Rosslare Golf Links (Old Course)

Hawtree and Taylor by the Sea

The Old Course at Rosslare Golf Links traces its origins to 1905. After the club settled into a nine-hole layout, it acquired more land in 1925 and commissioned Hawtree and Taylor. Play on their new 18-hole links began in August 1926, followed by the official opening in June 1928.

The course occupies a narrow peninsula of sandy ridges between the Irish Sea and Wexford Harbour. Seven holes run beside the coast before the routing turns inland, where several holes travel back across parallel ground. The terrain is relatively level, yet run-offs, natural undulations, pot bunkers, and blind shots prevent it from feeling straightforward. Firm turf and changing coastal wind can alter both club selection and the preferred line.

Rosslare earned national attention early, hosting the Irish Close Championship in 1934. Henry Cotton later praised the 13th, whose raised green gives the approach a distinctive target. The club also staged the Carroll's Irish Professional Matchplay in 1982, adding to the course's competitive history.