Clubhouse
Introduction
In May 1920 the club bought the Summerfield Estate at Dundonald for the pricely sum of £10,946 and three pence. Summerfield was a family estate, owned by the Gordon family who were wealthy County Down landowners. The Gordons also set up a local banking empire which was later to become the Northern Bank.
The Estate consisted of a 200 year old Georgian style house, out-houses, stabling, walled gardens, greenhouses and around 80 acres of farmland. Buying a country estate was one thing but turning it into a golf course using only horsepower and manual labour was another.
The land needed a considerable amount of work, hedges had to be cleared, earth moved, greens, tees and bunkers built. Outbuildings had to be demolished while water, electricity and a crude form of central heating were installed in the clubhouse.
It took many years and much negotiation before a much needed extra eleven and a half acres were leased from the Hospitals Authority in the 1950's, this allowed the course to presented as it is today.
