Lahinch to invest £5 million on new clubhouse

Lahinch Golf Club in Ireland is set to spend more than £5 million on a clubhouse redevelopment project.

This comes as Royal Dornoch has received £5 million in funding to build a clubhouse that will open in 2025.

Lahinch says its investment comes after a surge in visitor numbers in recent years.

Work is due to commence on the project this month, with the club’s chairman, John Gleeson, confirming the spend in an update to members following the award of the main building contract.

Gleeson told members the contract price “was higher than anticipated, with the total development cost of the clubhouse at 6.1 million euros”, which includes other related costs.

The golf club’s council was “confident that, given our existing financial resources and the borrowing of £2.5 million approved at the AGM, we can cover the entire cost of the project”.

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Members heard that the project was required as the current clubhouse, built in 1965, was “no longer fit for purpose, with many of its components reaching end-of-life stage”.

Gleeson said the clubhouse council ruled out demolishing the existing building and constructing a new clubhouse due in part to the then estimated cost of more than £7.5 million.

That option was also ruled out, he explained, on the basis that if permission to demolish was granted, “the professional advice was, somewhat surprisingly, that there was a reasonable probability that we would not get permission to rebuild in the same location”.

Gleeson said it was important “that we enhance the clubhouse experience as befits a world top 50 golf course, similar to what a number of our peers clubs have achieved over recent years”.

“Our finances are in a very healthy state with in excess of four million euros held in cash and bonds, having completed payment for our new irrigation system,” he added.

“Rest assured, your club council will continue to manage the club’s finances in a very careful and prudent manner.”