Delgany Golf Club Urgently Seeks to Retain Residential Zoning

URGENT UPDATE: Delgany Golf Club is actively fighting to keep its residential zoning in Co Wicklow, emphasizing that this status is crucial for its financial survival. Club representatives recently met with local councillors to discuss the potential dezoning of their land as part of the new Local Area Plan for Greystones and Delgany.

In a correspondence released through a Freedom of Information request, a club representative warned that without retention of this zoning, the club faces dire financial consequences. “A very small infill development could rescue us from disaster,” the representative stated, underlining the critical nature of the issue.

The golf club, which currently has a substantial bank loan, stressed that any loss in land value due to dezoning could breach its loan covenant. “If these lands are dezoned, it will significantly reduce the value of the club assets, which potentially could result in a breach of our covenant and a call-in of our loan,” the club stated in an email sent to councillors on July 4, 2025.

With the ongoing housing crisis, the club argued that the zoned lands are well-located and serviced, making their dezoning incomprehensible. “We cannot understand why they would be dezoned,” the club’s email expressed. The club has already incurred considerable costs in exploring options for these lands.

In a follow-up email dated July 14, 2025, the club highlighted the financial difficulties faced in recent years and how previous closures of nearby golf clubs—Glen of the Downs, Kilcoole, and Charlesland—had affected membership. “While we are now in a much better place, we have to manage our finances and our loan-servicing very carefully,” the email stated.

Club chairman Colm Whooley confirmed that the goal of the submission to councillors was to maintain the current zoning, which would serve as a “last resort” option for the club’s financial security. “It would be negligent of the club not to try and keep the planning it currently has,” he remarked.

Local councillor Tom Fortune, who has been involved in discussions with the golf club, indicated that he and other councillors are likely to recommend that the land remains zoned during a council meeting scheduled for Monday. He stated that the club’s rationale for retaining its residential zoning “makes sense” given the current economic climate.

The urgency of this situation is palpable as the club prepares for the upcoming council meeting, where critical decisions will be made. The Delgany Golf Club has no immediate plans to develop any part of its land for housing, but they insist on keeping their options open for future financial stability.

This ongoing situation highlights the precarious balance between local development needs and the viability of community institutions like Delgany Golf Club. As the council meeting approaches, all eyes will be on the decision-makers to see if they uphold the club’s zoning status, which could determine its future.