HISTORY –

Massereene Golf Club 1895 - 2007

Massereene Golf Club came into being in 1895 with an official opening on 31st August.
The Club became affiliated to the G. U. I. in 1896. About a year later, an entry in The Irish Golfer's Annual of 1897 gave the following description.

"MASSEREENE GOLF CLUB"
1895
Station - Antrim, from York Road Station. About seven trains daily: 1 hour's run.
Entrance Fee - 10s. 6d.
Subscription - £1 1s.
Visitors - 5s. per month.
Hon. Sec. - L. Jackson Holmes, Antrim.
Greenkeeper - Tom Kelly.
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These links are on the shores of Lough Neagh about half a mile from the Railway Station and a quarter of a mile from the town. They cannot with accuracy be called inland links or yet sea shore links, unless we dignify Lough Neagh with the title of an inland sea; but whether or not the course is distinctly hybrid, partaking in part of the inland and in parts of the seashore character. Some of the hazards are regular sand bunkers, while others are swamps. The nine holes tot up to a respectable length of 2,150 yards, for which the par score is 36.



The ground on which the course was laid out has an interesting history. The level of the Lough had been lowered a number of times, prior to which, the Lough shore was believed to be somewhere near the present Lough Road. During the Elizabethan age, apparently, the troops who were attempting to subdue O'Neill in Tyrone marched along this road and embarked on boats to cross the lough. There was a ford in the Six-mile-water at Riverside in Antrim which also formed part of this military road. At this time, the mound at the twelfth hole was built, with a flagpole to act as a beacon for the boats returning to Antrim from Tyrone. This story contradicts another tradition which refers to this mound as the "Rebels Grave" and suggests that the insurgents who died in the Battle of Antrim in 1798 were buried there. The former version is more likely since within living memory there has been a flagpole on top of the mound.
During its existence, there have been four different layouts of the course. The first 18 hole layout was short-lived and a nine hole course was in use for about thirty years until 1927 when the “Sand Field” (currently the 10th, 11th and 12th holes) became available on the other side of the Lough Road and a new layout was developed under the supervision of Fortwilliam professional, C.W. Pope.

In 1939, the club took up the offer to buy the property from the Massereene estate for £1100.

The level of the lough was lowered by about 2 feet in 1958, reducing some of the swampy area adjacent to the lough shore, and an extensive tree planting programme was undertaken.

Expansion to 18 holes was completed in 1964 after the Club purchased the 56 acre “Fir Field” and engaged the golf course architect Fred Hawtree to design an additional nine holes, now the first nine. The course has continued to be enhanced by the addition of a par 4 17th hole, water hazards on the 15th and 16th, and more recently, the reconstruction of some tees and greens.
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The small clubhouse built in 1901, attractively positioned on its elevated site, gave an uninterrupted view over the course to the lough, for most of the early years. The introduction of Sunday golf in 1959, the extension of the course and a growing membership through the 1960s, necessitated improved facilities and a new clubhouse was opened in April 1974. However, a major reconstruction scheme was approved by members and the present clubhouse was opened in the Spring 2001 by Peter O’Hara, former President of the Golfing Union of Ireland.



In the early years, there was little interclub activity and only occasional games were played against other clubs such as Shane’s Park, Randalstown which ceased to exist after the war years. Massereene was not involved in any competitions organised by the GUI until the 1920s when the Junior Cup and Ulster Cup were entered. It is only in the last forty years or so that the Club has taken part in the full range of interclub events.
Possibly Massereene’s best period of success in GUI events occurred during the 1970s, winning the Pierce Purcell in its first year, and reaching the All-Ireland finals a number of times since. Unsuccessful appearances have been made in the All-Ireland finals of the Junior Cup and Mixed Foursomes trophy. In local interclub golf, Massereene has tasted success in the Ulster Cup (1972, 1976 and 1995) and was victorious in the Holt Shield in 1992. The Club was admitted to the East Antrim League in 1953 and has had a number of outright wins (1965, 1975, 1987, 1995 and 1997). Despite reaching the final of the Belfast and District Cup (1969, 1971, 1997) success in this event and others at senior level has not been achieved.
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The Ladies Branch of Massereene was affiliated to the ILGU in 1901. Lady Massereene, wife of the first President, formerly Florence Whyte-Melville, came from Fife, Scotland where her father, George John Whyte-Melville was an eminent novelist, and her grandfather, John, was elected Captain of the Royal and Ancient in 1823.
Louise Entwistle is remembered for acting as the Ladies Branch Honorary Secretary for a period of 31 years. She was succeeded by Maud Baird in 1962. Maud took up employment in the office of the Club in 1966 as assistant to the first full-time Secretary-Manager, Mr Grange, and while continuing in this role celebrated her 90th birthday on the 10th October 1987.
The Ladies have also still to become a force to be reckoned with at senior level but there have been some commendable victories in Northern Executive competitions. 2001 was a golden year for the Ladies’ section with victories for both the Intermediate and ‘D’ teams, the latter repeating their success of 1988. Most significant perhaps, the Ulster Bank Fourball team won the All-Ireland trophy in this event in 2001.
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Among those who have shown exceptional golfing talent the Club can list Elizabeth-Anne MacGregor, past winner of the Irish Girls Under 19 Championship, Catherine Bill, Gillian Greeves, Caroline and Selina Smyth who have achieved Ulster and Irish representative honours.
Jimmy Brewer was Ulster Boys Champion in 1967 and represented Ireland in Youth Internationals in 1970 and ’71. Others who have gained Inter-provincial honours include Alan Holmes, Billy Ritchie, Jimmy Armstrong, Jimmy Heggarty and Trevor Coulter. David McKee has been selected for the Ulster Boys and Irish Youths panels. For many years, Jimmy Heggarty was the only member from Massereene to win the North of Ireland Championship (1975) but after many years competing in this event, Massereene congratulates Trevor Coulter for his outstanding achievement in winning the ‘North’ in 2004.
Massereene celebrated its centenary in 1995 with a number of special events. An opening ceremony was held in March. The Centenary Captain for 1995, John McConnell marked the beginning of celebrations with a “drive in”. Lord Massereene was special guest and proudly displayed the silver ‘cleek’ which had been specially commissioned for the opening event in 1895, it having survived the fire which had destroyed Antrim Castle in 1922.
The official 100th birthday celebrations complete with fireworks display were enjoyed by members in August 1995.
The second century of golf at Massereene is now well underway.