Plans are on the horizon for a high quality golf and country club in the Mallow area. The proposed multi-million euro development is located on the town land estate of Copsetown Abbey 3 miles northwest of Mallow in County Cork, just off the N20 and only 25 miles north of Cork City.
The site has been in the hands of the O’Connor family for over four generations. The site comprises over 220 acres of parkland land a main residential building along with four two-storey outhouses with interior courtyard. It was built in 1852 by Colonel Fitzgibbon Beare and was sold to the O’Connor family in 1901. The project is led by brothers Don and Mark O’Connor, and is a progression for the O’Connor golf range family business, which has been in place since 1993.
Jeff Howes Golf Design (JHGD) have been appointed as the golf course architects to design and oversee the construction of the proposed development. This well established firm has an impressive portfolio of golf projects Europe wide. Previous projects include Mount Juliet in Co. Kilkenny, The Heritage in Co. Laois and Fota Island Golf Resort in Co. Cork.
Their appointment reflects the intentions of the brothers to provide a top quality and challenging course for all golfers alike. An important factor in choosing JHGD is his ability to create a course which at full length will provide a genuine challenge for the accomplished player while also allowing the mid to high handicapper to enjoy the experience from the more forward tees.
Corroon Architectural Consultants have been appointed to oversee the conversion of the existing residence and outhouses into the new clubhouse facility. They will also be responsible for the design of the new residential aspect of the project.
The main elements of the proposed development include:
• Development of a high quality 18-hole (par 72 measuring over 7,000 yds) parkland golf course on approximately. 220 acres of gently rolling terrain. The site contains a mix of water features with mature oak and beech tree rows. The current topography of the land allows for the natural features of the site to be incorporated into the course.
• Development of the existing golf driving range facility into a golf academy for the proposed development.
• Conversion of Copsetown Abbey and associated outhouses to the golf clubhouse incorporating facilities such as changing rooms, golf pro shop, bar and restaurant.
• Provision of a limited number of exclusive residential dwellings on the golf course. The houses are anticipated to be on generous individual sites and will be 250-300 square metres in size. The strategic positioning of the residential dwellings seeks to provide a balance between their proximity to the facilities of the golf club and the local amenities in Newtwopothouse village.
In recognition of the environmental impacts associated with climate change, this development will endeavour to embrace the principles of sustainability in both the golf course design and building design aspects of the development as far as possible. Minimisation of the impact of the development on the natural environment and associated protection of the ecological value of the overall site are at the core of the design principles being adopted by the design team.
The development plans to utilize the rolling terrain, wildlife habitats and natural features of the site whilst also maintaining and enhancing the ecological value and biodiversity of the site in accordance with Golf Environment Europe’s sustainable golf course design criteria. The protection and preservation of the historical features present on the site will further enhance the final golf course…
The project is currently in the final stages of the planning process. The golf course is planned to open in the summer of 2010 subject to the planning application outcome. The development aspires to be to championship standards. The club will include for a membership aspect as well as provision of an amenity to a wider audience catering for golf societies and the like. For more information, the team can be contacted at Mallow Golf Driving Range at 022-27894/ copsetowngolfclub@gmail.com or alternatively at jeffhowes@jhgd.com
Jeff Howes Golf Design www.jeffhowesgolfdesign.com