Newtownstewart golf club Tyrone

Members Achievements

Members who played representative golf for Country or Province;

G. Forbes represented Ulster in the Senior Interprovincial’s in 1989 playing 3-times won 1-match and lost 2-matches accumulating 2-points;

History of Newtownstewart

Newtownstewart Instituted 1914 affiliated 1918

The inaugural meeting of the club was held in the Abercorn Hotel, on 9^th October 1914. The Duke of Abercorn was thanked for his generosity towards the club and he was elected President. Two other men are credited with the foundation of the club. They were Mr. H. Kiernan, of the Northern Bank, and Mr. W. Ross who was elected Captain in 1922.

Newtownstewart was initially a nine-hole course, ten minutes' cycling distance from the town. The club extended to eighteen holes in 1970.

Newtownstewart Golf Club was first opened as a 9 hole course on the 23th of October 1914 and continued with a small membership (mainly car owners) until the war years (1939-45) when it practically closed down. Some play did continue however, particularly by members of the US army who were stationed nearby in Newtownstewart. They actually put in the first drainage system. It consisted of empty petrol drums joined together along a narrow trench.

In the sixties membership began to increase significantly (In 1957 it was 88 today it is 476.) so an approach was made to the Baronscourt Estate about the possibility of acquiring extra land. Their first offer was of approximately 15 acres on the other side of the entrance road. When it was pointed out that this was somewhat small for what the club had in mind the estate agreed to allow the club to have about 40 acres across the ravine to the South. A bridge was built across this ravine by voluntary labour in 1967, a well-known course architect, J.J.F. Pennink from the firm of Cotton, Harris and Pennink, was commissioned and the course extended to 18 holes. In concluding his recommendation for the extension Pennink added, "I very much enjoyed my visit and was enchanted by the beautiful terrain." Not a bad commendation from someone who had seen it all. Finally the first offer of 15 acres was also acquired and opened as a practice area in 1974.

Because of the nature of the underlying soil, many parts of the course had always suffered from poor drainage. Over recent years however an extensive drainage scheme has been undertaken, mainly under the guidance of the then Greens Convener, Jimmy Kelly and a new Head Greenkeeper, David Irvine. The necessary equipment to maintain the system was also purchased and the whole scheme has really revitalised the course. A new Greens Convener, James McCrory, has continued with these improvements and the course is now looking better than ever.

Newtownstewart course now consists of 18 holes, made up of 5 par 3's, 3 par 5's with the rest being par 4's. With a par of 70 and Standard Scratch of 69 it measures 5320 yards and has a convenient practice putting green and an extensive practice.