Letterkenny Golf Club

Letterkenny Golf Club
	Aerial view of the golf course at Barnhill (Lough Swilly can be seen to the left)
Club information
Coordinates	54°57′50″N 7°41′02″W / 54.964°N 7.684°W
Location	Barnhill,; Letterkenny,; County Donegal,; Ireland
Established	1913, 112 years ago
Type	Public
Total holes	18
Events hosted	Ladies Irish Open; (1999)
Website	www.letterkennygolfclub.com
Barnhill
Designed by	Eddie Hackett; Declan Brannigan (redeveloper)
Par	72
Length	6,262 yards (5,726 m) +

Letterkenny Golf Club (often referred to as the Barnhill) is a golf club located on the banks of Lough Swilly in Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland. The club was founded in 1913.

History

Golf began in the town many years before 1913 on rough ground near the Ramelton Road. Golfing facilities later moved to a 47-acre (190,000 m²) 9-hole course at Crievesmith, in Oldtown, in 1913 where the club was formed. Crievesmith was sold in 1965 for £3000 and the club moved to Barnhill and remain there to this day. The ground at Crievesmith is currently^[when?] used for housing.^[1]

When the club moved to Barnhill an old farmhouse located on the land was used as the clubhouse. This farmhouse was extended in 1967 before new 10,000 sq ft (930 m²) clubhouse was opened in 1999 with a restaurant and conference facilities.

In July 2007, the Declan Brannigan redesigned course was officially opened, addressing drainage problems which the old course had suffered from.^[1] The course has 18 holes and has views of Lough Swilly.

Tournaments

In September 1999, Letterkenny Golf Club hosted the Ladies Irish Open, a tournament on the Ladies European Tour, which that year was known as the Donegal Irish Ladies Open. The event featured a strong international field including former world number one Laura Davies.

Sandrine Mendiburu of France won the title after a four-way sudden-death playoff, finishing tied on 286 (+2) with Davies, Raquel Carriedo of Spain and Elisabeth Esterl of Germany. Mendiburu secured victory on the second playoff hole, claiming her second career LET title.^[2]^[3]

Mendiburu took home the winner's share of €22,395.^[4]

Scorecard

Barnhill Course – White tees

Hole	Name	Yards	Par	Hole	Name	Yards	Par
1	Hall Door	353	4	10	Cornagill	392	4
2	Glebe	493	5	11	Settlement	442	5
3	Lough Swilly	362	4	12	Sheep Hill	327	4
4	Sliabh Sneacht	364	4	13	Hunter's Home	187	3
5	Inishowen	147	3	14	Stack Yard	325	4
6	Hackett's Best	417	4	15	Candelabra	408	4
7	The Isles	481	5	16	Barnhill	135	3
8	Greenhill	164	3	17	Aughaninshin	381	4
9	Crievesmith	411	4	18	Stockade	473	5
Out		3,192	36	In		3,070	36
				Total		6,262	72

Source:^[1]

Gallery

12th Hole
Clubhouse

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Letterkenny Golf Club". Letterkenny Golf Club. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
^ "Mendiburu Wins Irish Open in Dramatic Playoff". Irish Independent. 6 September 1999. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
^ "When Letterkenny Golf Club Hosted the Irish Women's Open". Donegal News. 4 September 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2025.
^ "2011 LET Media Guide". Yumpu. Ladies European Tour. 2011. Retrieved 11 May 2025.