Nenagh - Tipperary - Ireland

Nenagh Golf Club has been very astute over the years in employing a number of top class golf course architects in the design of their golf course. First, they used the services of the legendary Scotsman Alister MacKenzie, who laid out a 9-hole course in 1929. Then the renowned Eddie Hackett extended the course to 18 holes in 1973. Finally, Patrick Merrigan – who has been consulted on over a hundred Irish golf course developments since 1988 – upgraded the course to include new USGA standard greens in 2001.

This revamp of the course met with universal approval from both members and visitors who are all appreciative of the new putting surfaces as well as the challenging bunkers and tree-lined fairways which severely test the abilities of all golfers. The Nenagh course is also very lucky to be located in the undulating, free-draining Beechwood hills which provide firm and fast fairways that are playable all year round – a real bonus for an inland course. 

The 6,600-yard Nenagh layout is set in over one hundred and fifty acres of parkland and has the classic configuration of two par threes and two par fives on both the inward and outward half. The most difficult hole on the front nine is the 426-yard 5th, a left doglegged par four where the ideal tee shot will be placed to the right of the fairway, allowing a long approach to a large, sloping green. On the back nine, the 396-yard par four 18th is another tough left dogleg, where the approach must avoid trees to the left and bunkers to the right of the green – par the last and head happily to the 19th.