History of Sandfield Pitch and Putt

Michael Allsop Course History, Sandfield Pitch and Putt News

Do you remember this view of Sandfield Pitch and Putt back in the mid 1980’s and can you help us to build a history of Sandfield Pitch and Putt course so we can create a page on our website?

History of Sandfield Pitch and Putt
John (Sean) Connaughton Opening Sandfield Pitch and Putt

Do you have any old photos, stories, memories or historical information about Sandfield Pitch and Putt under the previous ownership of John ‘Sean’ Connaughton (1983-2002) or Tom Finn (2002-2021)?

We would like to build and document a history of Sandfield Pitch and Putt and create a history page on our website to commemorate the course and it previous owners from its creation in the mid 1980’s through to the current day.

If you have any photos of the course or people, stories or memories you are willing to share or have any historical documentation, paper cutting and/or information about its history please contact us on 087 161 4343 or email to: sandfieldpitchandputt@gmail.com

Hole in One Heaven

Michael Allsop Holes in One, Leaderboard, Stories ,

There must have been something in the water here at Sandfield Pitch and Putt this week! As July is turning out to be a a Hole in One Heaven, with 3 quick fire aces in the last few days.

Rachel Irwin started the hole in one heaven week on Saturday. Being the first player to ace the 16th Hole this season.

On Tuesday this was quickly followed up with two players getting Holes in One. First up on Tuesday was Tijs ven Eyjen. Visiting from Belgium he got his hole in one on the new 12th Hole with a classy shot. A shot that i was lucky enough to witness. This was quickly followed up when amazingly in the next group on the course Joanna McAdam got a Hole in One on the course favourite 14th Hole. Both players being the first to record Holes in One on these holes this season.

Here are the happy players after their great shots and well done to all of them:

Hole in One Heaven Post
Rachel Irwin
Hole in One Heaven Post
Tijs van Eyjen
Hole in One Heaven Post
Joanna McAdam

Can you get on the Hole in One Leaderboard for the 2024 season? Checkout all the players who have aced a hole this season by clicking here.

2023-2024 Fantasy Results

Michael Allsop Sandfield Pitch and Putt News
2023-2024 Fantasy Results

So the Premier League Season is finally over and with it the Sandfield Pitch and Putt 2023-2024 Fantasy Results have been decided..

2023-2024 Fantasy PL Results

In the Sandfield Pitch & Putt League we had a dominant performance by Paul Doherty and his team ‘fnshsna’ who managed to pull off a fantastic League and Cup Double that Pep Guardiola would have been proud of. Noel Gallagher finished runner up in the League with Donnacha Power coming in a close third.

Prizes for this year are:

League Winner PAUL DOHERTY gets a Free Round Voucher for up to 4 people or 4 Individual Rounds.

Second Place NOEL GALLAGHER gets 2 Free Round Vouchers.

Third Place DONNACHA POWER gets 1 Free Round Voucher.

The Cup Winner PAUL DOHERTY gets another Free Round Voucher.

The Monthly winners below, including ties, get a Free Round Voucher.

  • August – LEE McCABE
  • September – BRENDAN McGETTIGAN
  • October – CHARLIE QUIGLEY
  • November – EOIN O’DONNELL
  • December – DONNACHA POWER
  • January – TERRY TRAYNOR & AISLING WHITE (Tied)
  • February – JAMES SHOVELIN
  • March – JONATHAN SOAMES
  • April – JAMES STUART
  • May – SENAN O’DONNELL

Congratulations to all our winners, please make yourself known to a member of our staff in the Course Cabin to claim your prize.

Note: *Free Round Voucher includes Club Hire and 1 Golf Ball. **All prizes must be redeemed in 2024 Season and there is no cash alternative.

Thank you to everyone who took part in this seasons competition and we look forward to welcoming everybody to Sandfield Pitch and Putt in the coming months. You can find our opening days and time by clicking here.

The full list of finishing positions in the Sandfield Pitch and Putt Fantasy Premier League can be found by clicking here.

Make sure to watch out for next seasons competition.

2023 Loyalty Card Draw

Michael Allsop Sandfield Pitch and Putt News

Please find the details of the 2023 Loyalty Card Draw made by Noreen on 2nd May.

Each Winner will receive a FREE* Round to start the 2024 Season plus 6 Titleist Pro v1 ‘hit me again’ Golf Balls.

2023 Loyalty Card Draw Winners:

OLLIE ROLLAND
JAKE DORAN
TADHG EARLEY
NIGEL MAXWELL
FRANK DORRIAN
BARRY GALLAGHER
*Free Round includes Club Hire but excludes Golf Balls.

Winners can claim your prize in the Cabin on your first visit of the 2024 Season.

2023 Loyalty Card Draw

Sandfield Pitch and Putt Loyalty Cards are available free to any of our Patrons and give you a ‘free round’ after every 5 full price rounds, that is a 20% saving on the price of each of your 5 paid rounds.
If you did not have a Loyalty Card last year make sure to ask for your Sandfield Pitch and Putt Loyalty on your first visit this season.
Note: Loyalty Card offer applies to the current season only and cannot be carried over to a future season.

