Founded in 1888 and redesigned in 1927 by Allister Mackenzie, this championship parkland course is as graceful and mature as its age would suggest. Scenically situated in Cork Harbour, the club has played host to major amateur and Professional Championships over the years, including the Carrolls Irish Open, the Irish Professional Championships, Irish Close Championships and the National Finals.

The variety and complexity of the course attracts top class golfers, while the forward tees will test and delight the competent player. In his Choice of Irish Golf Courses Frank Penwick says "Cork Golf Club provides tremendous variety of golf and scenery and is certainly worth a mention in the same breath as Royal Portrush, Royal County Down and Portmarnock."

Cork is also outstanding for the fact that much of the parkland course requires the golfer to tackle many holes set within a huge limestone quarry.

On the attractive river stretch, from behind the 3rd green, along the classically sited 4th and 5th holes and on by the ragged shoreline to the 6th tee, the minds eye can easily picture the scene around the turn of the century, when quarried limestone was transported on barges to the mouth of the estuary to be transferred to ships across the Atlantic. Local lore says that many of the skyscrapers in New York and Boston can trace the limestone origin to that quarry in the middle of Cork Golf Club.

The par-three 7th hole and the drive to the 8th are played from the floor of the quarry and its intimidating effect remains chillingly in focus throughout the 8th and onwards in the playing of the long curving par five 11th hole. Even then, with your back to the chasm, there is little reprieve because MacKenzie's signature is most pronounced in the nature of Cork's much acclaimed finishing stretch. This takes the form of a "no prisoner" crescendo of five straight par fours, sweeping back down towards the imposing clubhouse and away again, to return via a magnificent 17th hole played from the tee across a long carry to a narrow fairway. On then to the 18th, where the out of bounds boundary wall completes the enduring suspense.

After playing Cork Golf Club everywhere else seems to pale in comparison. For the club golfer, Cork Golf Club comes as close to perfection as makes no difference. It poses a challenge to all golfers and boasts a variety and a certain beauty that is second to none.