Rosslare Golf Links (Old)

Rosslare Golf Club was formed in 1905 when members played on a 9-hole course behind the Iona Hotel. Twenty years later, the club moved to its present site on the strand and in 1928 their new Hawtree and Taylor designed 18-hole layout was first played on.

Six of these Old course holes were reconstructed in recent years to favourable comment from both members and visitors. A relief 12-hole course, the “Burrow”, was designed by Christy O’Conner Jnr and brought into play in 1992.

Rosslare is regarded as being the sunniest spot in Ireland and it is almost unheard of to have the course closed due to bad weather or ground conditions. The busy Rosslare port lies a few miles to the south and golfers can see many huge car ferries and container ships coming and going, their predominant destinations being the ports of Fishguard, Pembroke and Cherbourg.

The par 72, 6,786-yard Old course is a classic, old fashioned links situated on a narrow peninsula with many fine holes laid out among the wind-swept sand hills, humps and hollows that separate the mainland from the Irish Sea.

The most memorable hole on the card is the 481-yard, par four (par five for the ladies) 11th, named ‘Barber’s Pole’, which is normally played into the prevailing wind. The second shot is played blind over a red and white post in the fairway – hence the title of the hole.

Rosslare was recognised as a championship venue early in its formation when it held the Irish Close Championship in 1934. It has hosted many other tournaments since, including the Carrolls Irish Professional Matchplay in 1982.

A decision was taken in 2006 to commence a major program of reseeding to bring all the putting surfaces back to their former glory so the club is to be congratulated for maintaining high golfing standards as they set out on their second century in existence.

In 2006 a decision was taken to commence a program of reseeding to bring all the putting surfaces back to their former glory. A decade later, the club embarked on the task of replacing all the revetted faces of its many bunkers with ecobunker material, reducing the cost of labour and other resources tied up in bunker maintenance every year.