Over 1,500 holes of golf to raise funds for historic club
LIKE many other clubs, Kenmare Golf Club was already in a precarious position due to COVID-19 restrictions.
But unlike other clubs, it awoke on Bank Holiday Morning to news that a blaze had caused devastating damage to its historic clubhouse – both a symbolic and financial blow to an already winded 117-year-old club.
Word spread from about 4.15am on June 1 that fire had broken out at the clubhouse, a former Indian hunting lodge, which has stood by the course since 1926. Fire-brigade units from Kenmare, Sneem, and Killarney were tasked to the site, and it took between an hour and an hour and a half before the blaze was brought under control.
As of yet, neither a definite cause nor the financial extent of the damage is known. The smouldering continued until about 11am, and it wasn’t long after that that the club had to face up to a new reality, with management appointing both a re-building and fund-raising team to prepare for the next steps.
“The feedback we’re getting from everyone in the general public is that they want to see it rebuilt in the former style,” Charlie Vaughan of Kenmare Golf Club explained to The Kerryman.
“We’re going through an insurance process, and that will have to come to an end first.
“But our focus for fund-raising is this: golf in general and the club was on its knees due to COVID-19, and if we don’t act and bring in funding now, insurance won’t matter; the club will be gone by the time that process is finished.”
By 7pm the day after the fire, a fund-raising team had plans in place, and a novel and ambitious fund-raiser is set to take place from daybreak this Friday, June 12. From 5.20am, 14 golfers, each playing 117 holes of golf, or 1,638 holes in total. In other words, each golfer will play enough rounds to clock up more than 117 holes during the day, 117 being the number of years the club has been in existence. They will be supported by club leaders to bring the total number of golf holes to 1,903 to mark the yer the club was formed.
This combined with a Go Fund Me page will help secure the club’s future anad already more than €35,000 has been raised by the generosity of the public.
This week golf classic, Charlie explained, counts vice-captain Chris Dale as a driving force, and just as well given Chris’ track record in fundraisers
“In 2011, he cycled to every Premier
League Ground across England to raise funds for bowel cancer, following the death of a close friend,” Charlie said.
“In 2012, he ran three marathons in three days from Sheffield to Liverpool to raise awareness for the families of the 96 who lost their lives in the Hillsborough disaster.”
Chris is married to Sarah Crushell, whose family has a long-standing tradition within the club, and this is a common theme amongst the players who’ll take on the challenge on Friday. Those wishing to donate should visit the GoFundMe page entitled ‘Rebuild Kenmare Golf Club’. This link is also available at www.kenmaregolfclub. com or their Facebook page.
“If you can support our cause in any way, we would be very grateful,” Charlie added.