Golfing in the Glenns – The Story of Birr Golf Club 1893-2003

Birr (formerly Kings County and Ormond) Golf Club was founded as a nine-hole course in 1893. The club was initially established at Barrone Court (two and half miles from Parsonstown) near Birr, where golf was first played on the grounds of the Marshall estate. The driving force behind the venture was William Kennedy Marshall and his wife who had heard about the sport from the regiment stationed at Crinkle Barracks. Baronne Court was situated close to the village of Riverstown and the course was on about 40 acres.

In 1909, the club moved to its current location at the Glenns, leasing 114 statute acres of land from the Earl of Rosse, the president of the club, for a nominal fee of one shilling a year. The Baronne Court was too far from town to attract substantial numbers and was heavily waterlogged during the winter months. The stone from the foundation of the Baronne Court would eventually be used to build the retaining walls and piers at the entrance to the new clubhouse in the forties. The Glenns was on the Rosse Estate, which contains Birr Castle, was once the stronghold of the O’Carrolls, later becoming the home for the Parsons (Birr was formerly called Parsonstown) before coming the family home of the Earl of Rosse who were pioneers of astronomy and photography. The land on which the course was built was eminently suitable for building a golf course and the glacial topography simulated the landscape more associated with links golf.

The club had by 1911 set out their intentions to develop 18-holes at the Glenns. Cecil Barcroft, who designed the nine-hole course in the Glenns, was of the opinion that eighteen holes would be unsustainable but, despite this, there was overcrowding on the course and the green light was given for the 18-holes but it isn’t clear who designed the additional holes. John McAllister is known to have supervised reconstruction work in 1932. In 1992 the club purchased the freehold to the land from the Rosse Estate. Over the years, the course has evolved, with significant redesigns by renowned golf architect Eddie Connaughton in the early 2000s where additional land allowed for the creation of three new holes while redesigning others. The course has always been quite difficult whether because of the tight landing areas of the “devilishly contoured greens” and the front nine would have one of the top slope ratings in the country. Joe Carr benefitted from a 3-to-1 bet on a sub-par round when he went round in 66.

Birr Golf Club has been home to several accomplished golfers, including Richie Coughlan, who played in the Walker Cup in 1997, and Justin Kehoe, the 2001 South of Ireland Champion. Joe Lyons, the 2007 West of Ireland champion, also played his early golf at the club and his father was a senior cup player. The club has hosted the Midland Boys Championship since 1969, the Irish Women’s Amateur Open Championship and Irish Boys Amateur Championship.