Bunclody Golf & Fishing Club

Bunclody Golf & Fishing Club is a Championship 18-hole parkland course set across 300 acres of the former Hall-Dare Estate on the Carlow-Wexford border, running over 7,000 yards along the banks of the River Slaney. Designed by Jeff Howes and opened in March 2009, it has been ranked among the top 21 parkland courses in Ireland and voted the Best Hidden Gem in Ireland. The course offers a diversity of holes rarely found in a single layout. The signature 16th, the Index 1 hole, plays over 400 yards from a tee box perched on the riverbank. An accurate drive through mature pines — ideally with a slight draw to avoid fairway bunkers — sets up a demanding mid-to-long iron approach to a green partly surrounded by the River Slaney. A par here is a result to remember. The closing stretch is equally dramatic. An elevator carries you five floors up from the 17th to the 18th tee, offering a bird's-eye view over the river before you play the final hole. Rated 4.7 by Hole19 golfers, with over 100 reviews on the platform.