18 Hole Parkland
Course Facts: Address
The Heath
Portlaoise
Co. LaoisSecretary/Manager: Gaye Aston Captain: John Meehan Lady Captain: Marie Egan Telephone: 057-86-46533 President: Pat Doorley & Frankie Ward Public No: 057-86-46735 Vice-Captain: Joe McNamara & Marie Conlon Fax: 057-86-46866 Hon. Secretary: Christy Crawford, Dan Cooke & Marie Collins E-mail: info@theheathgc.ie Club Pro: Mark O'Boyle 0502-46622 Website: www.theheathgc.ie Hon. Treasurer: Kathleen Moore Founded: 1890 Designed by: Arthur Spring Membership: 794 Course opening hours: Daylight hours Green Fees Midweek: €20 Clubhouse opening hours: 10.30am to 11.30pm Green Fees Weekends & B.H.: €30 Mobile phones: Not on course or in clubhouse Green Fees With a Member: €15/25 Dress Code: Neat casual, no denim Green Fees For Opens: €12 Catering: Full catering facilities Practice Area: Yes Days to Avoid: Weekends Club Hire: Yes Green Fees and Societies Welcome: Other days Buggy Hire: Yes Pre-booking for open tournaments: 14 Days in advance Soft spikes: Yes
Course Description:
The Heath Golf Club has the distinction of being the 7th oldest golf club in Ireland, founded in 1889 as the Queen’s County Heath Golf Course. Golf has been played at its present location since then.Renowned for its remarkable dryness it is playable all year round; it is set in magnificent surroundings with scenic views of the rolling hills of Co. Laois.
Measuring 6,120 m off the blue tees it is a Par 71 with a standard scratch to match. The course is renowned for its rough heather and gorse furze; it is a challenge to low and high handicappers alike. Water comes into play on the 463 m Par 5 fourth, followed by the 304 meter Par 4 fifth and again on the challenging finishing hole. Its feature hole is undoubtedly the 164 meter Par 3 eleventh, known as the quarry hole.
The Heath has a magnificent clubhouse built on the site of the original racing stand, where the visitor is extended the warmest of welcomes and can relax in the comfortable surroundings.
Open & Major fixtures 2008: Event
Start
Finish
Type
Duration
No fixtures until 2009.
Club History
Instituted 1930 affiliated 1931. Although the present club was not formed until 1930, golf has been played at this location as far back as November 1889. The Heath is in fact the seventh oldest club in Ireland and was known as the Queen’s County Heath Golf Club. Viscountess Carlow presented the Emo Challenge Cup in 1891 that was played for annually by lady and gentleman members. It was also known as the Maryboro Golf Club, the pre-Treaty name for Portlaoise. Its location has not changed and the clubhouse was the Grandstand of the racecourse and the present clubhouse is in the exact same position as the old Grandstand.The first President was the Earl of Portarlington and the first Captain was Colonel Cosby. There were 73 members with three ladies on the committee in 1892.
Location
As you approach Portlaoise town from the Dublin side it is approximately 2 miles outside on your left.
Members Achievements
Brian Keenan was selected to represent Ireland at the Boys' Home Internationals played at Woodhall Spa, Lioncolnshire from 2nd to 4th August 2005.The Heath Golf Club won the J. B. Carr All-Ireland Diamond Trophy in 2000. The team was W. Bunyan, P. O'Keeffe, Fr. J. Walsh, S. Brennan, G. McCarthy, B. Hennessy, Fr. S. Kelly, D. Cook, J. Llewellyn, S. Farrell, J. Fitzpatrick and they were managed b y A. Brennan and D. McGann.
They Won the Jimmy Bruen Shield Leinster Final in 2000. The team was T. Murray, J. Delany, C. Beere, J. Fingleton, L. Horgan, B. Bohane, S. Bohane, S. Beere, L. Adams, M. Cashin. J. Phelan, J. Ireland, M. Fahy, B. Hoare and T. Fogarty they were managed by J. Keenan. They were beaten in the Final at Lahinch Golf Club
Lady Captain Catherine Reilly and her Captain's Prize winner Helen Kelly were runners-up in the last regional qualifier in the Volkswagen-Irish Independent Lady Captain's Classic at Headfort Golf Club in September 2001. Catherine playing off 8 and Helen off 13 posted a score of 38 points. They booked their place in the National Finals at Druid's Glen on the 1st of October.
Lady Captain Catherine Reilly, Captain John Arrigan and President Sean Donoghue came close to lifting the Mercedes Benz-Irish Independent Executive Trophy at the K Club on the 13th of August 2001. They returned 74 points in the National Final just one shot off the winners.
Card of the Course (metres)
Hole No Blue White Green Par Index Red Par Index 1 471 450 442 5 16 388 5 12 2 168 160 150 3 12 155 3 18 3 365 350 339 4 4 287 4 4 4 463 458 452 5 10 364 5 10 5 304 286 286 4 14 284 4 6 6 376 359 332 4 6 279 4 14 7 376 347 341 4 8 284 4 8 8 383 351 330 4 2 290 4 2 9 172 167 148 3 18 134 3 16 Out 3,078 2,928 2,820 36 2,465 36 10 349 341 330 4 7 313 4 3 11 164 158 132 3 17 119 3 17 12 361 341 332 4 13 300 4 13 13 399 388 381 4 1 373 5 15 14 360 352 346 4 9 315 4 5 15 379 367 344 4 3 318 4 1 16 496 496 473 5 15 420 5 9 17 179 155 145 3 11 130 3 11 18 355 345 335 4 5 301 4 7 In 3,042 2,929 2,818 35 2,589 36 Total 6,120 5,857 5,638 71 5,504 72 SSS 71 70 69 72
Men's Course Record: Am. 66 Des Morgan (2) Mullingar G. C.
