Late Richard "Dick" Mather - creator of Bodenstown - mourned by Irish golf
Richard "Dick" Mather
Irish golf is in mourning for the late Richard "Dick" Mather, who created 36 holes at Bodenstown Golf Club in County Kildare.
A low-key figure, he gave reasonably priced golf on one of the best parkland courses in the country to thousands of people who might never have played otherwise as it was nearly impossible to gain membership of a golf club near Dublin in the 1970s.
He was one of the earliest private creators of golf courses and clubs in the modern era, paving the way for Carton House, Druids Glen, Adare, Fota Ireland, The K Club and so many more.
“Apart from the golf, none of those managed a better post-game Irish stew or more delectable apple tart and cream than did Richard and his wife Rita,” recalled Pat Ruddy, owner and creator of The European Club in Co Wicklow.
“As it often is when a leader of men creates waves, a great dynamic is stimulated and so it was that members of Bodenstown ventured forth to establish new clubs at Beech Park, Craddockstown and Castlewarden.”
A tireless dreamer, his other golf activities included course building with the lovely Ballymascanlon House Hotel course in Dundalk an example of the work done by him and his son Richard to a design by Ruddy and Tom Craddock.
Father and son lived in and worked from a caravan on site when he could have been leading the life of a lord at home but his creative core kept him indefatigably active.
The first 18 opened at Bodenstown in 1973 and the club expanded to 36 holes a decade later at a time when Portmarnock and Ballybunion were doing the same.
Sadly, Bodenstown fell victim to the economic crash a few years ago.
