Claremorris Golf Club was established in 1918 and affiliated to the Golfing Union of Ireland in 1920. Over the 10 years to 1925 Claremorris was only 1 of 29 clubs established. It must be remembered that in 1918 The Great War still raged and Claremorris was a town of military occupation. Running water and connection to the national electricity grid were still in the future as was a working telephone service. Thus it is all the more remarkable that the game of golf was established in Claremorris at the most difficult and turbulent of times.
The club began life at Claremount Racecourse . Permission was sought and granted by the Trustees of the racecourse for the laying down of a “links”. A meeting was held in the Town Hall in Claremorris in August 1919 the purpose of which was to recruit members to the new club. The first Secretary of the club was Gerald Maguire.
The course, presumably 9 holes was ready for play in September 1919. The club remained at this location until the end of 1922. By early 1923 the club had moved to Castlemacgarrett on the Southern side of the town where it has remained ever since. Castlemacgarrett was the ancestral home of Lord Oranmore and Brown and the club leased the ground from him. Circa 1939 with the permission of Lord Oranmore and Brown a pavilion was built aided by a loan from the National Bank. By 1960, after his divorce from Oonagh Guinness, Lord Oranmore and Brown was unable to continue to run his estate and was taken over by the Land Commission.
At a meeting in The Central Hotel in December 1960 Claremorris Development Company Ltd was established, and helped by generous donations by the people of Claremorris it purchased the land on which the 9 holes stood for the sum of 2,500.00 pounds. This ground continues to be registered under the company name to this day. By 1986 the old pavilion had become outdated and a new clubhouse was built. In 1996 the then committee decided to approach neighbouring landowners with a view to purchase enough land to construct an additional 9 holes. This having been achieved, the club employed renowned golf course architect the late Mr Tom Craddock of Malahide Co Dublin to design a new 18 hole layout and with his guiding hand is now a spectacular par 73 layout with well bunkered undulating fairways and USGA specification sand based greens presented to the highest standard. The new course opened in July 1998 for the playing of the Lady Presidents Prize Mrs Patricia Hunt. The tranquil setting with mature Ash, Oak and Elm trees and the distant view of the Partry Mountains make Claremorris Golf Club a piece of heaven and a reminder of the slower pace of life in days gone by. Through the foresight and courage of the founding members in 1918 and the hard work of generations since we now have a club to be proud of.
