Bobby Jones Shield / L&G Open Singles

Enniscorthy Golf Club

Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Ireland

Enniscorthy Golf Club is an 18-hole, par 72 parkland course measuring 6,104 yards from the back tees, situated at Knockmarshal approximately 2.5 kilometres from the town of Enniscorthy in County Wexford. The club was founded in 1907, with the original nine-hole course believed to have been laid out in the grounds of St John's Manor before the club moved to its current location, where W.C. Pickman of Portmarnock set out a nine-hole course. Additional land was acquired in the late 1980s, enabling Eddie Hackett to expand the layout to 18 holes by adding seven new holes and remodelling the original nine to produce eleven new ones. Pat Ruddy oversaw further improvements during the 1990s, before Jeff Howes added two holes and made additional modifications in 2007. The course is mature parkland in character, with tree-lined fairways, rolling terrain, and the Blackstairs Mountains providing the backdrop. The course is maintained with the ecosystem in mind, avoiding fertilisers and insecticides harmful to the natural environment, resulting in a rich variety of flora and fauna throughout. From parts of the course, Vinegar Hill — the site of a significant engagement during the 1798 rebellion — is visible, and cannonballs from that era have reportedly been found on the grounds. The layout features an unusual structural characteristic in that back-to-back par 5s appear twice in the round, at the 4th and 5th and again at the 10th and 11th. The most demanding holes are the left-doglegging 8th and the right-doglegging 17th, rated stroke indices 2 and 1 respectively. The club has a strong competitive history, winning multiple Leinster provincial titles and five All-Ireland titles across various team competitions since 2006.