Portmarnock Pitch and Putt Club

History of Portmarnock Pitch and Putt Club

Pitch and Putt was started in Portmarnock in 1953 by a number of people from the village who formed the Portmarnock Development Association to run Pitch and Putt on a commercial basis in a field alongside the golf road (present church car park).

A club was formed on a part-time basis (fee 10/- per year) and played under NPPA (National Pitch and Putt Association) rules. This Association was confined to Clubs in Leinster. Pioneers in those early days were Peter Kane, Jim Smith, Paddy Kenny, Jack Kenny, Jim Coyle and Christy Howard.

The growth of the game in the late fifties was tremendous, and it became evident that we were becoming a nuisance; also the standard of the course wasn’t up to scratch. It was decided to seek alternative accommodation, and the landowners in the area were approached with a view to letting ground. Christy Howard and Mick Dillion held a meeting with Miss Bean Kelly, who agreed to let part of a field (present course) for £50 per year. On St. Patrick’s Day 1961 we moved into our present course, which was rough and ready at the time with no watering system. A hut was also purchased for £25 from a holidaymaker in the field.

At an extraordinary General Meeting in O’Hagens tea rooms in Portmarnock in early 1960, it was decided that 50 members pay £5 each to enable the Club hire machinery to clear the field and erect fencing etc. 

Mr John Temple Head green keeper of Portmarnock Golf Club, agreed to plan and layout the course. This he did with help from Bernie Walsh, Mick McCarthy, Brendan O’Farrell and Christy Howard. The result was natural course it is today and on March 17th 1961 play began on our course.

From the beginning we have continually improved our course and in 1994 we built our modern club house. We are known as one of the best Pitch and Putt courses in Ireland and have been affiliated to the Pitch and Putt Union of Ireland since it’s inception since 1961 and is 1 of the 21 original clubs still in existence.