Fortwilliam GC - Course and Clubhouse Improvement

Aim

Building a stronger future for the sport of golf and the community by enhancing our course and modernising our clubhouse.

Who are we?

Fortwilliam Golf Club has been part of North Belfast since 1891, making us one of the city’s oldest sporting institutions. Nestled beneath the iconic Cavehill, our course offers stunning views down to Belfast Lough and is the only 18-hole golf course in North Belfast.

We are proud to be more than just a golf club – we are a community hub. Alongside our 800+ members, we host 1,500 visitors from golfing societies, corporate visitors, and local community groups playing over 25,000 rounds of golf per year. Our facilities have supported everything from bridge clubs to yoga classes, from children’s birthday parties to milestone celebrations.

With a history stretching over 130 years, our goal is to keep improving the club for the next generation – ensuring our course, clubhouse, and community spaces remain vibrant and welcoming.

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Why are we crowdfunding?

Our project directly aligns with the aims of the Sport NI 'Olympic Legacy Fund'. By modernising and enhancing facilities both on our golf course and within our clubhouse, we are improving the quality and accessibility of community sport in North Belfast. The redevelopment of our 15th hole will enhance year-round playability and safety for golfers of all ages, while the refurbishment of our Shaftesbury Room will reopen a vital community space for the golf club, the community and social activity.

These improvements will not only encourage greater participation in golf and physical activity but will also ensure a lasting legacy for our members, visitors, and the wider community – echoing the inspiration of Northern Ireland’s athletes at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

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We are raising £50,000 to deliver two essential projects that will transform both our course and our clubhouse:

[1] The 15th Hole Redevelopment
Our 15th hole sits at the lowest point of our course and is regularly waterlogged, making it difficult to play for much of the year and results in a large portion of the course being closed over winter. In addition, boundary concerns mean stray shots can cause frustration for our neighbours and raise safety issues.

• We plan to install a modern drainage system throughout the hole to clear water away from the playing surface.
• We will realign the hole into a 'dogleg' layout to accommodate the fairway being further away from our boundary line and carry out significant tree planting.
• This will not only make the hole playable year-round encouraging more members out all year, but will also improve player safety throughout wet weather, reduce neighbour concerns, and create a new signature hole for the course.

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[2] The Shaftesbury Function Room Refurbishment
Our clubhouse was built in the 1960s, and while it remains in daily use, our Shaftesbury Room is now unfit for purpose.

• Ageing single glazed windows let in water and draughts, making the room cold and unusable. Water ingress is now impacting on the functionality and safety of the space, further to this during heavy rainfall there is water penetration to the restaurant below which impacts on the overall ability of the club to operate effectively.
• In the past, this space was a popular venue for birthday parties, christenings, bridge club meetings, painting classes, and yoga sessions.
• By refurbishing it, we can reopen the room as a welcoming community function space for both members and the wider North Belfast community.

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Together, these two projects represent a step change in how Fortwilliam Golf Club serves its members, neighbours, and community.

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How we’ll spend the money raised

We are committed to being fully transparent about how your donations will be used. (NOTE: FGC is VAT Registered, therefore all VAT will be reclaimed to be within the £50k usable funding limits)

Total Target: £50,000 (Ex VAT)

15th Hole drainage & realignment – £25,000 Ex VAT

• [£17,800] - Full drainage installation including primary/secondary pipes & gravel banding. 
• [£1,200] - New fairway bunker
• [£2,500] - Fencing, boundary protection
• [£2,100] - Extended and realigned Tee Box
• [£5,300] - Tree removal, planting and new fairway seeding
• [£1,100] - Extended path network over water

Shaftesbury Function Room refurbishment – £25,000 Ex VAT

• [£25,000] - Double Glazed window units and doors

Every pound pledged goes directly to these projects – helping us to invest in facilities that will benefit our members, visitors, and local community for decades to come.

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Community impact and legacy

Your support will make a lasting difference not just to golfers, but to the wider Belfast Golf sporting community:

• Better and safer golf course – A redesigned and better drained 15th hole will improve safety, neighbour relations, and year-round playability for all, while significantly improving our overall delivery of golf for members and visitors.
• Revived community function space – A refurbished Shaftesbury Room will reopen opportunities for local community classes (yoga, arts, bridge club etc), family celebrations and wider public use of the club as a community hub
• Local economic benefit – More visitors and societies mean more business for our catering, bar, and local suppliers.

Fortwilliam Golf Club has always been about more than golf – it’s about bringing people together. This campaign ensures we can keep doing that for the next generation. Our chosen projects will modernise our facilities, inspire more people to take part in sport and physical activity, and secure Fortwilliam’s role as a community asset for generations to come. 

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How you can help

Make a pledge: Every donation helps us hit our target and ensure the development of a clubhouse and course fit for the next generation.

Spread the word: Share this campaign with friends, family, and colleagues. Thanks to all of our contributors.

Thanks to all of our supporters!

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made