1985 – Present
Dr PJ (Paddy) Hillery
Lahinch hosted the Home International Amateur Championships in September 1987 with the Irish team recording their first Triple Crown success at the event.
In 1992 the Club celebrated the centenary of its foundation with a special Centenary Dinner. Guest of honour was Joe Carr, Captain of the R&A and one of the legendary figures of Irish amateur golf.
The Junior Golf Programme was reorganised in 1995 and the Castle Course has introduced a new generation of Lahinch golfers to the game. The first Junior Golf competition (Harley Cup) took place in 1964 and there is currently a full programme of competitions for boys and girls scheduled throughout the year.
In January 1997 the death took place of one of the Club’s most famous personalities, Brud Slattery. He was an outstanding golfer and administrator. The words of John Betjeman in his poem “The Hon. Sec.” echoed at his funeral Mass: “The flag that hung half mast today seemed animate with being as if it knew for whom it flew and would no more be seeing”.
In the last decade of the 20th century new challenges faced Lahinch Golf Club. With major advances in golf technology and equipment and the unprecedented increase in golf tourism playing the course on a year round basis, Lahinch Golf Club decided to enlist the services of Golf Course Architect, Dr. Martin Hawtree in 1999. Dr. Hawtree’s plan modernised the links golf course at Lahinch providing a top class championship golf course. In the new layout, the sand dunes closer to the Atlantic Ocean were utilised and, in all, 14 greens were redesigned introducing wonderful undulations making putting a fine art. The redesigned course has met with wide acclaim and is consistently ranked in the World Top 50 courses.
The vision of Alexander Shaw in 1892 to develop Lahinch into a top class golf links course has inspired people in every generation to work tirelessly for the advancement of the Club. A love of Lahinch has drawn people from all parts of the world and from all walks of life to ply their skills on the great golf links course.