2 weeks Ago
Lahinch golf club hosted the Irish Open in 2019, attracting many of the world’s top players including Pádraig Harrington. Photo: Sportsfile Cash-rich Lahinch Golf Club in Co Clare is set to spend €6.1m on its clubhouse redevelopment on the back of bumper green-fee receipts since Covid-19.
Work is due to commence on the project next month, with golf club chairperson John Gleeson confirming the €6.1m spend in an update to members following the award of the main building contract. Mr Gleeson told members in a mid-year update that the contract price “was higher than anticipated with the total development cost of the clubhouse at €6.
1m”. He added that the golf club’s council “is confident that, given our existing financial resources and the borrowing of €3m approved at the AGM, we can cover the entire cost of the project”. In a previous update last December on the clubhouse project, Mr Gleeson told members the then-anticipated spend on the redevelopment was in excess of €4m.
Mr Gleeson said the project was required as the current clubhouse, built just under 60 years ago in 1965, “is no longer fit for purpose with many of its components reaching end-of-life stage”. He said the clubhouse council ruled out demolishing the existing clubhouse and constructing a new building due in part to the then-estimated cost of €9m. He said this option was also ruled out on the basis that if permission to demolish was granted, “the professional advice was somewhat surprisingly, that there was a reasonable probability that we would not get permission to rebuild in the same location”.
Mr Gleeson said it was important “that we enhance the clubhouse experience as befits a world top 50 golf course, similar to what a number of our peers’ clubs have achieved over recent years”. Visitors to the links golf course pay a €325 green fee for a round of golf from April to mid-October and Mr Gleeson has told members that green-fee income is expected to be on budget for 2024 at €3.2m.
In his mid-year update, Mr Gleeson told members: “Our finances are in a very healthy state with in excess of €4m held in cash and bonds, having completed payment of our new irrigation system which cost in excess of €2m.”.
