Golf Near Edenderry: 9 Courses from the Doorstep to the K Club

Offaly is quietly good for golf. You are in the middle of the country on sandy, well-drained inland ground, which means courses that play through the winter when heavier parkland turns to soup — and green fees that will not make you wince. Then, thirty-five minutes east, you have one of the best resort courses in Europe.

Here are nine courses within reach of Edenderry, starting at the front door and working outwards.

On the doorstep

Edenderry Golf Club — 3 km, 8 minutes

Your local. A mature parkland course three kilometres from the town centre, tree-lined and generous enough off the tee to be enjoyable rather than punishing. It is a members' club with a friendly attitude to visitors, and it is the obvious choice if you want eighteen holes without building a day around it. Ring ahead to check visitor times.

Highfield Golf Club, Carbury — about 15 minutes

Just over the Kildare border near Carbury, and the other course you can play without committing to a drive. Parkland, well kept, and handy enough to combine with a walk up to Carbury Castle afterwards.

Castle Barna, Daingean — about 20 minutes

Along the canal towards Tullamore, Castle Barna is a parkland course on the banks of the Grand Canal with a relaxed, unstuffy feel. Good value and a pleasant place to spend an afternoon.

Worth the drive

Esker Hills, Tullamore — about 40 minutes

The best course in the county and the most interesting golf in the midlands. Six kilometres north-west of Tullamore, Esker Hills was designed by Christy O'Connor Jr through natural glacial esker ridges — sandy, rolling ground that plays far more like a links than an inland course has any right to. No two holes are alike. It is also the home club of Shane Lowry, who won the 2019 Open. If you play one course on this list that is not your local, play this one.

Tullamore Golf Club — about 35 minutes

A classic parkland course of around 6,400 yards from the back tees, with the Slieve Bloom Mountains behind it. Mature, well-established and a proper test without being intimidating. Pair it with the Tullamore D.E.W. distillery tour and you have a full day.

Portarlington — about 40 minutes

South towards the Laois border, laid out along the River Barrow with a good mix of parkland and wooded holes. One of the friendlier clubs in the region for visitors.

Birr — about an hour

Further west and worth the run. Birr is an old club on heathland and sandy ground, another course that drains well, in a town that repays a wander around afterwards.

The big two in Kildare

The K Club, Straffan — 30 km, 35 minutes

Two championship courses on the Liffey at Straffan, and the venue for the 2006 Ryder Cup on the Palmer Course. This is resort golf at the top end — immaculate conditioning, serious length off the back tees, and prices to match. If you are going to have one special round on a trip to the midlands, this is it. Book well ahead.

Carton House, Maynooth — about 40 minutes

Two championship layouts on a walled estate outside Maynooth, both of which have hosted the Irish Open. The Montgomerie is the more exposed, links-like course; the O'Meara runs through parkland and along the river. Excellent conditioning and a shorter drive than the K Club from here.

Making a golf trip of it

The practical case for Edenderry is that you can play four or five genuinely different courses — inland links at Esker Hills, classic parkland at Tullamore, resort golf at the K Club — while sleeping in the same bed every night and never driving more than an hour. That is unusual, and it is a good deal cheaper than basing yourself in Kildare.

Green fees, visitor times and booking policies change, so confirm directly with each club before you travel. Distances above are approximate.

We have ten en-suite rooms in the centre of Edenderry with on-site parking and somewhere to leave the clubs. Have a look at the rooms or get in touch.