One of the country’s most celebrated golf clubs, Lahinch, last year enjoyed a record operating surplus of €2m as green fee income soared.

In his report to members for the club’s 2022 annual general meeting (AGM), Chairperson of Lahinch Golf Club John Gleeson states that 2022 “was a record financial year for the  club”.

The club recorded the bumper surplus on the back of green fees tripling from €1m to €3.05m, topping €3m for the first time in the club’s history.

Newly crowned US Masters winner Jon Rahm won the highly successful Dubai Duty Free Irish Open staged at Lahinch in 2019, which raised the course's international profile.

US golfers usually make up a sizeable chunk of the green fee income where it will cost non-member golfers €275 for a round at Lahinch’s ‘Old Course’ during high season from next Monday, April 17 to the end of September this year.

In his 2022 chairperson’s report to members, Mr Gleeson says: “These unprecedented results have allowed us to rebuild our finances that, not only secures our future, but facilitates the funding of a number of key capital projects that are necessary to keep us at the forefront of not just Irish golf,  but world golf.”

Mr Gleeson said: “2022 was an excellent year for our great club with activity at record levels after two turbulent years of the Covid pandemic.”

 “It was a record financial year for the club with profits of €1.2m after depreciation of €818,737 giving an operational surplus of €2.02m.”

Mr Gleeson stated that while the club will see a reduction in the number of overseas visitors to the golf course in 2023, to facilitate additional tee times for members, green fee income is still expected to be around €2.7m. The €3.05m in green fee income along with €1.1m in members’ subs contributed to overall revenues increasing by 93pc from €2.56m to €4.94m.

The club is forecasting an operating surplus of €707,276 for 2023 based on total income of €4.5m, entrance fees of €300,000 and expenditure of €4.11m.

At the end of 2022, the golf club’s equity had increased to €8.74m, made up of €6.74m in accumulated funds and €2m in a contingency fund.