Golf club reveals plans for a move

The site of the proposed club house would include a car park and a house for the head green keeper, along with 18 apartments and six new townhouses.

The plans appear to show that there will be an entry to the small housing estate on the Kilmore Road where a section of the old wall was demolished on Good Friday.

However, Lurgan Golf Club’s Billy Bateman said there was nothing definite about the plans.

“We are doing the thing that any good club or business would do, and that is to explore all opportunities,” he said.

“As a club we will always try to live within our budget. These plans are not definite.”

He continued: “In terms of a hitting area for the players, I would hope that would be going strong by next year.

“But the academy is part of a longer plan, and I would imagine we could be looking at something like five years. We have been here since 1892, and we always think long-term.”

Earlier this month the DoE placed a protection order on all remaining trees on the northern side of Johnston’s Demense, where the proposed new club house and dwellings are meant to be constructed.

“In terms of plans that we have, there’s only one tree in that area which would come under that order, and we will accomdate that in our plans.

“I think it’s an oak tree, and it would certainly not be our intention to take it down.

“There has been a focus on the trees that have been taken down. Most of those were larch trees.

“We are a golf club, so we will naturally be planting more trees as we go along.”