Mahee Island Golf Club

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AN UNEXPECTED INTERRUPTIONThroughout the 30s the club continued to develop and flourish, the course was maturing and improving due to the expert care and hard work of Green keeper Walter Fitchie and his assistant John Hayes. Playing a large part in improving the course was the purchase of pneumatic tyres for the tractor to replace the studded metal wheels, which left indentations especially in dry weather. The members greatly appreciated this modification to the tractor even though the new tyres cost £77. At a Council Meeting on 15th March, 1933, it is noted in the Minutes that the Green fees were set at “2/- per day for all days except Saturdays and General Holidays. Saturdays and General Holidays 3/- per day. Visitors playing as guests of Members should have a concession of 6 pence per day. No concession given between 1st October and 31st March. Club competitions were fewer and played infrequently allowing more leisurely games on Saturdays, visitors were welcomed, even Ladies were permitted to play but not between 1pm and 4pm. Caddies were required on Saturdays. This was encouraged by the Council, to the extent that rates were set at 6 pence for nine holes. There are still a few members around who started by caddying in the 30’s. Mr. Leck Jellie remembers those far off days vividly. He, his brother John,Tommy and John Marshall and a few pals would walk from Ballydrain on a Saturday to the Course, meet up with Jim Middleton, who lived on the Island, sometimes” caddie” for 36 holes and then walk home. The duties were difficult, the Caddie placed the ball on the Tee for most players, marked where both Tee and ball went, find the Tee then “hare” away in search of the ball before his “man” reached it . Neither task was easy as the “rough” in those days was like a jungle. Sometimes a Tee had to be made with sand, not easy on dry days. Some players used a wooden Tee with a coloured tassle and a small lead weight attached which made it easier to find. Sheep “droppings” was another problem as this had to be cleared before a Putt could be taken, it was more difficult if the excreta adhered to the ball. The Caddie had the job of cleaning it. When the round was finished the hard work began as these young boys were called upon to clean the golf clubs, using Emery cloth to remove all dirt then dry and polish the “irons” otherwise they would rust. Finally when the Clubs were cleaned they were taken to the player’s car, to await their reward. On days when they were not needed, the Caddies played on their own Course, two holes which they “maintained” themselves in the rough to the right of the 9th Fairway. The “Greens” were small and mowed by pulling the grass by hand; here they learned to play the game. Occassionally when there was a mid-week game, Mr. Faulkner, head master of the school at Ballydrain, and a keen golfer, would let the boys off to “caddie” at the Club. The progress of the Golf Club was firstly curtailed and finally stopped by a power hungry, non-golfer from central Europe called Adolph Hitler and the outbreak of World War Two. At Mahee, members were reluctant to stop, but motorised transport was essential and petrol rationing was stringent, one can almost sense the sadness of the time in the secretarys’ report at the Annual Meeting on 2nd April 1942, his final remarks “ it appears to me that the Golf Course at Mahee which of necessity depends on car transport, cannot be successfully run while petrol restrictions remain as they are.” Closure came in May of that year, the Greens were fenced off and Mr. Johnston went back to grazing animals on the land.