East Clare Golf Club is a member’s owned 150-acre club. It is a friendly place to visit and play and club officials and members welcome all, both visitors and former members alike.
All involved in the club are delighted to have survived the dark days of the recession and are now independent and bank-debt free. This was down to some heroic and brave individuals, who stood up and put themselves out front to represent the members in clearing our debt, and all involved are truly thankful to them.
“Our golf club is a unique place. We are surrounded on many sides by a bog, but we have some of the best land and fairways in East Clare. We planted many trees in our early days, guided by a few determined individuals, including a forester, who assisted us on available grants”, according to treasurer Sean Ahern.
“One of our unique treasures is our tranquillity and peacefulness. It is so quiet – until the Cuckoo chimes in from around April to June. When you miss a putt, you think it is laughing at you!! No joke!!, Sean continued.
“The club is particularly proud of its volunteers. We probably have the best volunteers in the world. Volunteerism plays a huge role in the club’s successs. The club shop is manned by volunteers doing 4/6 hours at a time, and the course volunteers work a minimum of one day per week, 52 weeks a year”, commented lady captain Rachel Whelan.
For 2023, the club captains are Rachel Whelan and William Hayes, and the club President is John Duffy.
“From day one we promoted equality for all, so we do not have exclusively. Our timesheet is open to all members equally. We are so lucky to have room on our timesheet everyday. We hear of busy clubs having limited access – we had three juniors from another Clare club playing here this past week because they couldn’t get out in their own club on a Saturday”, Rachel said.
In 2023 the has some special offers as follows;
- €299 once-off cost to join as an associate member
- €528 to Get Back into Golf
- Society cost is €25 per head
- Get-into-golf cost is €350 year one.
The cost of membership, at €728 including all levies, is very competitive, and new members are welcome and those that are thinking of ‘Getting into Golf’ as a new hobby.
The club has a major junior golf programme in East Clare, run by Brendan Magill (Clare Golf) and Margaret Lynch, which has provided junior golfers the opportunity of representing Munster, some of whom have gone on to golf scholarships abroad.
Concluding the lady captain said, “we have an excellent team of course and clubhouse workers, who are so dedicated and talented, and we are privileged to have them here”.
