Clontarf Golf Club in Dublin, one of Ireland’s oldest clubs, has rejected a €75 million proposal to sell its land for a housing development and relocate to a new site on the city’s north side.
Located just three miles from the centre of Dublin, Clontarf Golf Club, which was founded in 1912, was approached by developers Cairn Homes and Green Land Capital with plans to build thousands of homes on its 72-acre site.
Under the proposal, the club would have moved to a new course designed by Paul McGinley on the former estate of former Taoiseach Charles Haughey in Kinsealy, five miles north of the club’s current location. The offer included more than €60 million to fund the new facilities – including a clubhouse, practice range, padel courts and a bowling green – plus more than €15 million to be distributed among the membership, which equated to over €10,700 per member.
However, following discussions between the management committee, officers and trustees, the offer was unanimously rejected. The club continues to operate under a long-term lease with Dublin City Council, which still has 62 years remaining.
Clontarf Golf Club has previously turned down similar redevelopment approaches, including a proposal worth almost twice as much as this one in 2007 that would have seem members profit to the tune of €100,000 each. That agreement collapsed during the economic downturn, leaving the club cautious about similar offers.
Established in 1912, Clontarf moved from nearby Mount Temple to its current location on the grounds of Donnycarney House in 1921, where Harry Colt was hired to build the par-68 parkland course that exists today.