Tuam Golf Club was founded in 1904 and is now considered one of the best parkland courses in the country. Its tree-lined fairways, challenging bunkers and very testing greens have made it a daunting challenge for even the most accomplished golfers.
Of course, it is difficult not to appreciate the fact that the club’s first golf professional was the late Christy O’Connor Snr who passed away in May 2016 at the age of 91.
He became associated with Tuam Golf Club in the late 1940s when he arrived from Knocknacarra having spent many years as a caddy in his spare time in Galway Golf Club. He did this from the age of 10.
Christy Snr gave lessons, not alone to members of Tuam Golf Club but also several of the neighbouring clubs at the time. He was recognised as an incredible instructor.
He was accepted into the Irish Professional Golfing Association (IPGA) in 1951 and went on to have a glittering career.
In fact, such was the regard in which he was held, the Tuam members funded his first professional tournament at the Open Championship in Royal Portrush that same year and finished as the leading Irishman.
He went on to take up a position as professional at Bundoran Golf Club on foot of this success before going on to win more than 60 professional tournaments, appearing in 10 successive Ryder Cup matches as well as finishing in the top 10 in the Open Championship on 10 occasions.
He tied for second in the 1965 Open, which was his best placed finish.
Despite invitations, he never played in any of the other three Majors in the States, but is still part of the fabric of Tuam Golf Club given that he was the first ever professional there when the club was based at Mayfield at the time.
It is hoped to honour the memory of Christy Snr in 2021 being the 70th anniversary of him becoming a recognised golf professional in this country and being attached to Tuam Golf Club at the time.