There were 206 clubs in the country back then. There are now 417. The growth by province has been: Connacht up 27 to 41, Leinster 67 to 162, Munster 41 to 89, and Ulster 71 to 125.

There were 25,675 registered golfers then. This has risen to 195,270 males, but there are a great many more not registered.

The GUI total budget in 1957 was £4,905.11. The secretary was paid £650. The income for 2005 was 7.4 million which included 2.7 million surplus from the sale of the old headquarters at Glencar House and 2.6 million raised to fund the move to Carton House. The "normal" income ran about 2 million. Today's administration costs are just above 1 million per annum.

In 1958 there were five clubs who failed to pay dues:

Balbriggan, Bunclody, Coollattin, Moate and Barley Cove. Two of those no longer exist while non-payment of dues does not arise now as the computerised handicap system has had the predictable effect of producing a perfect census each year.

Back then, the GUI was the guardian, patron, friend of the Irish Professional Golfer's Association which received a grant of £300 and ran on an overall budget of £1,409.72 with an impressive purse of £475 for the Hennessy event.

Impressive growth for the game. But golf is still miniscule compared to the GAA, of course, although the future seems bright.