Powerscourt Golf Club (East)

Fifteen years ago, County Wicklow was a golfing wilderness and the travelling golfer would pass the county by in a rush to play Kerry's charming delights. Today, there are four outstanding golfing facilities: Rathsallagh, Druids Glen, The European Club and Powerscourt. In fact, there is enough action going on at the celebrated Powerscourt Estate to keep the golfer and the non-golfer happy for days. There's the historic Powerscourt House, the Italian and Japanese gardens, the Pepper Pot Tower - they've even got their own garden centre and waterfall, which tumbles 600 feet down the mountainside.

The original East course at Powerscourt opened for play in 1996, designed by former Walker Cup Captain Peter McEvoy. A mere two years after Powerscourt opened, Padraig Harrington won the Irish PGA Championship and in 2001, it was the venue for the AIB European Senior Tour. Needless to say, the East course is a serious test, especially from the championship tees, which stretch out beyond 7,000 yards. McEvoy has worked with the natural contours of this mature and historic landscape in an harmonious and sympathetic way. There is nothing manufactured, except perhaps for a couple of water features, and we'll forgive him for that.

The most striking features of the course, with the exception of its magnificent location beneath the Sugarloaf Mountain, are the amazing contoured greens. Their shapes are simply extraordinary and worthy of the green fee in their own right.

Powerscourt has recently added a second course to the portfolio – the West. Like the East course, the West offers a variety of challenging holes and it presents an alternative perspective on the stunning Powerscourt scenery. This parkland course has some links characteristics and David McLay Kidd designed it with top class tournaments in mind, although golfers of all abilities will enjoy it. This recent addition surely makes Powerscourt one of the most desirable golfing destinations in the east of Ireland.