Course History

Links at Donnelly’s Hollow played often by Archibald William Montgomerie, Earl of Eglinton, and Lt Col William Campbell (Queen’s Bays Regt)

Curragh Military Camp constructed at same time as Aldershot and Shorncliff Military Camps

David Ritchie leaves a gutta percha golf ball with stating “Straffan, Co. Kildare This ball was played by me in a match with the late Alexander Love on the Links near Donnelly’s, Curragh on July 15th 1857”

Eglinton returned to play golf at the Curragh on regular occasions with John Gourlay (Musselburgh ball maker) and officers of the Lanark Militia – who “have got up a Golf Club”.

The 91st Highlanders arrived to the Curragh in September 1875 and Maj Alexander Cunningham Bruce documented his memories of the Earl of Eglinton and Lt Col Campbell playing golf at the Curragh in 1852. He described the course layout – this is the first known description in Irish golf history.

The Curragh Golf Club is ‘resurrected by the 71st Highland Light Infantry

Course relocated at East end of Camp by Colonel Hammersley and Major Close

Curragh GC course location shown on Ordnance Survey map for first time. The area of Cavalry Camp is now clear of buildings (present 1st and 2nd fairways). The ‘Pavilion’ was the Clubhouse until 1912.

Royal Curragh Golf Club pavilion constructed and course layout changed in 1912 at new location near the ‘Cricket Ground’. The course included Donnelly’s Hollow as the 15th hole.

During the Irish War of Independence 1919-1921 the Curragh Camp was ringed with barbed wire and the Royal Curragh GC pavilion was isolated from the golf course.

Tom Travers, professional at Dun Laoghaire Golf Club redesigned the course, which remained largely unchanged until 2007

Commander Harris visited the Curragh Golf Club by invitation and proposed some “sand traps and minor modifications” to a number of holes on the course.

New course layout was designed by Patrick Merrigan, with the aim of obviating hitting across roads (health and safety considerations). The work was carried out by Fanning Golf. Five new sand based greens were constructed for new 8th 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th holes.