Chapter Name: Purchase of the Course part 2

The club now applied itself to the business of fund raising and a sub- committee was set up comprising of members J. Hope, T. Tyner, M. A. Gill, H. Hainsworth and J. K. O'Riordan.
To maintain good standing in the National Bank, ten members -Mrs.Farrell, T. N. Wardrop, J. Scally, Dr. Hogan, M. Cahill, A. Farrell, J.Hope, P. C. Vereker, J. J. O'Riordan and H. Hainsworth, each signed a
separate guarantee of £10.00 to secure an overdraft to the sum of £100.00.
On 18th June, 1936, it was resolved "that the National Bank Ltd.,Portarlington, be requested to honour all cheques drawn by Mr. J. K.O'Riordan, Hon. Treasurer, in the Portarlington Golf Club account at
that Branch, whether said accounts be in credit or overdrawn and also to accept cheques for lodgements to the account endorsed by him on behalf of the Portarlington Golf Club, until notice to the contrary is received bythe Bank in writing".
In July 1936, a further resolution was passed "That the National BankLtd., be requested to grant accommodation to the Club by way of overdraft on the account of the Club at the Portarlington Branch of the said Bank to an extent not exceeding from time to time for principal, the,sum of £100.00, to bear interest at the current rate of the said Bank.
At this time a morale, as well as a financial boost, was given to the Club when the proceeds of a dance promoted by the Fund Raising Committee realised £26. 11. 1.
Meanwhile, throughout the years of negotiations to purchase the Course, the Club held its closed and open meetings. A copy of a Fixture Card of that time shown here, is a typical example of the competitions
promoted in the 1920s and 30s.
The Club's open meetings were rather modest efforts when compared with the seven-day crowded fixtures lists of today. "Time open" for entry to the competitions of one hour in the Summer, and half-an hour in the r-. Winter, is an indication of the small numbers then taking part.
The open meeting of 1932 comprised just three competitions:
(1) 18 Hole Stroke -entry fee 2/6
(2) 18 Hole Fourball v Bogey -entry fee 2/6 with a prize value:- first £3 guineas; second:- £1 guinea. First prize fourball:- £4 guineas and second:- £2 guineas.
(3) Putting Competition -promoted on a sweepstake basis, 50% of the,prize money going to the winner, 25% to the runner-up and 25% to the Club.
In the 1935 open meeting the winner of the 18 hole stroke competition was presented with the D. E. Williams Challenge Cup and voucher value,£2 guineas. That year, vouchers to a stated value were introduced in lieu of cash prizes for each competition, and prize money from the,sweepstakes was paid out on a two-thirds fraction to the winner and one-third going to the runner-up.
From these modest beginnings the Club's open meetings grew to the splendidly sponsored "Open Week" of the 1980s.
During the Open meetings of the 1920s and 1930s local and visiting golfers dined in a tent -for some years hired from Messrs. Bailey for £2.7.6. -and sited near the Clubhouse. Today one can partake of first
class meals in a modern function room.
Still, the earlier administrators demanded order and for their 1935, competitions resolved -"That the draw must take place at the appointed time, the Secretary to be instructed to remain behind until all competitors are away from t;he first tee in order to give intending competitors, who are unavoidably delayed, a final chance of entering the competition, no entry to be accepted for the competition after the
Secretary has commenced play".
Profound instructions indeed. But 1935 was a momentous and challenging year for the Club as events show. It will be remembered as the, year the Club purchased its Course and jubilation on the successful
conclusions of the tough negotiations with the Scottish Timber Merchants was well justified. But, sadly, the year 1935 is also etched into the Club's record book as the year the great William Henry Mercier Cobbe passed to his eternal reward. It was good and fitting that he lived to see,the Course become the property of his beloved Club. It was on 14th December, 1935, that T. N. Wardrop proposed a resolution, seconded by Mrs. Margaret Farrell, -"'that this meeting be adjourned until Wednesday next, 11th December, as a mark of respect to the memory of our late Vice-President, Mr. W. H. M Cobbe, who was one of our founder members and a great worker in the interest of the Club since its formation 26 years ago...".
That year, too, the Steward Joe Nangle and his sister, Tess, terminated their employment and were replaced by Jack Murphy, Gracefield, Portarlington.
Concern was caused when Rex Croker resigned the captaincy and representations addressed to him to reconsider his decision were to no avail. It was at a special meeting held in the Clubhouse, on 19th March, 1935, that the vice-captain, Rev. Fr. T. Gahan, C.C. Portarlington, was then elected captain of the Club. Mick Cahill was elected Vice-Captain. At the time of his resignation Rex Croker was an associate of W. P. & R. OdIum Ltd., Portarlington, and had joined the Club in 1932. He was proposed as member by F. ,J. Hogan, Manager, Munster & Leinster Bank,Portarlington.
