Dunmurry Golf Club elect first woman as President in the 119 year history of the club.

Words by Dunmurry Golf Club member Eithne McIlroy

Dunmurry Golf Club was founded in 1905 on the outskirts of Belfast by a group of leading industrialists and businessmen, with a Ladies Section formed in 1922. 

A popular club in South Belfast with 608 men, 155 women and a thriving junior section, the club voted at the AGM in 2022 to adopt Golf Ireland's One Club Model and a management committee was formed in 2023 

The One Club Model Framework brings together the men’s and women’s clubs or sections to form a single administrative structure for club golf, ensuring both games are treated fairly and equally. This also guarantees that the rights and entitlements of members are determined by membership category and not by gender.

As part of Dunmurry's outworkings of the One Club Model the club agreed to rotate the office of President between the men and women and Mrs Chris Simpson, pictured above with outgoing President Mr Andy Sproule, was elected at the AGM on the 15th January 2024. 

newly elected men's captain Steve Davis and the lady captain Diane Bigger with Tom Millar on the left,the Chair of our Management Committee.
Tom Millar, Chair of our Management Committee, newly elected Lady Captian Diane Bigger, new President Chris Simpson and Men's Captain Steve Davis

Mrs Chris Simpson has been an active and dedicated member of Dunmurry Golf Club for almost 43 years. In this time, she has served on various committees for many years in a range of roles, including Hon Secretary, and handicap secretary and was appointed Lady Captain in 1994. An active player and captain in interclub teams, she led the Minor Cup team to the All Ireland Finals on two occasions. 

When the 7-day membership became available to women, Chris was one of a small number of women who took up the opportunity and she was elected onto the Council where she served for five years.

Not only that, Chris was an integral part of the working group that was involved with establishing the One Club Model and became an elected member of the management committee in 2023. 

A retired GP, Chris is devoted to her children and grandchildren, having sadly lost her husband in 2022, and spends her time when not playing golf gardening, and doing needlework and handicrafts. 

To find out more about the Golf Ireland One Club Model, please visit their website here.