Dun Laoghaire Golf Club (Upper & Middle)

Dun Laoghaire Golf Club was known as Kingstown Golf Club in 1910 and original club members played on a 9-hole course laid out at Eglinton Park and Highthorn. This layout quickly grew to 18 holes before Harry Colt was called in around 1918 to make the most of a very tight tract of land that extended to less than 80 acres.

Developments also continued off the course with the club changing its name to Dun Laoghaire (Kingstown) in 1922 then Kingstown was dropped from the title completely in 1951.

Half a century would pass before Dun Laoghaire members were presented with the opportunity to cash in on the housing boom by selling their course to a property developer and decamping to a new location.

And so, in the same Royal Marine Hotel where members had formed the club 93 years before, an historic decision was taken in 2002 to move to a 320-acre site at Ballyman Glen.

Five more years of intense construction ensued before the club’s new 27-hole golf complex opened for play.

Three sets of nine holes now fan out from the new clubhouse – the Upper circuit offers magnificent views of the surrounding landscape, the Middle course plays toughest of all three loops and the Lower layout brings water into play on many of the fairways.

The 39th Curtis Cup Match between Great Britain & Ireland and the United States of America was played at Dun Laoghaire in 2016, with the home side winning 11½ to 8½, thanks in no small part to England’s Bronte Law coming out on top in each of her five games played.

Tied 3-3 after the first day’s play, Team GB&I collected 5 of the 6 points available on the second day to lead 8-4. Despite losing the singles matches 4½ to 3½ on the last day, the Great Britain & Ireland team held on for a convincing overall victory.