Rev. Fr. T. Gahan joined in 1933, being proposed a member by Very Rev. T. Keogh, P.P. Portarlington, who was later appointed Bishop ofKildare & Leighlin.The year 1935 also saw the resignation of the hon. secretary, E. T. McCabe, who was replaced by Mick Cahill. The latter, hon. secretary thirteen years earlier, held the position until 21st June of that year. He was succeeded by H. Hainsworth, whose election was intended to be a temporary one. But at the annual general meeting of 1936 he was re
elected to that position and he held it until 1943.
It was 1935, too, that the old mare finally gave up the ghost and as a replacement, Dr. Hogan was authorised to buy and exchange a horse for a mare, suitable for the links, provided he got £18 -£20.00 in part exchange.
No longer a tenant, the Club, in 1936, formulated plans to extend the Clubhouse and while it authorised in 1934 to "spend a sum of money not exceeding £10.00 to enlarge the bar", this was the first extension to be added. The work was carried out by Mr. M. J. Sweeney, Builder,Portarlington; his daughter, Mrs. Janey Dunphy, recalled. "The very first extension added to the Clubhouse was built by my father in 1936". "There were very few facilities there then -no toilets for the ladies, and I remember well trying to cook meals in a corrugated iron shed".

But facilities were improved and at the Club's A.G.M. of 1940, held in February, at which R. G. H. Russell presided, the Hon. Treasurer's Report showed:- "that notwithstanding the erection of the new pavilion which is the most up-to-date in the country -the financial position of the Club is in a very flourishing condition, and the total receipts for 1939 exceeded the previous year's by a considerable sum". A vast improvement in membership was also shown.A further extension was added in 1944 -also built by Mr. M. J. Sweeney -and was opened with the celebration of a very successful golf tournament.
The decade ended with war clouds gathering in Europe. By 1939 the world was at war and while our country was spared that calamitous conflict, rationing of almost all goods was introduced. November 11th 1940, saw all cars taken off our roads. Commuting became exceedingly difficult, sometimes impossible. An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease merely curtailed movement even more when our government of the day took stringent measures to contain its spread. The official "Black Out", too, darkened already dark days. Nevertheless, it was in 1940 that a party of twenty-two Woodbrook Golfers visited Garryhinch to "take on the locals" and it is reported that the result was "about even". Following a "light tea" in the Clubhouse, the teams partook of dinner in the East End Hotel, Portarlington.
Also that year the Club played Hermitage Golf Club in a "friendly"match.
Of course, the Club members did succeed in travelling to the Clubhouse for meetings during the difficult war years, and how well they attended in 1941 is shown here:
Attendance:- A. Farrell -9 meetings
Dr. W. J. Hogan 9 meetings
J. Hope -9 meetings
H. Hainsworth -9 meetings
T. W. Leahy -8 meetings
Mrs. Farrell -7 meetings
T. N. Wardrop -7 meetings
Rev. T. Gahan -5 meetings
A. Rolleston -4 meetings
R. G. H. Russell 3 meetings
James Scully -1 meeting
M. J. Cahill -1 meeting
J. Ashe -O meeting
Nine committee meetings were held that year and the Club showed a profit of £60. 8. 4. as compared with £53. 16. 9 for 1940.
But the Club's golfers travelled further afield -sometimes by covered wagon. It was during the war years that two notable victories were won in the Midland Counties Competition in 1942 and' 43 against Tullamore and Kilkenny respectively.
After the war, in 1946, a further victory was gained with a win over Kilkenny in Kilkenny.
A local paper reported on the 1942 meeting:- "There was a scene of animation at Garryhinch Golf Links on last Sunday afternoon when Portarlington were declared winners of the Midland Trophy Competition against strong opposition. The members can look back on 1942 with pleasure, for it furnished them with a close struggle for the much coveted shield which they did not capture since 1918. Tullamore, who held the shield last year, came second. The scores were:
Portarlington: 287 Tullamore: 294 Kilkenny: 295 The Heath: 295
Birr: 302
Portarlington scores -R. H. H,Russell- 67; J. McCann 68; P. Conlon
72; T. M. Fletcher 80.
The fourball v Bogey competition played on the same evening was won
byR. R. H. Russell and Dr. T. Kirby, the runners-up being J. Daly and P.
Conran; all Portarlington.
At the presentation which took place in the Pavilion, Harold Hainsworth, Hon. Secretary, Portarlington Golf Club, in congratulating the winners said "The Club rejoiced on their great victory, and he hoped
that despite the great difficulties of transport they would be able to continue to hold their competitions in the future...".
Mr. T. Woods, Captain of the Tullamore Club, presented the Shield to Mr. T. W. Leahy, Captain of Portarlington Golf Club and said "we enjoyed a splendid day's golfing. .." T. W. Leahy replying said
"Portarlington's victory was well deserved, for the path to the final was not an easy one..."
These competitions were real marathon sessions -five fourball matches in the morning followed by five singles in the afternoon; Indeed these victories were a presage of greater things to come -the
winning of the Barton Cup Competition in just a few years time -but in the dark and grim war years gave cause for jubilation, sing-song and laughter in the Clubhouse in Garryhinch.
Results of the 1941 competitions can be found elsewhere in this book. The war years passed. The lights went on again and cars were back on the roads. It is 1950, and Barton Cup victory year.