Charlesland GC is to be leased to its members in a arrangement unprecedented in Irish golf from a financial standpoint. The deal, which has been overwhelmingly approved at an extraordinary general meeting, is thought to be worth £400,000 a year to the Evans family, the owners of the club.

As a proprietary development in Greystones, where Eddie Hackett was course designer, the club was officially opened in 1992 and affiliated to the GUI and ILGU a year later. Since then its membership has grown to 700.

Effectively, the annual cost of the lease, which is expected to run for 45 years, is roughly the same as the income from members' subscriptions. It is likely that part of the course/clubhouse deal, however, will involve a maintenance contract with the owners.

The overall arrangement will give the members control of their own destiny. And it is equally attractive for the owners who ventured into golf largely because of the restrictions imposed by EU quotas on their earning potential as farmers. Lance Evans is currently club manager while his brother Clive is course superintendent.

It is expected the deal will be completed in time for the start of the new golfing season.