Waterford

Established in 1912, Waterford Golf Club overlooks the city of Waterford from the north bank of the River Suir, where eighteen fairways are laid out across hilly terrain. The original 9-hole layout was designed by Willie Park Jr., laid out on 47 acres of leased land, and this course lasted until additional land was acquired, enabling James Braid to add another nine holes in 1935.

“This is a simply designed, shortish and very effective parkland course that you’ll enjoy the whole way round,” writes Kevin Markham in Hooked: an amateur’s guide to the golf courses of Ireland. “The holes occasionally go back and forth, but you don’t notice as they are well separated by lines of mature evergreen, hawthorn, oak and more recently planted varieties.”

Measuring 5,636 yards from the back tees and playing to a par of 71 (34 out and 37 in), Waterford isn’t long by any means, with all four par five holes measuring less than 470 yards. Highlight holes include the short par fours at the 2nd and 17th, along with the 370-metre closing hole which plunges from the tee box to a barely visible fairway before heading to the home green.