Southeast Swing

Faithlegg is situated on a small peninsula formed near the meeting of the rivers Suir and Barrow, and Patrick Merrigan has designed a challenging golf course on the grounds of the former estate, the house of which has been extensively renovated into a renowened hotel. All of Merrigan's hallmarks are here - strategic bunkering, judicious use of the 5 natural lakes, and contoured, slick greens - amongst the fastest in Ireland. The relatively short championship course distance of 6,666 yards cannot be underestimated, this is a course requiring careful plotting and accurate shotmaking to survive to the greens, and nerve and skill to manage the extremely fast putting surfaces. 2020 saw the completion of a major investment in the course overseen by Karl Mullen - Faithlegg may well deserve a higher ranking.

Tramore golf course was opened at the present site in 1939 having been foced by weather events to abandon the nine hole links near the Back Strand. Always progressive, the course developed until 2005 when urban expansion demanded a revamp and Jeff Howes was engaged to implement an ambitious plan to upgrade the existing course and add 9 new holes. The result is todays Old Course - 18 holes of the finest quality knitted together to provide a complete golfing challenge with variety, naturally attractive surroundings and even some terrain changes where the elevated ground has a true heathland feel. Tramore opens well with five holes of terrific interest, there's a lull then with some nonetheless very playable holes back to the clubhouse at #11 before heading back out to a terrific finishing stretch. Local knowledge or a caddy are useful at Tramore as there is always a preferred location to hit tee-shots.

Bunclody is another Peter McEvoy design coming after his efforts as co-collaborator on Fota Island, The Heritage and designer of New Forest. Here we have another old Anglo-Irish estate this time the Hall-Dare estate set by the banks of the River Slaney as it flows southward towards Wexford Town. The river, magnificent specimen trees and elevation changes are the canvas McEvoy used to create his latest masterpiece. Indeed it would not be overbold to suggest that Bunclody features one of the finest finishes in Irish golf a stretch of 5 holes along the River Slaney starting with the elevated tee on hole #14 which provides a magnificent view of the river setting. Hole #16 is a gently doglegging long par-4 with the river waiting all down the left side while #18 is a par-5 that is everything required of a finishing hole, a par-5 that offers a chance to make up a score but equally penal for the overcautious. All in all it is hard to overlook Bunclody when based in Kilkenny.

The course at Carlow was first laid out in 1922 on a wild deer park attached to the Bruen family's Oak Park Estate. The esteemed design duo of Tom Simpson and Molly Gourlay (renowned for her work on par-3s) altered the course in 1937 and this is what is still played today. Carlow's four par-3s are fine examples of Gourlay's work while the longer holes feature an interesting mix of longer, straighter holes and several excellent doglegs. Irish legend Christy O'Connor Snr. regarded hole #16 as the finest sixteenth in Ireland. The course features small, slick greens that are always true and provide a real test of short game imagination and skill. For traditionalists (like us) Carlow surely ranks as the number one southeast golf course for providing a true and proper test on a solidly designed golf course.