Foxrock Golf Club 1893-1993

Foxrock Golf Club was founded in 1893, making it one of the oldest golf courses in Ireland. It was situated a few minutes’ walk from the Stillorgan and Foxrock stations of the Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway Company (which later become the Dublin and South Eastern Railway and the Great Southern Railway (1925), the train originated from Harcourt Street. In 1927 the clubhouse was partially gutted by a fire which the fire brigade extinguished at a cost of £34-17-6.

Located in the quiet suburb of Foxrock village in Dublin, its original 9-hole course was laid out by a well-known golf professional named Brown and later redesigned in 1914 by the legendary golf architect Harry Shapland Colt. Colt’s redesign has stood the test of time, offering a challenging yet beautiful parkland course. Coincidentally Charles Hugh Alison was Secretary of the Foxrock G.C. in 1908 and would subsequently would serve an internship with Colt before they joined forces after WWI to form Colt, MacKenzie and Alison. Alison was obviously making noticeable improvements to the course while he was working there and before Colt came on board to do the redesign. Harry Shapland Colt, known for his work on famous courses like Pine Valley, Royal County Down, and Royal Portrush, played a significant role in shaping Foxrock Golf Club.

Even though it is a nine hole course it has been considered as a difficult course to score on, at least by Patrick Campbell even if they weren’t sure exactly why. Foxrock Golf Club has seen various developments over the years, including the recent addition of a new Short Game Academy area and new bunkers on the third and fourth holes. The golf course land only came into the freehold possession of the club in 1983.

Foxrock Golf Club features a 9-hole parkland course with views eastwards to the Dublin and Wicklow mountains. The course includes several sets of tees on each hole, allowing for different playing experiences. The course is known for its elevated greens, which demand accurate approach play. In 1988 a developer offered the club a land swap together with developing a new course on the land but this was turned down.

Foxrock Golf Club is a private members’ club, with a long history of dedicated members and a strong sense of tradition. Notable members include John O’Leary, who joined as a junior member in the 1960s and went on to win the Irish Open and Ryder Cup honours. Mungo Park, an Open Champion, served as the club’s professional in 1894. Other notable members include James Lindsay Crabbe, Florence Walker-Leigh, Pat Fletcher (nee Sherlock) and Mrs Harry Hall. The club has also had a notable list of members who excelled in the own particular fields including: Samuel Beckett, Sir Horace Plunkett, William Orpen, Sir Andrew Horne and Patrick Campbell to name but a few.