Whitehead golf club Antrim

Members Achievements

Whitehead Golf Club were County Champions in the J. B. Carr Diamond Trophy in 2002.

Ian Cochrane and Craig Addley won the Belfast Telegraph Foursomes in 1997.

Whitehead Golf Club were Ulster Finalists in the Belfast and District Cup in 1981, when the team was, B. Armstrong, K. Wilson, R. Young, H. Henry, J. Taylor, M. Boyd, P. Finney, A. Hope, J. Jones and P. O'Donnell.

G. Parkhill and P. O'Donnell won the Christie Flag in 1982.

P. O'Donnell with C. Niblock won the British Isles Daily Mail Foursomes in 1994.

Members who played representative golf for Country or Province;

J. Jones represented Ireland at international Youths' level in 1981 playing 6-matches, won 3-match halved one and lost 2-matches accumulating 7-points. He represented Ulster as a Youth in the Interprovincial Championships in 1981 playing 4-times won 2-matches and lost 2-matches accumulating 4-points;

R. Hunter represented Ireland at Irish Boys' level in 1997 playing 3-times won 0-matches and lost 3-matches accumulating 0-points;

S. K. Neill* represented Ulster in the Senior Interprovincial’s in 1938;

Matthew Kane represented Ulster at the inaugural Boys Under-15 Interprovincial Championships in 2010 playing 3-times won 3-matches and lost 0-matches accumulating 6-points;

Lesley Callen played for the Irish Girls' in 1985;

Kim Hunter played for the Irish Girls' in 1986;

History of Whitehead

Instituted 1904 affiliated 1905

Whitehead is one of the few older clubs to possess its original minutes. On Friday, the 27th July, 1904, a letter was circulated to the residents of Whitehead, notifying them of a meeting on 29th July, with the purpose of setting up a golf club. The first President was Col. James McCalmont M. P., and the Captain was James Waterson.

The" Irish Golfer" in 1905, gives us the following report "The links are situated at no great distance from Blackhead, the lighthouse on the promontory stands out conspicuously, considering the limited time during which Messrs. Morrow and Son have been engaged in bringing the ground to order, very good progress has been made. The nine-hole course is partly uphill for the first three or four holes and there are sufficient difficulties in the form of hedges and ravines. Mr. R. B. Urquhart, Belfast, erected the handsome pavilion which adorns the grounds and which provides ample accommodation for both ladies and gentlemen."

There is ample evidence that ladies were involved from the start of the club. The first Lady President was the Marchioness of Donegall, and the Lady Captain was Mrs. Smiley, of Belair. The annual subscription was a guinea for men and ten shillings and six pence for ladies.

In 1909, the club moved to the Marquis of Donegall’s Estate and this became its home until it moved to a new home at Bentra, where James Braid laid out a nine-hole course.

In 1973, the club moved to its present location at Muldersleigh and developed the eighteen-hole course that opened officially in 1975.

What the Club tells us:

In 1904 a number of prominent gentlemen in Whitehead mooted the idea that a golf course would be of great benefit to residents and visitors located at Blackhead. A meeting was held in the Victoria Café and a plan was hatched. The original course was marked off on an ordnance map. The rules and bye laws were adopted from Malone, Royal Belfast and Larne Golf Clubs. The cost to build the course was £114 and was constructed by George Morrow from Belfast. In 1908 the 2nd course was constructed in the Donegall area and then in 1935, moved to a 3rd location with a new clubhouse, this being the current Bentra course. In 1970 a decision was taken to relocate to a new location on Muldersleigh Hill which, after many changes to the course is the current home of WGC.

Ancient man once inhabited Muldersleigh Hill on which the present course is laid out. There are 8 historical sites on or around The Hill, 4 of which are on the lands occupied by the course. The 2nd green is on an ancient site called Rath-Cimbaeith, ahillfort built in the earlier part of the 1st Millennium. On the 3rd fairway is the former site of an ancient church and burial place. To the left of the 10th fairway was an old graveyard. Finally during construction of the original 4th green, 2 stone axe heads were uncovered and now form part of the Rath-Cimbaeith Trophy played for each year. A marker stone was carved out of a slab of stone from Cork (Rath-Cimbaeith royal site of King Nemed who died in Cork) and is still sited to the left of the 2nd green to this day.