New golf event can attract overseas visitors to midlands, say organisers

A new golf championship for clubs in Westmeath has been established with ambitions of strengthening links among golfers, promoting mental health, and attracting more international visitors to the midlands.

Six clubs took part in the inaugural Westmeath Club Golf Championship at New Forest Golf Club in Tyrrellspass, and organiser Tom McDermott hopes it will become an annual fixture.

A former captain of New Forest, Tom came up with the idea almost three years ago after noticing a lack of connection between golf clubs in Westmeath. He had seen a similar championship in Offaly, and thought the same approach would work in here.

During his involvement in inter-club competitions, Tom discussed the proposal with vice-captains and members of other clubs and received an encouraging response, and following his year as captain, he began putting plans in place, with the help of fellow members, including David Gavigan, current vice-captain at New Forest.

The championship involved 12 players from each club, three selected from each of four handicap categories, to ensure players competed against others of a similar standard.

He said the event had several objectives, including encouraging social interaction and highlighting the potential of golf to support mental health. Tom says the sport can offer benefits to men who may have become isolated or are looking for new interests later in life.

He pointed to the growth of Men’s Sheds as an example of how people seek opportunities to meet others and take part in activities, and he hopes the new championship will encourage more men to consider golf, even if they have never played before.

His advice to newcomers is to start at a driving range, where they can practise without feeling judged, before seeking lessons through a golf club. “You’d be surprised how therapeutic going over to a driving range at seven o’clock in the evening and just baiting the balls into a field is,” said Tom.

He also has a bigger ambition for the championship: promoting Westmeath as a golfing destination for overseas visitors.

He believes local courses are capable of attracting golfers from Europe and America, many of whom traditionally travel to better-known destinations such as Tralee and Killarney.

He hopes closer cooperation among midlands clubs will encourage them to promote the region collectively, helping to persuade visitors to spend time and money here rather than passing through on their way to the west coast.

“I think there’s probably 4,000 paid members golf in Westmeath, but it’s probably 10,000 play golf, and if we can get a ripple effect where we get the six clubs connected and start talking about how lovely Westmeath is and how lovely the courses are, because, they are absolutely gorgeous golf clubs – we need to get them (American visitors) into Westmeath, and I think if we promote golf better, we will actually start getting them.”

Returning to the golf championship, Tom thanked the Cunningham family, owners of New Forest, for making the course available, the greenkeeping and catering staff, O’Brien Motor Group (sponsors), and the managers and members of the participating clubs who helped organise the event.

Tom had special thanks for vice-captain David Gavigan, the other principal organiser of the tournament, as well as club president Mags Tracy, who attended the dinner following the competition.