Killorglin Golf Club closes after 28 years

Killorglin Golf Club, home to one of Kerry’s most scenic courses, has been closed after 28 years, the Irish Examiner has learned.

There is no indication of the closure on the club’s website and the Golfing Union of Ireland has not received official word but it is understood that the members-run club was wound up last weekend.

Members took over the management of the club and its operation on a lease from its original owner, Billy Dodd, in 2018, assuming responsibility for the staging of competitions to the bar and catering, course maintenance and running of the clubhouse.

Though the closure came before Tuesday’s decision by golf’s governing bodies the GUI and ILGU to recommend all golf clubs on the island of Ireland shut down with immediate effect until April 19, the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic and its effect on wiping out golf tourism is understood to have already gravely impacted Killorglin’s green fees revenue from visitors.

Officers of the club could not be reached for comment.

Killorglin, on the Ring of Kerry, was founded in 1992, with an 18-hole, par 72 parkland course designed by renowned Irish golf architect Eddie Hackett. It has received rave reviews ever since, for its stunning views of Dingle Bay and the MacGillicuddy’s Reeks mountain range as much as the quality of Hackett’s layout.