The owner Pat Donnellan is more famous for his achievements on the GAA field than his heroics on the golf course, although he has several All-Ireland golf medals while playing for Galway Golf Club. As he was on the famous "three-in-a-row" Galway team in 1964,65 & 66. Pat were part of that legendary team, never one to "flinch" a challenge he decided to develop this magnificent golf club only four and a half miles from Galway City. Bearna has a state of the arts clubhouse where the golfer wants for nothing. The visitor is assured of a warm welcome and memorable game of golf on this spectacular golf course.

Bearna Golf & Country Club opened for its members on Sunday March 31st 1996, as with any major project this magnificent golf course did not just happen over night. First conceived by the owners and then officially launched on October 3rd 1991. Work commenced on Wednesday August 21st 1991 when Joe Reilly from Ballina in Co. Mayo started to lay the drainage which would cover 20-miles of underground piping. Prior to the commencement of any work on site the owners had retained Bobby Brown the renowned course architect and resident professional at Laytown & Bettystown who served as Secretary of the Irish Professional Golfers Association for many years. Bobby had John Mulqueen carry out a detailed study of the terrain prior to commencing any work and John subsequently supervised the drainage development.

Bearna is located at Corboley, until recent times a solely Irish-speaking district. The name translated from Irish means “The round hill of the milking place” it derives from a hardy breed of small dark cattle which traditionally survived in this impoverished but breath-taking countryside. In times past this breed of cattle contributed to the principal commerce between Spain and the West of Ireland, the cowhides and wool were traded for Spanish wines and salt. The terrain itself was carved out 10,000 years ago during the Ice Age and every effort was made to protect its scenic topography, its flora and fauna, its native language, its social history and folk-lore indeed on my last visit traditional Irish music was being played in the lounge.

Neasa Donnellan was retained as architect for the magnificent clubhouse, which blends superbly with the wild and rouged countryside, unlike other clubhouses that come to mind. I make this statement having practiced as an architect for over 20 years in my former life well done Neasa.

Tony O’Flaherty was the contractor and the clubhouse, was officially opened by the present Taoiseach Bertie Ahern on July 28th 1998. His predicator John Bruton visited Bearna on April 13th 1996 and planted a tree just to the left of the first fairway.

The owners Sean and Michael Meade, Frank O’Gara and Pat Donnellan certainly overcame the challenge of the Connemara landscape, Granite rock, bog, gorse and heather to bring us this unique course within a 3-Iron from Galway City.