Click here for more details on Sandfield pitch and Putt Loyalty Cards

Course Update 2nd May

Michael Allsop Course Updates, Sandfield Pitch and Putt News

Welcome to the course update as of 2nd May 2024

We are pleased to announce that the course will open for he 2024 Season on Friday, 3rd May at 1pm, with the last tee off time being 7pm.

Due to the very wet winter we have had to dig a major new drain running from 3rd hole and down the 4th Hole fairway then across the front of the 14th hole to the open drain. This has caused some damage to the surfaces on those holes. In addition, we have suffered serious Badger problems this winter and a number of greens have been badly damaged and are not 100% repaired yet. The effected greens are the 1st, 14th and 15th Greens. The newly re-seeded green on the 8th Hole unfortunately died over winter mainly due to the extremely wet conditions. We have had to re-seeded again and will not be available for opening. We are looking at potential temporary hole locations but this might prove difficult. There is also badger digging damage to a number of fairways.

On a brighter note we are starting to transition to the ‘new’ course layout and the 1st of 3 new holes on the hill around the lake will be available for the opening day of 2024 Season. This will be the new 12th hole replacing the existing one. This will allow us to start work on potentially creating a new raised peninsular green for the 11th hole. We will start to build an exciting new semi-island green on the site of the old 12th green with the tee for being situated high on the hill around the lake and we hope this new hole will start to challenge the current 14th Hole as the favourite with our players. We hope this hole and the 2 new holes on the hill around the lake will be fully operational for the 2025 Season.

The 13th Tee has been moved to the left of the open drain and will now work on creating a new 13th green behind the existing one. Potentially making the hole 20 meters longer.

We have also replaced more of the old Rubber Mat Tees with the new AstroTurf mat layouts. The holes with the new full Tee layouts are 5th, 6th ,7th, 8th, 9th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th Holes. We aim to add the new Tee layouts to 3rd, 4th, 10th and 11th before the end of the season.

We look forward to seeing all our existing and any new first time customers during the 2024 Season.

Course Update 14th March 2024

Michael Allsop Course Updates, Sandfield Pitch and Putt News

The is the Sandfield Pitch and Putt Course update for 14th March 2024.

We are very sorry to announce that the course will NOT be open in time for Easter this year.

Following the persistent and heavy rain since September the course remains very wet and waterlogged in places. We are currently pulling new drains to try and get the course dry.

Once again we have suffered some serious animal damage to some greens that will need repairing and some dry growing time to get them repaired.

Course Update 14th March
Course Update 14th March

Please check back regularly for updates on the potential opening date for the 2024 season.

2023 Season Closing Date

Michael Allsop Course Updates, Sandfield Pitch and Putt News

The closing date for the 2023 Season will be from Tuesday, 26th September 2023.

We would like to thank all our Patrons and visitors who have played Sandfield Pitch and Putt this year. We hope you have enjoyed your days here.

It has been a tough year. Both from weather wise perspective in what has been a record wet year. Also with the various challenges we have faced in preparing and maintaining the course. We look forward to delivering new challenges and new holes in the coming years as well as upgrading the facilities here at Sandfield.

2023 Season Closing Date

Check back on our website and the Opening Times page for details of the opening date for the 2024 Season. You can also check us out on out Instagram and Facebook pages.

2023 Season Closing Date – Tuesday 26th September

Leaderboard Update 17th August 2023

Michael Allsop Leaderboard, Sandfield Pitch and Putt News ,

A Busy day on the Sandfield Pitch and Putt Leaderboard yesterday and here is the update for 17th August.
We have a new low score of 5 under par 49, recorded by Manus Friel with 6 Birdies and 1 Bogey. He was part of a very competitive and low scoring 3-Ball along with John Friel posting 53 (1 Under Par) and Darragh Friel 57

Congratulations to Manus who now heads our Leaderboard.

Leaderboard Update 17th August


Unrelated this was followed by a personal low score of 51 for Paul Whelan bettering his previous best of 53.

Congratulations to Paul.

Can you get on our next Leaderboard update post? Check it out to see all the lowest scores and Holes in One on our website at https://www.sandfieldpitchandputt.ie/leaderboard/

Leaderboard update 17th August.

Time Out Podcast Interview

Michael Allsop Sandfield Pitch and Putt News, Timeout Podcast

Sandfield Pitch and Putt was pleased to welcome Tony McGettigan from the Time Out Podcast to do an interview with owner Michael Allsop on 8th July 2023.

Time Out Podcast Interview
Click above to Listen to the Interview

Time Out Podcast Interview – Episode 80

“Michael Allsop hails from Nottinghamshire in England. His wife hails from Ardara. In the spring of 2021, they re-opened Sandfield pitch and putt in Ardara as the new owners.  Michael tells the story of how this came to be,  buying the piece of property from the now late Tom Finn.  We look back on the course’s early history as well, which dates back to 1983. Michael has exciting plans for the future of Sandfield pitch and putt which he and his family run.  He talks about the cost to play a round, best scores submitted and famous names to have stopped by for a round. I hope you enjoy the interview.” — Tony McGettigan.

In order for you to find out a bit more about us, the course and our plans for the future. We recommend you listen to the interview to you.

Do you have a favourite hole at Sandfield Pitch and Putt?

Record your preference by clicking here and vote for your favourite Sandfield Pitch and Putt hole.