Headfort, Co Meath, became the first Leinster club to win the AIB All Ireland Golf Club of the Year title when taking the award for 2004. The award, and a development grant of €6,000, was presented to the club at a function held in AIB Bankcentre, Dublin, on Friday, 19th November, 2004. At the function All Ireland category awards were also presented to Elm Park, Holywood and Cork Golf Clubs.
This is the third year for the awards to be presented. Previous All Ireland winners are Co Sligo (2002) and Dunmurry (2003). Elm Park is the only club to have won All Ireland category awards in all three years of the award scheme.
In making the award to Headfort the judging panel said, “The title of AIB Golf Club of the Year 2004 goes to a club that could well have won awards in all four categories. It is a club that goes from strength to strength with almost 1,500 members from juniors through to full members; a club set in an environment second to none but nevertheless an environment which they manage superbly; a club that is always welcoming of visitors; a club that redefines the meaning of good communications whether it is with members, the local community or other clubs.”
In addition to the All Ireland awards a further 16 provincial awards were also presented at the function. The All Ireland Category Awards are:
- Junior Golf: Holywood
- Environment: Elm Park
- Clubhouse Presentation: Cork
- Communications: Elm Park
The AIB Golf Club of the Year award scheme is a joint venture between AIB, the Irish Ladies Golfing Union and the Golfing Union of Ireland. The scheme was set up in 2002 to focus on the many non-playing aspects of a golf club that are essential to the long-term success of the club. The awards have focused on four key elements of club life namely Junior Club, the Environment, Clubhouse Presentation and Communications. The judging panels for the awards consist of representatives of both the Golfing Union of Ireland and the Irish Ladies Golfing Union.