Thurles Golf Club renovation a celebration of its history and identity

On Sunday, March 31, Thurles Golf Club officially opened their newly renovated bar and restaurant.

This is the first renovation of the building in 42 years, and the club hopes it will encourage communities in Thurles to use the facilities.

They invited the Tipperary Star to visit and speak to Club President Arthur Griffin.

“Even though it’s a golf club, we want the general public to come and visit and enjoy the ambience.

It’s not just for the members. We encourage people from the town to come out here,” said Mr Griffin.

RENOVATION

The new design, led by member Anne Slattery, meant a change of colour scheme and the addition of some cosy modern touches.

“She wanted to preserve the feel of the old house because it is beautiful in all its shapes and forms but at the same time bring a little modern decor to it.

The old carpet was red, but the club felt the colour wasn’t exactly them anymore.

“The golf club colours are actually green and gold, when we play competitions or go anywhere we wear a gold yellow T-shirt and green tie. So we can identify that with the club,” said Mr Griffin.

All around the bar are pictures and artefacts from the club's history. Framed and hung are minutes and accounts taken at club meetings from the 50s.

The current president and captains are pictured on one wall, while team photographs from the All-Ireland Championship adorn others.

“We participate in all the major competitions and we do very well,” said Mr Griffin.

The bar and restaurant has been renamed the Daniel O’Connell Bar to commemorate a stay by the man known as “the Liberator” in 1845.

At the entrance, you will find a plaque under which you can read all about his rally and stay.

But, the main feature of the new venue is its warm and friendly feel.

The club has made sure its design promotes that feeling of leisure and relaxation that anyone can enjoy.

“We put that chair there for anybody who wants to sit in the corner with the light on the newspaper and have a cup of coffee and read the newspaper.

“It’s little things like that, said Mr Griffin.

As the local newspaper, we will not discourage that.

What we will say is that when we visited the club, there atmosphere was lovely and peaceful.

Staff were friendly and helpful.

People sat, chatted and drank coffee in the bright and welcoming space.

FACILITIES

If golf is not your thing, don’t worry, The Thurles Golf Club is so much more.

On our tour, Mr Griffin showed us the only snooker table in Thurles which has proved most popular.

The club also has two squash courts and a small gym and they are hoping to expand into other sports like table tennis.

And if sport isn’t your thing, the house and grounds are stunningly beautiful.

“Even people who don’t like golf might want to sit outside and watch people come and go and see what it is like and just feel good,” said Mr Griffin.

The newly renovated bar and restaurant has just launched its full menu which for April will be available from Thursday to Friday every week.

After that, food will be served every day. There will be a variety of options at the same price as the restaurants in town.

For golfers, there is of course the course but also a pro shop, and changing facilities. The club wants people to know this is a family-friendly environment.

“We like to see families. We have no issue with children coming here. It's something we want.

“Because there are so many families in the club like husband and wife and children and even grandchildren are members it is very much a family-orientated club,” said Mr Griffin.

While we were visiting there were groups of teenagers enjoying all the club has to offer.

As it is the Easter holidays the club has activities for young members that are safe, fun and supervised.

“We try to make sure when they are off there is something on here, and as you can see, it is properly supervised.

“We like them to have somewhere to go, and their parents can feel they are looked after and having fun, doing something healthy. That is so important,” said Mr Griffin.

A CLUB FOR EVERYONE

But above all, Thurles Golf Club wants people to know that the clubhouse is there for everyone.

“All and everyone is welcome here. That is the key thing. People say to me can we go out, and I say yes, absolutely we want you to come out,” said Mr Griffin.

The club currently has 840 members. which makes it a medium to large club, and it welcomes everyone regardless of age or gender.

“There is a perception from years back that golf clubs are for men and Thurles golf club has moved on from that and is more modern in its thinking," said Mr Griffin.

In some ways, it almost always was. The club voted to allow women to vote at AGMs in 1911, just years after its establishment.

The club is now run by a governing body of directors led by the president, and members are the shareholders.

There is a men’s and ladies’ committee, which is run by captains.

The current men’s captain is Chris Delahunt, while Rena O’Brien leads the ladies. Conor Doherty is the junior captain of the club.

“They are responsible for the golf and the competitions that go on all year round and the teams, and all that. That is their main focus,” said Mr Griffin.

Pictures of captains on the wall for a year Every captain is named on large plaques in the hall, going back to 1948.
Mr Griffin told us that he has been a member since 1976, when he joined as a juvenile.

“I like all sports so when I was younger, I used to play squash and everything. “But golf is for all ages.

“We have people here who are 80 years old still playing. They can drive around in golf buggies play, and then come in here and to this environment and relax.

“Then you follow golf on television, and it becomes a topic of conversation.

“We all have our own favourite players, but everyone loves Rory Macalory, so that's my thing,” said Mr Griffin.

HISTORY

The Thurles Golf Club is based in the beautiful Turtulla House built in 1837.

It was built by Nicolas Valentine Maher and was owned by the Barry Family until it was purchased by the Thurles Golf Club in 1944.

The house has welcomed, through its doors, members of parliament and course, Daniel O’Connell.
Daniel O’Connell visited in 1845 (September 25) he held his Monster Meeting at the hill of Knockroe.
200,000 people attended, and the man himself, stayed at Turtulla House as a guest of Nicholas Valentine Maher.

The Black and Tans made an uninvited appearance in 1927 when they shot a Barry family coachman, Denis Regan on the grounds.

“So this building has a huge amount of history to it long before it was a golf club,” said Mr Griffin.

The golf club was established after a meeting at Thurles Golf Club on January 29, 1909.

Originally, it was based in Leugh and later Dovea. The club, when it took over Turtulla House, comprised 81 men and 50 women.

The house’s long and illustrious history has been documented in a book published in celebration of the club’s 100th anniversary in 2009.

The book is called A Century of Golf in Thurles.