April 2025

Kilmichael, Ireland

The idea of a Pitch and Putt course was first mooted in 1979 at a meeting in Tarelton Primary School. The course was laid out on a disused turf bog in the parish of Kilmichael on a reclaimed parcel of land at Annahala (seven kilometres away) that was owned by electricity utility, the E.S.B.

The course was designed by Ned McSweeney, a member of Muskerry and Macroom Golf Clubs. 18 holes were completed by 1982, the year the club first affiliated to Pitch and Putt Ireland.  Construction of the clubhouse commenced in 1985 and the structure was officially opened in 1987.

Longest and toughest hole at Kilmichael is the 69 metre eighth with Out of Bounds lurking behind the green. The course gets off to a relatively straightforward start. The Index 18 1st measures only 36 metres and a lone palm tree forms the only hazard. Second longest hole is No. 11 at 63 metres where the teeshot must avoid luxuriant shrubbery. Tall trees come into play on the Index 3 53 metre 11th. The tiny 17th calls for a 23 metre pitch.

Kilmichael has a rural setting but the course lies just 40 kilometres from Cork city and only 8 kilometres from the large town of Macroom, from where it draws many members.