When a decision was taken by the Sean Lemass led government in the early 1960’s to relocate the Garda Training College to McCan Barracks in Templemore as part of its decentralisation policy, there was great excitement amongst the business community as the announcement was set to have a great impact on the local economy.
Templemore Town Council also formed an amenities committee to provide facilities for the students during their stay in Templemore. One such facility suggested was a Pitch and Putt course in the Town Park. And so began the life of Templemore Pitch and Club ( later renamed Lakeside). The club opened to the public for the first time on the 16th of July 1965.
The original founding members were Bill Purcell, Jim Kelly, Seamus McDonnell, Denis Sampson, Jack Sage, Tom Shortt, John Mitchell and Paddy Ryan. The course flourished initially but the opening of Templemore Golf Club had a severe impact on the game in the town. The club struggled during the early to mid seventies but the late seventies to early eighties heralded a new dawn with eighteen new greens and a clubhouse added. The club thrived from then on with sprinkler systems, bunkers, machinery, sheds and many other developments carried out over the years.
The club came to national attention in 1989 when it hosted the Blue Riband event of the Pitch and Putt calendar – the National Matchplay Championships. Since then Lakeside has hosted numerous County, Provincial and National Championships including the National Matchplay again in 2015.
On the playing front the club have had many successes at all levels while they have also been represented at the highest administrative levels on the National Executive. To mark their 50th anniversary in 2015 the club compiled a book detailing its history which covers all aspects of life at the club during that time. Entitled “ A Chip, a Putt and a Plus” the book can be found at Templemore Library.
