In the early hours of June 1^st, 2020, an electrical fault caused a fire which destroyed Kenmare Golf Club’s Clubhouse. At the time lockdown restrictions were starting to ease, but the golf club was suffering with all local businesses – golf was in social-only mode, with the bar and buildings closed. Hundreds of members gathered on the 1^st and 15^th fairways that morning and watched a historic building burn.

The original building was first mentioned at a Golf Club committee meeting in September 1925. The decision of the committee was to purchase a Pavilion from the Lansdowne estate which was originally used in India. Mr. P. Arthur received the contract to transport and erect the Pavilion, which was first opened in 1926. In subsequent years, a number of changes were made to the building, with extensions in 1988, and the early 2000’s.

 Immediately after the fire, attentions turned quickly towards rebuilding. Fundraising and Rebuild committees both started work while the smoke was still rising from the old building. The support received from near and far overwhelmed all involved; the people of Kenmare and those associated with the local area got behind the golf club in their time of need.

The building work commenced in early 2021, and while working through all the challenges ’21 and ’22 presented – covid, lockdowns, rising costs, supply delays – a superb building was delivered in time for a soft opening in May 2022 and the official opening on August 7^th.  

The new building has been designed to keep the look and feel of the opening building but incorporates all the facilities and needs of 2022. Manager John Sullivan commented: “This building gives us everything we need. The layout and finish are superb, and feedback from our visitors has been really good”.

On Sunday August 7^th, 2022, at 3pm Kenmare Golf Club’s new Clubhouse officially opened. This was a great landmark for the club and marked the end of over two years of survival, planning and hard work. The grand opening was the culmination of an open week of golf, food and celebration for Kenmare Golf Club, the town and surrounding of Kenmare and everybody who helped with the rebuild effort for the club.

An enormous debt of gratitude is owed to everyone at home and abroad who supported this project, we are forever in your debt.