Club managers to celebrate 50th anniversary at Milltown
THE Irish Golf and Club Managers Association will celebrate 50 years as an association when it hosts a gala dinner at Milltown Golf Club on October 4.
Originally founded as the Irish Association of Golf Club Secretaries (IAGCS), they merged with the Club Managers Association of Europe Irish Region in 2010 to become the IGCMA, representing golf, tennis, yachting and dining clubs all over Ireland.
The Irish Association of Golf Club Secretaries was founded in 1968, by a former Lieut. Commandant in the Irish Army, F.G. (Gerry) Bambrick, the then Secretary Manager of Woodbrook, which at that time was the pre-eminent club in Ireland for hosting international tournaments.
Along with Portmarnock’s R.H. (Rex) Buck, Milltown’s Comdt. P.J. Stewart, Foxrock’s W.J. Keane and Elm Park’s Miss M.R. (Mary) O’Brien they formed the first committee of the IAGCS.
In October 1968, they were joined by J.A. Irwin of Shandon Park as their Northern Representative with their first get together held on October 4, 1968, when they invited Secretary Managers from all the other clubs to join them – hence the date for this year’s 50th-anniversary celebration.
Club managers, past and present, are welcome to attend and the association has invited all Past Presidents of both the IAGCS and CMAE Irish Region to attend as guests on the evening.
Representatives from the Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI), Irish Ladies Golf Union (ILGU), the Club Managers Association of Europe (CMAE), the Golf Club Managers’ Association (GCMA), the Scottish Golf & Club Managers Association (SGCMA) and NIGCMA to attend as well.
Managers wishing to attend should first of all book through admin@igcma.com. Dinner will cost €50.
The IGCMA and its President Michael Moss MBE, have also invited a number of people who have made an outstanding contribution to Club Management Education over the past number of years.
These include James B Singerling, former CEO of the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA), and George Carroll, former President of the CMAA at the time when significant changes occurred in the club industry and Ms Helen Fullen, first CEO of CMAE.
The guest speaker on the evening will be Niall Quinn, the former Republic of Ireland international and ex-Arsenal, Manchester City and Sunderland player.
He is also a past manager and Chairman of Sunderland.
The event is supported by Textron Golf, Jacobsen, EZ-Go, DAR Construction, BRS GolfNOW and Premium Credit. For further information, contact Michael Walsh at 087-2576728.