They had considered naming it the Golden Vale GC, which would have been highly appropriate, given that the president hails from Cappawhite, Co Tipperary. But in deference to the local community, they opted for the Links at Union Vale, which happens to be situated in Dutchess County, 60 miles north of New York City.
Earlier this month, the opening of the first nine holes was a source of considerable pride and excitement among the members. And the full 18 will be in play by June 16th, with a $2 million clubhouse scheduled for completion by the autumn.
"It's the first time I heard of this being done," said Tom Dunnan, manager of handicapping and course rating for the Metropolitan Golf Association (MGA) of New York. He is not the only one to be impressed by a venture which has raised quite a few eyebrows, inside and outside the Irish community in the area.
It all started in 1996, with the formation of the Irish Golf Association (IGA) of New York. The idea was to have a representative body for the seven larger Irish golf clubs in Westchester County.
These would be a bit like golfing societies in this country, but with the crucial difference of having access to handicaps from the MGA. Indeed there are up to 18 such courses in the New York area with a largely Irish membership.
In local parlance, they are without real estate, which means that they exist only through having access to the numerous municipal courses, where they stage their twice-monthly outings. As many as 38 per cent of the MGA courses are public, 18-hole facilities, but the percentage is considerably lower in the Westchester area.
All of which led to serious problems in getting suitable tee-times. "Shortly after we formed our association, I proposed that we should buy land and build our own golf course," said Phil O'Meara, president of the IGA. "But it wasn't as easy as it sounds.
"Irish people don't find themselves out here because they happen to have inherited the family farm. They work hard for their money and they don't part with it easily."
But O'Meara, who emigrated to New York 37 years ago, sounds like a persuasive sort. And he would have made many useful contacts through the successful sub-contracting business which he owns.
In the event, he and some golfing friends came across an ideal site of 200 acres which they bought in July 1997 for $600,000. "It was considered to be a good purchase," said the Tipperaryman in the sort of tone which suggested he knew they had got themselves a real bargain.
The project was funded by 500 members, each of whom bought a share in the venture at prices ranging from an initial $10,000 to an eventual $15,000. About 170 of them came from the seven clubs in the IGA - roughly half its overall membership - and from that solid foundation, others followed. And with some places being taken by the local community in Union Vale, a fund of $5.3 million was raised.
"It went better than I anticipated," said O'Meara. Indeed they were up and running within a year of the land purchase.
In a way, it was reminiscent of the burgeoning days of golf in the US when, during the 1920s, it was quite common for groups of individuals to form private clubs and construct courses which would be rated among the finest in the world. But these pioneers would have been wealthy land owners or successful industrialists - a far cry from a group of Irish immigrants. And they did it at a time when land was readily available.
Having hired the L A Group of Saratoga Springs, New York to locate a suitable site, O'Meara then commissioned them to find suitable architects. They came up with Stephen Kay, who proceeded to design the course along with his chief associate, Doug Smith, who, I understand, is currently on holiday in Ireland.
Though a 200-acre site would be considered generous for an 18-hole golf course, it contains about 30 acres of wetlands. In the event, O'Meara and his colleagues were determined to come up with a strong layout. At 6,839 yards off the back tees, they appear to have succeeded.
"When I describe this project to other people, they look somewhat incredulous," said Kay. "And my reaction is: `This is really the great American story."'
Because of strong winds in the area, it was decided to make the fairways a generous 45 yards wide. And the former pastureland has a generous number of mature trees as design features.
"I'm not a great golfer by any means, but the general feeling was that we should build a course capable of staging a prominent event, if the occasion arose," said O'Meara. In that context, it may prove to be an ideal site for the representative matches between the GUI and the MGA at some future time. Started on an annual basis, the fixture has now become biennial and has been staged in this country on the links terrain of Waterville, Portmarnock Links and Royal Dublin.
As I have pointed out, the IGA Membership Corporation, which owns the Links at Union Vale, is controlled entirely by native-born Irish. Tom Fitzgerald from Co Louth is the vice-president and the other directors are the treasurer Tony Brady, who is also a Louthman and the secretary, Dermot McGahern, from Co Longford.
Then there is Pat Costigan, a former member of Thurles GC, who was co-chairman of the IGA golf course committee. "Pat did a really great job," enthused O'Meara. For good measure, the resident professional, Ciaran Carr, is a native of Drogheda and played Gaelic football with Meath as a youngster.
There is already a waiting list at the club, which is hardly surprising, given the splendid deal the members have secured. Most other private clubs in the area have entrance fees ranging from $25,000 to $50,000 and with annual subscriptions in the region of $12,000.
From the early years of the last century, Ireland's contribution to the growth of American golf was essentially through some outstanding professionals. Players like Patrick Corcoran, Johnny McDermott, Tom MacNamara, Mike Brady and the O'Hare brothers Pat and Peter from Greenore, became legendary figures in the United States.
More recently, a consortium of businessmen from the Winged Foot club in New York and headed by Jay Connolly, became the present owners of Waterville GC. And before their arrival here, an enduring friendship between the two clubs had been established by the former Winged Foot professional Claude Harmon, who introduced his golfing sons to the delights of links golf at the Co Kerry venue.
Meanwhile, for O'Meara and his friends, there will no longer be the chore of drafting a schedule of outings for the year and wondering whether some public course can meet their needs. They are now a fully-fledged club in their own right, ready to take their place among some of the most prominent establishments in the US.
It is truly a remarkable achievement. And it represents an exciting new chapter in the ongoing story of golfing brotherhood, which has linked Ireland and the US for more than 100 years.