Ladies Course Record: 68 Evelyn Hearn (4) Waterford G. C.
Roll of Honour Mrs. T. Crehan 1990 Ladies Captain Mrs. M. Harte 1990 Ladies President E. Price 1990 Men's Captain T. Devane 1990 President Miss M. Croke 1991 Ladies Captain Mrs. B. Corcoran 1991 Ladies President B. Devaney 1991 Men's Captain T. Devane 1991 President Mrs. M. Tyrrell 1992 Ladies Captain Mrs. K. Conroy 1992 Ladies President K. O'Rourke 1992 Men's Captain D. McGann 1992 President Mrs. W. Brennan 1993 Ladies Captain Mrs. M. Quigley 1993 Ladies President P. Lillis 1993 Men's Captain D. McGann 1993 President Mrs. B. Corcoran 1994 Ladies Captain Mrs. R. McNamara 1994 Ladies President R. McGowan 1994 Men's Captain P. J. Murphy 1994 President Mrs. A. Doolan 1995 Ladies Captain Mrs. R. Arrigan 1995 Ladies President J. P. Cahillane 1995 Men's Captain P. J. Murphy 1995 President Mrs. M. Harte 1996 Ladies Captain Mrs. P. O'Brien 1996 Ladies President P. J. Doorley 1996 Men's Captain P. Kelly 1996 President Dr. G. M. Nolan 1997 Ladies Captain Mrs. G. O'Connor 1997 Ladies President J. Mulligan 1997 Men's Captain P. Kelly 1997 President Mrs. J. O'Rourke 1998 Ladies Captain Miss M. Croke 1998 Ladies President T. F. Conway 1998 Men's Captain Dr. J. R. O'Sullivan 1998 President Mrs. K. Treacy 1999 Ladies Captain Mrs. M. Mills 1999 Ladies President Mr. P. Doolan 1999 Men's Captain Dr. j. R. O'Sullivan 1999 President Mrs E Fingleton 2000 Ladies Captain Mrs. M. Ryan 2000 Ladies President Mr. Coleman Young 2000 Men's Captain Mr. Sean Donoghue 2000 President Miss Catherine Reilly 2001 Ladies Captain Ms. A. Phelan 2001 Ladies President Mr. John Arrigan 2001 Men's Captain Sean Donoghue 2001 President Bernie Aldritt 2002 Ladies Captain Mary McNamara 2002 Ladies President Pat O'Keeffe 2002 Men's Captain Kevin O'Rourke 2002 President Phil O'Brien 2003 Ladies Captain M. O'Callaghan 2003 Ladies President Michael Brody 2003 Men's Captain Tom Tyrrell 2003 President Marion Mills 2004 Ladies Captain J. O'Rourke 2004 Ladies President John Fox 2004 Men's Captain Rory Culliton 2004 President Breda Keating 2005 Ladies Captain Mary Tyrrell 2005 Ladies President Alex Cleland 2005 Men's Captain Liam Adams 2005 President Maria Delaney 2006 Ladies Captain Anne Doolan 2006 Ladies President Pat Malone 2006 Men's Captain Ray McGowan 2006 President Caroline Delany 2007 Ladies Captain Nuala Arrigan 2007 Ladies President Larry Dunne 2007 Men's Captain J. P. Cahillane 2007 President Catherine Reilly (6) 2008 Lowest Ladies Handicap Brian Keenan (0) 2008 Lowest Men's Handicap Gareth Dillon 2008 Lowest Men's Handicap
Major Prize Winners Name Year Prize Kathleen O'Dowd 2000 Lady Captain's Prize Helen Kelly 2000 Ladies Club Champion Helen Kelly 2001 Ladies Club Champion Catherine Reilly 2002 Lady President's Prize Mary Ryan 2004 Lady President's Prize Maria Delaney 2005 Lady Captain's Prize John Fox Jnr. 2005 President's Prize Mary Malone 2005 Lady President's Prize
Holes-in-One Person Date Hole No. Club Used Distance Alec Bland 9 August 1999 2nd 3 iron 176 m P. Keenan 5 September 1999 11th 158 m John Meehan 30 September 2001 2nd 176 m
Recommended Adjacent Accommodation, Food & Drink for Golf, Business and Pleasure Click on the Links below for more information and company web-sites. Top Quality Hotels
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19th Hole
Other Sites of Interest
The Heritage-Portlaoise Monaincha House Castletown House Nulty's Cottages Self Catering The Heritage-Portlaoise The Heritage-Portlaoise Supershot Heritage at Killenard Coolawowle Country House Garoon House Coolawowle Self-Catering Tonlegee House & Restaurant Grellan Delaney & Sons Battlefield Live Castle Durrow Ballaghmore House Lemon Tree Restaurant The Gandon Inn Birr Equestrian Centre The Avalon Inn Treacy's Bar & Restaurant Kavanagh's Pub Monaincha House & Health Spa Abbeyleix Manor Hotel The Gandon Inn Ramsbottom's Bar The Gandon Inn Egan's Bar Pedigree Corner Peig's Bar Sally Gardens Treacy's Bar & Restaurant The Four Courts Bar