Fermoy Golf Club Course Review

Fermoy Golf Club Course Review

GF €25-€30
Par 70, 5,568 metres
Slope 135
GM Verdict A country hillside gem sweeping through the pines
Favourite Hole The SI1 13th descends sharply from the tee and then rises to a green just in sight

Exuberant is not a word often used to describe a golf course… but then you probably haven’t played Fermoy. Situated half an hour north of Cork and so not a million miles from Top 100 golf courses' favourite Old Head, this is joyful, unpretentious and exhilarating golf, set on a hilltop. There is a freedom to the design that flows through the pines and promises one enjoyable shot after another.

At 317 metres, with a green benched into an upslope and fully on show beyond a lazy dip, the 1st is a delicious start. It’s a drive that makes you want to open your shoulders and rip into it. There are many such tee shots here and the trees stay far enough back to allow you to swing freely.

The club dates back over 125 years, and it has resided on Corrin Hill, above Fermoy town, since 1972. The front nine start on almost level terrain and get more angled as the holes progress.

There may be no great climbing, with holes weaving easily through the trees, but that changes fast.

The back nine are where it all changes and the 10th tee makes that abundantly clear. Straight downhill, you drive at distant views and then get a good look at several of the holes to come, on your right, as you descend to the green. The slopes here are more severe and they call for stances that may not be level. This is compounded by a sharp gully that runs across the hillside, practically slicing the Index 1 13th in two. The course also has flashes of heathland which adds extra colour to the occasion.

The greens are uncomplicated affairs and are nearly always accessible thanks in part to the low number of bunkers (27). Overall, Fermoy is a charming and exceptional value round of golf and yet, laid out on such shapely terrain, it is not easy by any means.

You might even thank the storms of recent years which felled over 1,000 trees. There are plenty left to flank fairways but the new airiness works in Fermoy’s favour and helps you breathe more easily.