I Course Superintendent, James Burns
arrived at Bandon Golf Club, in County Cork, in early January, one week after the snows had melted, on a lovely sunny Wednesday morning. But, not all was well in the camp, as 2,500 litres of diesel had been stolen the day before, and the garda were present, carrying out an investigation. It reminded me of the time when I had diesel stolen from the course where I used to work - the day after I had ordered a full tank delivery - so I was sympathetic to the situation that had befallen the club.
The lands on which the course is built is leased from the family of the late Fifth Earl of Bandon. A private 9- hole course, belonging to the Fourth Earl of Bandon, was in place since
1893.This was the ground that the Earl first made available to the club in 1909. In 1972, the Fifth (and last) Earl of Bandon, known locally as ‘Paddy’ Bandon, granted a lease to the club to facilitate its extension to eighteen holes.
The new eighteen hole course was officially opened in 1978. In 2001, the daughter of the Fifth Earl, the late Lady Jennifer Bernard, granted a
lease on more land which allowed the club to develop the beautifully landscaped 5th, 6th and 7th holes, with the ruins of Castle Bernard creating a stunning backdrop. As mentioned before, the castle on the estate dates back to 1604 but, alas, in 1921, during the time of civil unrest in Ireland, it was burned to the ground. Despite being awarded £123,000 compensation, the castle was never rebuilt and it lies in ruins to this day.
The ten feet high dry stone walls, which act as a boundary to the course, were built during the 1600s and are starting to show their age. Two large sections adjoining the 9th hole collapsed on 25th November 2010 due to the snow and frost. They will be rebuilt in-house over the coming months. This will test the dry stone building skills of the staff. Bandon is a busy members club, boasting one thousand two hundred members. Membership has remained steady during 2010 with competitions and green fees up on 2009. Each day of the week is taken up with some form of competition: Monday is the Senior ladies, Tuesday the Senior
Established in 1909 as a nine hole course, Bandon Golf Club is set in the grounds of the Castle Bernard Estate, in the valley of the stunning Bandon River. It is built around a magnificent old ruined castle which dates back to 1604.
Report by Alan Mahon, Editor, Greenside magazine
It’s a long way from Tipperary...
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