Roscrea

Formed in 1892, Roscrea Golf Club moved to its present location at Derryvale in 1911. It’s not known who designed the original 9-hole course but this layout lasted for almost a century, until the purchase of an additional 40 acres allowed Arthur Spring to fashion a remodelled 18-hole course in time for the club’s centenary celebrations in 1992.

In Kevin Markham’s book Hooked: an amateur’s guide to the golf courses of Ireland the author writes: “trees define the course and these fall into a number of categories: big evergreens dominate the interior of the course; beeches dominate the 2nd to the 6th; and semi-mature varieties stretch around the new holes. It’s a combination that works gloriously.”

The course measures 5,862 metres from the back tees, playing to a par of 71. Highlight holes include short par fours at the 1st, 6th , 16th and 18th, along with the water-laden par three 4th. The 403-metre 13th is a tight, left doglegging par four that demands two big hits to get near the green in regulation – it’s a hole that’s well worth a stroke index 1 rating.