| On the 5th. November 1972 Lurgan golf course was the venue for the first outing of what is now known as Fruithill Golf Society. A total of 31 members and 9 visitors paid £1.50 for the round
of golf and a meal afterwards. The winner Des M'Cavana received a turkey and a bottle of champagne. |
| The society was then known as Falls Bowling and Tennis Club Golfing Society and had been formed by members of the Falls club with golfing interests. Two meetings in October 1972 had resulted in
the formation of a committee with Terry O'Neill as captain, Pat Trainor as treasurer and Eamonn Hynes secretary. Other committee members were Noel Havlin, Peter Forrester, Sean M'Cabe and Des
M'Cavana and they were later to request B Gilfedder to become president along with two vice presidents W Hopkins and G Lawless. A loss of £14.95 was sustained on this first outing and fees were
immediately increased to one pound and seventy-five pence for the next outing. |
| Over the next few months the committee organized outings and sponsorship for the coming year. The captain Terry O'Neill obtained the first trophy from the Allied Irish Bank and vice president G
Lawless donated the O'Shaughnessy Cup. Records show that two other trophies were obtained in 1973, namely the Captain's Cup and the President's Cup. Members sponsored the majority (six out of nine)
of outings in 1973, a situation that has continued throughout the history of the society. Prizes were given to winner, runner-up, front-nine, back-nine and visitors and handicap reductions were three
for winner, two for runner-up, and one for front and back-nines. |
| The first name to appear on a trophy is that of Pat Lillis who won the Allied Irish Cup at Lurgan in January 1973. He was followed in February by Tommy Hannigan who won the O'Shaughnessy Cup at
Ardglass. Noel Havlin won the first Captains Day at Lurgan in July and M Murray the Presidents Cup at Lurgan in October. Lurgan was a very prominent venue in the early days of the society. |
| The first AGM on 21st October 1973 opened with the captain's remarks and his comments on the poor attendance. A healthy bank balance of £79.43 was recorded and Noel Havlin was appointed as
the new captain. He nominated Peter Forrester as his vice captain. Secretary was Eamonn Hynes and Treasurer was Fra Murray and other committee members were Brian Bradley, Billy Shannon, and Basil
M'Laughlin. Those who have been at recent AGMs might like to know that the minutes of the first AGM take up only seventeen lines in the minute book. The year was rounded off by a formal Dinner-dance
which took place in the Greenan Lodge Hotel on November 2nd. The decision to have formal dress was taken after a vote of three against two with one abstention. |
| Thus ended the inaugural year which established many items both famous and infamous in regard to the society. From the original idea born in the "Arkle Box" in the Falls club where characters
such as Harry Bradley and Billy Hopkins surveyed the scene and plotted devilment an enduring society was built up which has contributed much to its members over the subsequent years. |
| At the end of 1999 John Glackin who played as a member in the first outing was still a member of the society. Liam Dempsey and Jim M'Cormick who played as visitors were also still members of the
society |
