The European Institute of Golf Course Architects was greatly saddened this week to hear of the death of Christy O’Connor Jnr.

Christy receiving his Senior Membership Certificate from former EIGCA President, David Krause.

As well as being a highly successful and popular professional golfer, with seventeen tour victories during his career, Christy O’Connor Jnr was also a well-respected golf course architect and Senior Member of the EIGCA.

Christy began his golf course design career in 1986, creating a nine hole course at Haarlemmermeersche Golf Club in The Netherlands. Over the next twenty years he built up an impressive portfolio of courses working in Ireland, France, Portugal, Hungary and the Caribbean. He was most prolific in his home country of Ireland, where he designed or co-designed eighteen courses. Perhaps a mark of the quality of his work is that thirteen of these are rated in the Top 100 Courses of Ireland.

Tom Mackenzie, EIGCA President, said: “I was saddened to hear that our friend and colleague Christy O’Connor Jnr has passed away. Christy has been a valued member of the EIGCA for the last 6 years and we will miss him greatly. Professional golfers do not always make great golf course architects but Christy was an exception. His talent, enthusiasm and dedication to the sport made him one of the most prolific architects of recent years and his loss will be mourned by the whole of the golf industry.”

“I am sure that we will take time out to remember Christy and his contribution to our profession at our Annual Meeting in Belfast this coming April. All of us at the European Institute of Golf Course Architects send our thoughts and prayers to the O’Connor family at this difficult time”.