Additional information
| Author(s) | Gibson, Lt. Colonel William H. |
|---|---|
| Dustwrapper | |
| Irish Interest | |
| Pages | |
| Year of Publication |
Our Golfing Demesne – Castle Golf Club 1913 – 2013
Castle Golf Club, located in Rathfarnham, Dublin, is one of Ireland’s oldest and finest parkland golf courses. The club was established in 1913, with its inaugural meeting held at the Hotel Ivanhoe in Harcourt Street. The original course layout was designed by Cecil Barcroft, W.C. Pickeman, and Tom Hood, with later updates by the renowned golf architect Harry S. Colt in 1918.
The club was initially developed by a building firm, Bailey & Gibson, who acquired the estate of Rathfarnham Castle in 1912. The club was sold to its members in 1918 after the castle was sold to the Jesuit Order in 1913. The official opening of Castle Golf Club took place on 26 June 1915, shortly after which the club hosted a golfing tournament for professional golfers in aid of the Red Cross and was won by Michael Moran who perished three years later in the Great War.
The celebrated golf architect Harry S. Colt updated the course design in 1918, and his work remained largely unchanged for over 80 years (apart from some tweaking by Eddie Hackett c. 1989) until renovations in 2001-2002 by Jeff Howes but with a view to maintaining the characteristics of the Colt design. In 2007 Jeff Howes also constructed a six hole par three course known as the Valley Course.
Castle Golf Club is known for its challenging layout. The course is a par 70 parkland course, stretching 6,270 yards. It features two loops of nine holes, with a demanding finish that includes two par fives played back-to-back near the end of the round. The club hosts the annual Father and Son competition which dates back to 1961 and has held numerous professional events including the Dunlop and Uniroyal tournaments.
The signature holes are: The 529-yard par five 16th hole and continuing the three-shot theme the 17th hole is 500-yard par five and together with the 411-yard par four 18th hole provides a tough finishing stretch. The club has seen various developments over the years, including the reconstruction of all eighteen greens to USGA sand-based standards in 1999 and the extension and refurbishment of the clubhouse in 2000-2002.
