West Waterford Golf Club, Co. Waterford

In 1990, a plan was made to turn 150 acres of farmland into a golf course which would become called West Waterford Golf Club. The course was designed by the Irish golf architect, Eddie Hackett. Opening in 1993, it became another point of the Dungarvan Golf Triangle.

West Waterford Golf Club 001 - The beautiful 11th hole at West Waterford Golf Club — The beautiful 11th hole at West Waterford Golf Club

The golf course has produced some great golfers, such as the two touring professionals Seamus Power and Gary Hurley. 2022 marked a new stage in the life of the golf club, having been purchased by the members off the family who originally owned it. I found myself in Dungarvan and close to West Waterford, so I had to pop in and play it.

West Waterford Golf Club 002 - Teeing off on one of the holes in West Waterford Golf Club — Teeing off on one of the holes in West Waterford Golf Club

Below is my review of West Waterford Golf Club.

Course layout (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆☆)

West Waterford Golf Club is an 18-hole, par 72 course. On the course there are 4 par 5’s, 4 par 3’s, and the remainder are par 4’s.

Like any golf course, there are highlights to the round in the form of exciting golf holes. West Waterford has an abundance of these. Nicely mixed in with some holes where you can relax and enjoy a bit of breathing space between the clusters of more difficult holes, it gives you a great mix of feeling under pressure and then a bit of calmness.

West Waterford Golf Club 003 - Quickly in the round you are introduced to the fact that strategy will be important around the golf course — Quickly in the round you are introduced to the fact that strategy will be important around the golf course

Par 3’s

The par 3’s are good holes. The first one you come to is protected by a stream on the side and can be a nervy tee-shot. Another notable par is the 11^th hole. When you stand on the tee box and look down into the green, it’s hard not to focus on the beautiful pond on the left of the green. It takes a good brave shot to go at a pin that’s tucked behind that pond!

West Waterford Golf Club 004 - The pond on 11 draws your focus when you stand on the tee box — The pond on 11 draws your focus when you stand on the tee box

Par 4’s

There is a good mix of strategic holes, and straight forward holes in the par 4’s. The 2^nd and 3^rd holes are both doglegs where you probably won’t be hitting driver off the tee to make sure you don’t run out of room.

West Waterford Golf Club 005 - On the dogleg holes you need to know your distances to avoid running out of room — On the dogleg holes you need to know your distances to avoid running out of room

There is a bit of a lull on the 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th where they seem very similar holes. But with trees and bunker placements they all play differently. You can still hit driver and open up the shoulders on them. With some of the holes coming up it’s no harm to have a couple of easier holes!

West Waterford Golf Club 006 - Some of the easier par 4's still have dangers like the fairway bunkers on the 8th — Some of the easier par 4’s still have dangers like the fairway bunkers on the 8th

Holes 12, 14, and 15 are beautiful holes! Probably the highlight of the round for me. With a great use of streams crossing the fairways, and tight tee shots, these holes are a great challenge!

West Waterford Golf Club 007 - The tee shot on 14 looks very narrow and daunting from the tee box — The tee shot on 14 looks very narrow and daunting from the tee box

Par 5’s

The par 5’s are good birdie chances, and you can have a go at them. With two out of the last three holes being par 5’s you have a good chance to polish up the scorecard at the end of the round. However, don’t get too confident on them, as you can still get punished if not careful!

Course condition (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆)

The course was in immaculate condition on the day that I played it. Greens were beautiful and fast and the roll was fantastic on all putts. They were the ideal green for me.

West Waterford Golf Club 009 - The greens rolled beautifully on the day — The greens rolled beautifully on the day

Fairways were beautiful and even though they weren’t striped they were great to hit from. They were cut evenly and there was no rough patches or badly mown areas on them.

West Waterford Golf Club 010 - Even though the fairways werent striped they still played very nicely — Even though the fairways weren’t striped they still played very nicely

Bunkers and other hazards were good and clean. Bunkers had a good amount of sand, and they were raked well.

West Waterford Golf Club 011 - Bunkers were maintained well and good to play from — Bunkers were maintained well and good to play from

Overall, the course was clean and tidy and presented well. The tee signage was informative too and gave lots of information for someone playing the course for the first time.

West Waterford Golf Club 012 - The tee box signage was very informative for a person playing the course for the first time — The tee box signage was very informative for a person playing the course for the first time

Facilities (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆☆)

At the moment there is some renovation work happening in the clubhouse but it’s not affecting the daily running of the place. The club have done a good job by finding a balance between getting upgrade work done and keeping the club functioning fully. Upstairs in the club there is a bar and restaurant, and downstairs is the pro-shop, and changing rooms.

West Waterford Golf Club 013 - The clubhouse which has a bar and restaurant upstairs — The clubhouse which has a bar and restaurant upstairs

Outside the clubhouse is where you will find the putting green. To get to the practice area you will have to take a little bit of a walk down a path and it may be a bit tricky to find.

West Waterford Golf Club 014 - The putting green located close to the clubhouse — The putting green located close to the clubhouse

Price (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

The cost for 18 holes in West Waterford Golf Club is €25-€30 from April to October and €20-€25 for the rest of the year.

For the rates to play the course please click here.

Setting & Course location (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆☆)

The course is located about ten minute drive from Dungarvan town on the Cork side.

For the location on Google Maps please click here.

Conclusion

West Waterford Golf Club is a beautiful course to play. The mix of holes, where you require some good strategic planning, to just hitting driver as far you can, allow you to have a good test yet at the same time just relax and enjoy the course.

West Waterford Golf Club 015 - Streams crossing some of the fairways mean you need to plan your shots carefully — Streams crossing some of the fairways mean you need to plan your shots carefully

Even though there are a few hills on the course, you never really feel tired or worn out at any stage and golfers of all ages and fitness levels can enjoy the course easily. West Waterford Golf Club is a course I enjoyed immensely, and I would recommend anyone looking to play it to go ahead and do so!