The History - The National Golf Club of Ireland/Hibernian Golf Club

In the mid 90’s the cost of getting into golf in Ireland had become very expensive, especially around Dublin, you almost had to get a second mortgage just to cover the entrance fees, some club were charging.

It was over a few drinks with fellow members In Portmarnock, as usual discussing golf, that Brendan Cooling came up with the thought “there must be some way to create a Members Golf Club and get affiliated to the GUI/ILGU without having to own a golf course”

That started his research, with the help of some friends, such as Ian Bamford, Joe Carr, Bill Thompson, David Boylan, Tony Lyons, Willie Grant & John Dillon to mention just a few of the founding members.

While researching, besides needing founding members a club could be formed if it had a license from the owner of a golf course giving it permission to use their course to play golf.

To this aim he approached Seapoint, whose owners were very willing to grant this license to increase green fee income.

Pay as you Play golf club membership was born, a first for Ireland and GUI

The club charge a low annual subscription to members but they pay a green fee to the course every time they played.

The club run all the competitions and new members have to return three cards to the handicap Committee for rounds played over our home course to obtain an official GUI handicap. The club can also enter Teams into Golf Ireland inter club competitions.

The Club had its first AGM; club officers appointed and the club constitution endorsed and submitted to the GUI Leinster Branch before they passed it over the GUI for affiliation.

The process took three years to gain GUI affiliation based on 3 conditions:

A. We change our Name. This we did to the Hibernian Golf Club

B. Agreement not to open a similar club in any other part of Ireland

C. Branch officials met the owners of the golf course to inspect club arrangements

Hibernian have had a great relationship with the Leinster Branch, the GUI, ILGU and Golf Ireland ever since.

Journey from Citywest to Straffan

The Hibernian Golf Club spent the first 18 years based at Citywest, west Dublin.

The opportunity to move to the K Clubs second Course, was a chance of a lifetime to play on a Championship Golf Course where the new owner Michael Fetherston has pumped many millions into upgrading both the course and the clubhouse facilities.

The home course of the Hibernian Golf Club is Palmer South Course, K Club, Straffan, Co. Kildare. https://www.kclub.ie/golf.html

As golf and access to golf continues to evolve, Hibernian Golf Club is proud to have this unique offering in the Irish golfing market.

We encourage golf participation at all levels and welcome new Irish and international members. See our Membership page for more details.