Mahee Island Golf Club - History Information

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COMPETITIVE MATCHESArguably the most competitive game ever “invented” is Golf. The natural instinct to beat another player is what makes the game interesting. The Sunday morning four ball would not be played with the same enthusiasm, without a small “wager”. When the G U I was formed almost its first task was to set rules to govern championships and competitive matches. So it is no surprise to find that Mahee Island almost from its beginning wanted to compete. In 1934 a team was entered in the Ulster Cup competition, beaten in that first match by Whitehead G C. The following year Kirkistown were beaten in the first Round but Malone were victors in the second. One can only imagine the jubilation when in 1936, rivals and near neighbours Scrabo were beaten by Mahee in the opening Round. Even the result is recorded 2-5 away but a resounding 6-1 at Mahee. For many years this was the Mahee Club’s only competition, until 1951 when teams were entered for Ulster Cup and the Belfast and District Cup. An interesting note in the Minutes states that for Ulster Cup handicaps must be 10 or over, while the District Cup was under 10 so in a sense the whole was involved. District Cup matches were usually played at the end of the season, late August and early September when normal Club competitions had come to an end. Entry was made for the Junior Cup in 1953, the young Club’s first taste of All Ireland competition. There is nothing on record as to how the Club fared but a clue may be found in the Secretary’s report of that year. The qualifying was held at Balmoral G C, “wind and rain rendered good golf impossible, one member of another team had a 16 at one hole so you can see, low scores were not the order of the day”. An application to enter the Holt Shield was accepted in 1966, this was a competition for 5 Handicappers and over and was instigated to give more scope for Junior Cup standard players. Initally only Clubs in the greater Belfast area were involved and included 8 or 10 teams. This has now grown to cover a much wider area with some 40 Clubs involved, and the rules changed to limit the Handicap to 6. It has become a popular Competition. By the 1970’s participation in every inter-club competition is recorded, although success was minimal and match results not mentioned in the Minutes. The Ulster Cup team created some excitement in 1972 by reaching the semi-final, although beaten it was perhaps a signal of what might be possible in the future. It was not until the mid 80’s that a “crop” of more competitive young golfers began to emerge. The Junior Cup, Holt Shield and Jimmy Bruen Shield handicap range seemed ideally suited and as more experience was gained it gradually appeared the a victory in some or indeed all of these might be possible. 1988 was an important year with a good but in the end, unsuccessful run in the Holt Shield and Junior Cup. But it was the Jimmy Bruen Shield that provided the excitement. After qualifying at Royal Belfast, Mahee Beat Clandeboye, Belvoir Park and Lurgan in the match-play stage to reach the Ulster final. Warrenpoint, the reigning all- Ireland Champions, provided the opposition in the Final at Belvoir Park Golf Club, where on a fine sunny day, cheered on by a large crowd of “home” supporters the Mahee team was victorious. The golf correspondant for the Belfast Newsletter reported, “against all the odds “The Mighty Minnows” had triumphed with a famous victory and now looked towards the All-Ireland Finals at Little Island Cork”. To win the Provincial section of an all-Ireland event is no mean feat. However, representing Ulster against the best in the Country is never easy and disappointment came when in the semi-finals Mahee lost to a very strong team from Clonmel Golf Club, the eventual winners of the Shield. As the team and supporters left Cork for the long journey home, saddened and disappointed, no one could have imagined that within three years the little Club from County Down would be given a second chance.