Leixlip Golf Course, a nine-hole course on the edge of the N4 in west Dublin, is to be offered for sale by tender on March 3rd. Itis likely to make around£1.7 million, according to Paul Collins, of agents Hamilton Osborne King. The six-year-old course is currently producing an income of £175,000 from green fees and membership contributions. The facility was developed by brothers Sean and Eddie McKone, who once ran a large house-building firm in Dublin. Whoever buys the course will be able to capitalise on a newly agreed zoning for four detached houses on the edge of the course. HOK has put a value of £125,000 on each of the sites, which are located in an old orchard behind a high, cut-stone wall. Clubhouse facilities are provided in a range of attractive two-storey cut-stone farm buildings, which have been fitted out to a particularly high specification. The original large Georgian house on the land, Cooldrinagh, has been restored and enlarged and is now run as Becketts, a country house hotel operated by businessman John O'Byrne, owner of Dobbins Bistro, in Dublin. The hotel is named after Samuel Beckett's family, who lived in the house at one stage.
The 10-bedroom hotel, together with its modern restaurant which has huge bay windows overlooking the golf course, attract a stream of customers, many of them executives and staff from the giant computer companies, Intel and Hewlett Packard. The owners of the golf course have seen their business expand rapidly over the past three years because of the continued growth of employment and housing in west Dublin and north Kildare.
The McKones have restricted membership to 150 golfers, who paid £1,500 on joining. However, the new owners will be free to adopt their own policy on membership and should have no difficulty in enlisting several hundred members, if they so wish. The two other clubs in the area, Hermitage and Lucan, are closed to new members.
Designed by Eddie Hackett, the Leixlip course is located in a parkland setting running down to the River Liffey. The land is naturally free draining and the tees and greens are sand based to provide a top-class surface.
A computerised irrigation and drainage system has been installed to allow the course to be used throughout the year. Even last week, when many inland courses were waterlogged, Leixlip was playing host to a group of golfers. An additional six tee-boxes, which will bring the par to 72, are under construction at the moment to introduce a greater variety for those playing 18 holes.
Who will buy the course?
Paul Collins says it may be bought either by the owner of an existing course, a sporting organisation or private investors.
