Kirkistown Castle Golf Club
was formed on 3rd September 1902 at a meeting held in
the Market House, Portaferry. Major General W E Montgomery,
Rosemount, Greyabbey had promised the lease of ground
known as Sandgrass Farm at Cloughey for the purpose
of a golf links.
Mr. G L Bailie from Belfast
designed the layout of the first nine-hole course with
an aggregate length of 3,265 yards.
The Club affiliated to the Golfing Union in May 1903
and the first recorded handicaps are dated 1 April 1904
for a total of 31 members.
The greenkeeper was Mr. Frank Polley, a position he
held for almost 50 years (he retired in 1952). Mr. Polley
was responsible for the extension of the course to 18
holes in 1929 with a Par of 71.
The Club's first
Professional was Mr. Bertie Polley (son of Frank) engaged
in June 1932 and this was followed by the formation
of a Ladies Branch on 7th September 1932. Lady Norah
Dunleath was elected Ladies' President.
The legendary James Braid visited Kirkistown
Castle on the 26th of September 1934.
He spent the morning marking out alterations to tees
and greens and the afternoon positioning and shaping
bunkers.
On seeing the location of the course for the first time
he was heard to exclaim "If only I had this within
50 miles of London".
The subsequent
work on the course was completed by the end of March
1935. The wooden hut erected in 1902 was finally replaced
by a permanent structure in 1936. This clubhouse was
used as a distribution centre for children evacuated
from the greater Belfast area during the Second World
War and as a kindergarten school.
Sand and gravel were excavated
from the course for use in the construction of the airfields
at Kirkistown and Ballyhalbert in 1941 and this is how
the depressions in the front of the 1st tee and behind
the 3rd green came into being. These areas were ground
under repair until 1949.
It was also in 1949 that Sunday Golf was permitted for
the first time. Lieutenant Colonel Blair Mayne DSO and
Bars (Colonel Paddy as he was famously known) was elected
Captain in 1951. Fred Daly was elected as Honorary Member
in 1953 and he organised an exhibition match in which
he and Mr. John Glover played against Jimmy Henderson
and Norman Dew.
In 1956 the club negotiated
a 999 year lease from Montgomery Estates so the future
location of the club has been assured for a long time
to come. Mr E J Meadowcraft of Portaferry was appointed
as the first Secretary Manager of the Club in 1962.
An extension to the Clubhouse
was completed in 1973 and this introduced Bar facilities
for the first time.
The conservatory dining room was added in (1996) and
then in 2001 a major development and refurbishment of
the Clubhouse was completed in preparation for the Club's
Centenary celebrations held throughout 2002. Mr Robert
McDowell was the Centenary Captain having previously
been Club Captain in (1984).
The Club has
come a very long way in its first 100 years without
having to move a millimetre from its original and beautiful
location on the eastern seaboard of the Ards Peninsula.
This gives the club the distinction of being the most
easterly 18 hole Golf Club on the island of Ireland.
The seven just men who met
in Portaferry in 1902 and formed Kirkistown Castle Golf
Club would surely be very proud of what they created
all those years ago.
