
