Hidden GemGreat Value

Tramore Golf Club

Tramore, Co. Waterford · Designed by Captain H.L.C. Tippet (1939)

Tramore Golf Club was founded in 1894 — one of around 30 courses in the entire country at that time — and has hosted an Open Fortnight every year since 1906. The current course, designed by Captain H.L.C. Tippet of Walton Heath and opened in 1939, is parkland rather than the exposed clifftop links of the early layouts: wide fairways defined by mature trees, USGA sand-based greens, and a view of the Comeragh Mountains from the clubhouse. The 27-hole complex includes the Old Course (par 72, ~6,700 yards) and the Newtown 9.

The coastline below is defined by the Metal Man — a twice-life-size sailor in Royal Navy uniform mounted on a 10-metre pillar at Great Newtown Head, erected in 1824 to mark the eighth anniversary of the HMS Sea Horse disaster. On 30 January 1816, the Sea Horse ran aground in Tramore Bay in poor visibility. Of approximately 393 on board, only 30 survived; 363 were lost — 292 men and 71 women and children. Lloyd's of London commissioned the navigational beacons so that Tramore Bay could never again be mistaken for the entrance to Waterford Harbour. The Metal Man points toward Hook Head and safe passage. Local tradition holds that any young woman who hops three times around the base of his pillar will receive a marriage proposal within the year.

Tramore Racecourse runs its August Festival on the hill beside the golf course — four days of racing billed as "where the turf meets the surf," running for over 200 years. Waterford city is 13 kilometres north: Ireland's oldest city, Viking origins, the House of Waterford Crystal, and a food scene that has quietly become one of the best in the south.

Highlights

Metal Man 1824 shipwreck landmark
Tramore Racecourse adjacent
Waterford city 13km

Good to know

→Walk to the Metal Man after golf — the pillar is at Great Newtown Head, a short drive west. The views over the bay are worth it.
→Tramore Racecourse's August Festival ("where the turf meets the surf") is a full week of National Hunt and flat racing on the hill next to the golf course.
→Victoria House Bar has a rooftop with views over the beach — the right place for a post-round drink in summer.
→Waterford city is 13km north: the House of Waterford Crystal does tours, Waterford Castle is on its own island in the Suir estuary, and the Medieval Museum covers Viking heritage.
→The Copper Coast to the southwest is a UNESCO Global Geopark — dramatic sea cliffs, old mining ruins, and very few people.

Visitor Information

Getting There

20min drive

1h 15min drive

Common questions

What is Tramore Golf Club like?

Tramore is a links course above Tramore Bay on the Waterford coast — a well-maintained course in the sunny southeast, which gets less rainfall than almost anywhere else in Ireland. The bay views are consistent throughout the round. Tramore town below is a traditional Irish seaside resort — busy in summer, quiet and very affordable off-season.

Is Tramore a good links course?

Tramore is a solid links at a very accessible price — not at the level of the great Kerry or Down courses, but well worth playing for golfers exploring the southeast. The Waterford Coast generally gets less wind and rain than the west coast, which makes it a more reliable weather option on a links trip.

How do I book Tramore Golf Club?

Tramore books through GolfNow with reliable availability.

What else is worth doing in Waterford?

Waterford city — fifteen minutes from Tramore — is Ireland's oldest city, founded by the Vikings in 914 AD. The Medieval Museum and the Bishop's Palace museum in the Viking Triangle are excellent. The Waterford Greenway, a 46km off-road cycling and walking trail along a disused railway, starts in the city and is one of the finest leisure trails in Ireland.