County Kildare is located in the Mid-East region of Ireland and it’s one of the most prosperous areas in the country. Land locked by six other counties in the province of Leinster, Kildare is probably best known in sporting circles for its horse racing and breeding as it boasts three major racecourses, numerous stud farms and Goff’s equine auction house.

On the golfing front, 20 clubs are affiliated to the Golf Union of Ireland via its Leinster Branch and two of these – the K Club at Straffan and Carton House in Maynooth – operate a pair of premier parkland courses with all four of these 18-hole layouts featuring prominently in the Top 50 rankings of Irish golf courses.

The Curragh is one of the most historically important clubs in Ireland as its course, dating back to 1852, is regarded as the oldest in the country. The club itself celebrated its centenary in 1983 making it the second oldest in the land (after Royal Belfast). However, the Curragh's historian established in 2013 that the club was actually founded in 1858.