Powerscourt (West)

The West Course at Powerscourt Golf Club is one of two sublime courses that the Powerscourt Estate has to offer. 

 

The estate dates back to the 13th Century, but it was as late as 1996 when golf started to be played at Powerscourt. 

 

The West Course is even younger, only opening in 2003, making it one of the youngest courses on the NCG Top 100s: Ireland list. With a mix of links and parkland holes, David McLay Kidd’s design will test golfers of all abilities.  

 

  

Visit Powerscourt's website here. 

Go back to the NCG's Top 100s Homepage. 

 

The Powerscourt Estate has more than 800 years of history, but it was only in the 1990s that golf was brought to the venue. 

 

That followed a major fire at Powerscourt House in 1974. Twenty years later, the house was restored, and opened to the public once again in 1997. 

 

A year prior to the House opening, the Slazenger Course was opened. Designed by Peter McEvoy, it was the first course to be built at Powerscourt. 

 

It would soon become known as the East Course, as the second course – the West Course – was opened in 2003, designed by acclaimed golf course designer David McLay Kidd.  
 

Kidd’s design of the West Course at Powerscourt has brought links holes and parkland holes together to create an 18-hole layout with a sublime mix. Views of the Irish Sea and Sugarloaf Mountain, along with trees that have been around for centuries, just add to the character of the course. At 7,000 yards, it is a proper test of golfing ability from the tips, and there are plenty of hazards to be wary of. 

 

The opening hole is one of two par 5s that push the 600-yard mark. Playing as a dog-leg right, there is a wide landing zone, but only the very longest of hitters will be able to reach the 1st green with their second shots. The 2nd is a long par 3, of 215 yards. That’s not all, as there is water on the right side of the green to avoid with your tee shot. Both the 3rd and 5th are gentle par 4s, the latter of which is only 330 yards. Both play as dog-leg right par 4s, and both offer birdie chances. In between is the tough 4th, playing more than 450 yards from the tips. A tricky dog-leg left with trees down the left side. A par on 4 is a great score. 

 

6 and 11 are the two short par 3s on the West Course at Powerscourt. The 6th is 165 yards, and plays over a stream and sand trap, The 11th is just a few yards longer, played to a triangular green with a pair of bunkers guarding it. Three par 4s and a par 5 separate them, with the 7th being the longest of those at 540 yards. A dog-leg from right to left, and with a stream dissecting the fairway around 120 yards out, it is a hole for the planner.

 

8 is another dog-leg left, a par 4, before the 9th features a water hazard on the left side of the fairway. The water runs up to the front of the green, so it must be carried with the approach. The back nine begins with another par 4, with a stream in front of the green and trees behind. Club selection is vital on the approach shot. Following the par 3 11th, there are four consecutive par 4s, all of which offer different challenges.

 

12 and 14 both play as dog-legs to the right. The 12th has three greenside bunkers, while there are six traps in total on the 14th, four of which are on the right side of the fairway for anyone thinking of cutting the corner. 13 is the longest of the four par 4s at 430 yards, while the 15th is the shortest and most accessible. At just 360 yards, this is a birdie chance late in the round, but the approach must be exact to a small green, thanks to the trees on the left side. 

 

Par 5, Par 3, Par 5. That’s your finish on the West Course at Powerscourt. The 16th is the longest hole on the course at 595 yards from the tips. You cannot see the green from the tee, as it winds its way around the trees, playing as a dog-leg left. Four bunkers in the landing zone off the tee, three in the lay-up area after your second and one greenside bunker, along with the forest on your left, there is plenty to avoid down 16.

 

The penultimate hole is the second par 3 on the West of more than 200 yards. There is no water to contend with, just three greenside bunkers. The course finishes with the tough par 5 18th. There is a wide landing area for the drive, but from there, things get difficult. Water is on the left side of the hole for the last 150 yards or so, and anything pulled with find it on your approach. Take a par and run in for a drink! 
 

Where is Powerscourt Golf Club located?  
Powerscourt Golf Club is located in the Powerscourt Estate, which sits just a few miles inland from the eastern coast of Ireland. The venue is in County Wicklow, and just five miles by road from the centre of Bray. The venue is in the shadows of the Wicklow Mountains National Park, and is also just an hour’s drive from Dublin. 

 

Bray is home to the nearest train station to Powerscourt Golf Club, five miles to the east of the venue, and situated on the Irish Sea coastline. The station sits on the line between Dublin Connolly and Rosslare, down the east coast of the country. For international visitors to the region, Dublin Airport is the biggest and busiest international airport in Ireland. Located on the northern side of the Irish capital, Dublin Airport is around an hour from Powerscourt.

 

How many courses are at Powerscourt Golf Club?
Powerscourt Golf Club is home to two great inland layouts - the West Course and the East Course.

 

Are there any other NCG Top 100s: Ireland venues nearby?
Thanks to its location just south of the Irish capital, there is a plethora of cracking golf courses in the region. Druids Glen, The European, Royal Dublin, Jameson Links, Portmarnock, Corballis Links, The Island and Carton House's Montgomerie Course are all within 30 miles of Powerscourt.

What golf facilities does Powerscourt Golf Club offer?  
Along with the East and West Courses, Powerscourt is also home to a large, state-of-the-art driving range, which sits just outside the clubhouse, and inside the East Course. There are target greens to aim at, and the range is sheltered to allow for practice in all conditions. There are also two putting greens, one by the driving range and one by the 1st tee of the West Course.  

What are the green fees at Powerscourt Golf Club?  
The price of a green fee at Powerscourt Golf Club changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend.  

 

For more information on current green fees at Powerscourt, visit their website here. 

 

  

Visit Powerscourt's website here. 

Go back to the NCG's Top 100s Homepage.