Golf club rejects offer to swap lands for new course

LIMERICK Golf Club has rejected an approach from a major developer to acquire their lands at Ballyclough in exchange for a new course.

Some members claimed the proposed deal would yield as much as €30,000 to each member from a €35 million payment. The club captain denies any money was offered.

Chieftain Construction recently offered to construct a new course and clubhouse a few miles away at Lemonfield, Crecora, in return for the Ballyclough lands.

However, Limerick Golf Club captain Juan Fitzgerald said yesterday the board of management, of which he is chairman, considered the offer and have rejected it.

He dismissed reports the deal would have involved a substantial cash payment.

“There was an offer to the club for a swap for other lands at Lemonfield. We discussed this at board level and we were not attracted by the offer and declined it,” he said.

Limerick Golf Club is sited on 120 acres. However, the land is not zoned for housing. It is located in the rural hinterland zone in which Limerick County Council enforces strict planning criteria.

Mr Fitzgerald said a new course on a green field site would require at least 150 acres to accommodate a clubhouse and all the other necessary infrastructure.

He said the offer from Chieftain Construction did not give any details about who would design the proposed replacement course at Lemonfield.

“It would take four years at least to develop a new course. An offer was made and rejected and this is the end of it,” he said.

Mr Fitzgerald said the club would shortly be convening an EGM to discuss future plans for the clubhouse.

A previous such meeting overturned an earlier decision to build a completely new clubhouse.

Mr Fitzgerald said the meeting, to be called in the coming weeks, will decide whether to build a new clubhouse or develop the existing building.