April 2020

Tipperary Hills, Ireland

Tipperary Hills Pitch and Putt Club was founded back in 1970 (August 1st). 

Noel McInerney originally had the idea and his vision led to the formation of the club. Michael Dermady was the first Club Chairman.  The club developed swiftly during the ‘70s. Tipperary Hills course was always impeccably prepared and the members were famed for their hospitality. Their first national recognition came in 1986 when Tipperary Hills hosted the PPUI Juvenile Weekend. The Hills’ own Seamus O’Halloran won the Boys’ Strokeplay while Barbara Farrell of Ierne was crowned Girls champion. Kerry took the Juvenile Inter-County championship. Four years later, the National Inter-County championships came to Tipperary Hills. There was a home county victory in the Ladies championship while Cork won the Gents.

A wonderful event through the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s was the Mazda Scratch Cup at Tipperary Hills. The Roll of Honour for that event is a veritable Who’s Who of the greats of Pitch and Putt. The Mazda Trophy is still on display in the Tipperary Hills clubhouse. 

Then abruptly in 2005, after 35 glorious years, due to numerous reasons, the club closed down.

In November 2008, club legend and PPUI Hall of Famer Sean Keane (R.I.P.) initiated efforts to re-open Tipperary Hills. Involved almost since the club’s inception, the PPUI Patron and Hall of Fame honouree received tremendous support from inside and outside Pitch & Putt. Neighbouring club Larkspur Park provided huge greenkeeping knowledge. The Tipperary Credit Union donated €25,000 to the project. Cavanagh Brothers and Rite Price Kitchens donated equipment to furnish the clubhouse. All the Tee Boxes were sponsored and FAS workers were used to help with the hard work, which was bolstered by massive community effort.

In October 2009, new Chairman Michael Brennan was proud to welcome over one hundred people who had turned out to support the official re-opening ceremony. The Vice President of the PPUI and Chairman of the Tipperary County Board Myles McMorrow was also present to acclaim the wonderful achievement.

Situated in Tipperary Town Park, the Hills is undoubtedly an excellent viewing course, one with many optimum vantage points for spectators. The course is situated in a town park, which has a Plant habitat, a famine graveyard and a Motte and Bailey castle. There is an adjacent rugby pitch.

Everybody talks about the walk from the 18^th green back to the first tee but Tipp Hills is worth that walk. Neat steps are installed where required to faciliate access to tees and greens.

The first hole calls for a teeshot of 35 metres to a raised green with hillocks on either side. Shortest hole at Tipperary Hills is the index 18 26 metre fourth. The 5th is only 39 metres but a green partially hidden from the tee with a big fall to the left presents plenty of problems. The spectacular 6th measures 44 metres across a deep valley with lots of rough. The semi-blind 7th stretches 35 metres and is Index 16. The lengthy 8th (index 3) plays 65 metres downhill across the expansive course.

There are four grass mounds surrounding green at the captivating 57 metre index 7 index 11th. The semi-blind 13th measures 41 metres. Tipperary Hills has few sand bunkers but a fiendish one lies short of the green on the 50 metre index 11 15th.The narrow downhill 16th is index 1, with rough left and Out of Bounds right on this tough 67 metre test. There is a massive fall short and right of the 17th, which measures 46 metres and is rated index 5.