Chance to Steer Turvey out of “Rough”

Kieran Wallace of KPMG, Savills has been appointed to sell Turvey Golf & Country Club in Donabate, in north County Dublin.

Turvey Golf & Country Club was originally created in 1995 on the grounds of the historic Turvey House, which is now in ruins. The club was bought by the members in August 2003; however in 2010 the club was put into receivership.

The property is located on Turvey Avenue near Donabate Village, just off the M1 Motorway in North County Dublin. The facility comprises an 18-hole parkland course, which includes a golf clubhouse with 12-bedroom accommodation extending to a gross internal area of approximately 1,269 sq m with a total site area of approximately 58.42 hectares (144.36 acres) in total. 

Savills are offering the property for sale in three lots, with Lot 1 extending to approximately 3.83 hectares (9.47 acres), Lot 2 extending to approximately 54.59 hectares (134.89 acres) and Lot 3 being the entire. 

The entire is located in an area zoned objective ‘OS’ under the Fingal County Council Development Plan 2005-2011, which is“to preserve and provide for open space and recreational amenities”. This zoning objective seeks to provide recreational and amenity resources for urban and rural populations, with the following uses permitted in principle - Community Centre, Community Facilities, Cultural Uses, Golf Course, Open Space, Recreational Facilities/Sports Club, Woodland/ Urban Forestry.

According to Mark Reynolds this is an excellent opportunity to develop a multitude of uses and considering the guide price would no doubt appeal to local farmers as the price per acre equates €12,000. 

Lot 1 includes the existing clubhouse accommodation and would therefore be ideally suited to nursing home, hotel or recreational facilities such as sports clubs and sports related facilities (subject to the necessary planning consent). 

Lot 2 would also suit a variety of additional uses. 

Savills are quoting an asking price of €750,000 for Lot 1, €1.5 million for Lot 2 and €2.25 million for the entire. 

A certain degree of flexibility is being offered with regard to the lot sizes.

www.savills.ie

Club News - Michael Craddock RIP

The death has occurred of Michael (Mick) Craddock (Malahide) on Saturday 2nd April 2011.

The former captain and president of Malahide Golf Club was Irish team captain at the turn of the millennium and spent many years involved in the GUI, both as a volunteer and as a member of staff.

Brother to the legendary Tom, and born into a family synonymous with golf in Dublin, Leinster, Ireland and beyond, Mick was an established golfer himself enjoying much success as an amateur.

He will be sadly missed by all in the GUI at National Level, in the Branches and by his former colleagues alike.

General Secretary, Seamus Smith said "Today the Golfing Union of Ireland lost a very dear friend. Mick played a wonderful role in the GUI down through the years and having worked with him in his role of Irish Team Captain, and also as a work colleague at many Championships around the country, I saw how popular and respected he was everywhere he went."

Funeral details will be available here as soon as they are published.

May he rest in peace.

www.malahidegolfclub.ie

McVeigh Plays R&A Foundation Scholars

Danielle McVeigh

Two Curtis Cup stars will arrive in St Andrews next week in search of victory in The R&A Foundation Scholars Tournament, which takes place over theEden and Old courses. Pamela Pretswell and Danielle McVeigh will line up along with another 58 talented, young university golfers, who receive R&A funding to assist them to continue their competitive golf careers, while completing their higher education. 

At stake is a starting place in a Ladies European Tour event for the women’s champion and, for the men’s winner, a place on the Great Britain and Ireland Palmer Cup team to face the USA at The Stanwich Club in Greenwich, Connecticut, on June 9th -11th.

Despite being defeated by the USA at Essex County Club last year, Pretswell and McVeigh acquitted themselves well, earning the first point of the match together with victory in the first of the Friday four-balls. Leading the GB&I team away on the final day, McVeigh went on to win her Sunday singles match against Jennifer Song, before competing in the Women’s British Open later in July.

Women’s 2010 R&A Foundation Scholars Tournament Champion, Kelsey Macdonald returns to defend the title she won on St Andrews’ Castle Course last year. Macdonald, who was a reserve for the Curtis Cup match in which Pretswell and McVeigh played, is the reigning Scottish Ladies’ (Close) Amateur Champion.

Taking their places in the men’s competition are Stirling University’s Bobby Rushford and Nicky Maddison, who are shortly to represent The R&A at the Manuel Prado Team Cup, which will take place at Lima Golf Club, Peru. 2006 Scottish Amateur Championship Bronze Medallist Rushford is the current Scottish Universities Order of Merit Champion.

For the 2010/2011 academic year, The R&A awarded a record number of Foundation scholarships, taking its support of student golf to over £300,000. 121 scholars from 12 countries, including Fiji, Japan and South Africa, have benefited.

60 competitors will play 36 holes of the Eden Course on Monday 4 April, before contesting 18 on the Old the following day. 

Supplier News - Powakaddy

The PowaKaddy Sport Lithium Brake's comes with the additional Electronic Braking System. In the EBS mode the EBS system produces a resistive force counteracting the pull from the trolley when travelling downhill giving you greater control. There are three levels of progressive braking for varying gradients. 

The PowaKaddy Sport Lithium Brake also features the simple to use ergonomic soft grip handle with a built-in responsive ambidextrous speed control roller combined with a fully integrated LCD display screen, and a separate Digital Distance Function (DDF) button allowing direct access to this feature.

The strong and lightweight material with a powerful yet whisper quiet 200 watt motor, PowaKaddy has developed an aesthetically pleasing but uncompromisingly robust, state-of-the-art electric trolley. A host of practical features come together to make the PowaKaddy Sport Lithium Brake one of the most complete trolleys on the market. It features a modern-looking white, black or graphite aluminium frame, a 3-way no-fuss folding mechanism, capable of fitting the trolley into the smallest of car boots; a battery-life monitor; digital clock; universal bag stay and soft grip pads suitable for all bag types.

As well as the Sport Lithium Brake option the new PowaKaddy Sport is available with top of the basic, lightweight Lithium battery, as well as 18 and 36 hole standard acid batteries.

www.powakaddy.co.uk

Ireland Men in Nations Cup Chase

Ireland made an encouraging start yesterday to their bid for the European Nations Cup at Sotogrande on Spain's Costa Del Sol.

After the opening round they were in a share for second place alongside the host country and Austria, only one stroke behind leaders France, the reigning World champions.

Ballymena's Dermot McElroy was in fine form, firing a splendid 69, while Rathmore's Irish Champion Alan Dunbar returned a 71 and Portstewart's Walker Cup hopeful Paul Cutler a 72 as the other counting scores.

Rory Leonard from Banbridge was out of sorts with a 79.

McElroy, one of the rising stars of Irish golf, hardly put a foot wrong as he occupied one of the leading individual places at the end of day one.

His short game was immaculate around this testing lay-out of the Real Club De Golf.

Only two players -- German Marcel Schneider, with a sizzling 65, and Frenchman Julien Brun, who went round in 68, had better returns than McElroy.

Ireland are two strokes ahead of Scotland and four clear of England, who are chasing a third consecutive European Nations

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