18 Hole Parkland
Course Facts: Address
Ballykilmurray
Co. OffalySecretary/Manager: Donal Molloy Captain: Kevin O'Regan Lady Captain: Caroline Guinan Telephone: 057-93-55999 President: Donal Molloy & Dolores Molloy Public No: 057-93-55999 Vice-Captain: Frank Ryan & Carmel Harty Fax: 057-93-55021 Hon. Secretary: Liam Boland & Catherine Horan E-mail: info@eskerhillsgolf.com Club Pro: None-Shop Website: www.eskerhillsgolf.com Hon. Treasurer: Donal Hackett & Catherine Horan Founded: 1996 Designed by: Christy O'Connor Jnr. Membership: 249 Course opening hours: Daylight hours Green Fees Midweek: €35 Clubhouse opening hours: 8.00am to 10.30pm Green Fees Weekends & B.H.: €45 Mobile phones: Not on course or in clubhouse Green Fees With a Member: €20/25 Dress Code: Neat casual, no denim Green Fees For Opens: €20/25 Catering: Full catering facilities Practice Area: Yes Days to Avoid: None Club Hire: No Green Fees and Societies Welcome: Midweek & Weekends Buggy Hire: Yes Pre-booking for open tournaments: 14 Days in advance Soft spikes: Preferred
Course Description:
More than 10,000 years ago the retreating glaciers of the Ice Age created the stunning landscape of plateaux, sweeping valleys, natural lakes and free draining soil on which Esker Hills is built. Add the genius of Christy O’Connor Jnr and you have a golfing gem in a unique setting with 18-holes of challenging championship golf where no two holes are remotely alike. Noted for its distinct links feel, superb sand-based greens and warm welcome, Esker Hills is the ultimate golfing test and one that you will certainly remember." Designing Esker Hills gave me enormous satisfaction, plotting the course through nature’s own sand-hills and valleys. Esker Hills is the only inland links type course I know of, which makes golf a pleasure all year round." So said Christy Jnr. Voted the No. 65-ranked golf course in Ireland by “Golf Digest Ireland” in 2008.
Open & Major fixtures 2008: Event
Start
Finish
Type
Duration
No fixtures until 2009.
Club History
Founded 1997, affiliated 1997.
Location
It is 2.5 miles west of Tullamore Town. Keep your eyes open for a right turn into the golf club.
Members Achievements
Congratulations to Shane Lowry on being part of the victorious Irish Team that won the European Amateur Championship at Western Gailes on the Ayrshire Cost, on Saturday 7th July 2007, when they overcame a strong French team by 4 ½ matches to 2 ½ matches. Ireland had not won this Championship since 1987, the other members of the team were Rory McIlroy (Hollywood Golf Club), Jonathan Caldwell (Clandeboye Golf Club), Richard Kilpatrick (Banbridge Golf Club), Simon Ward (Co. Louth), well done lads and we will continue to follow your progress in the years to come.Having won his first Amateur Major in the AIB Irish Amateur Close Championship at Cork Golf Club in 2007 when he record a 4 and 3 win over Niall Turner of Muskerry Golf Club, Shane Lowry begun the 2008 season in some style. He won the Radisson SAS Sligo West of Ireland Amateur Championship at Co. Sligo Golf Club when he beat Des Morgan of Mullingar Golf Club by 2 and 1on Wednesday 26th March.
He and his fellow Irish team-mates then travelled to Royal Sotogrande in Spain to compete in the European Cup of Nations where he followed up Rory McIlroy’s achievement in 2007, to clinch the individual title when he beat the European Champion Benjamin Hebert at the fifth play-off hole.
The Irish team comprised of Niall Kearney The Royal Dublin Golf Club, Cian Curley Newlands Golf Club, Paul Cutler Portstewart Golf Club, they finished 2nd behind Scotland in the overall result, well done lads.
Shane Lowry won the Connacht Youths' Open Championship at Ballinasloe Golf Club 31st August 2006, he returned rounds of 73 and 68 to beat T. Walsh of Claremorris Golf Club by a single shot.
Shane Lowry was selected to represent Ireland at the Boys' Home Internationals played at Woodhall Spa, Lioncolnshire from 2nd to 4th August 2005.
Card of the Course (yards)
Hole No Blue White Green Par Index Red Par Index 1 504 486 454 5 17 420 5 17 2 354 337 320 4 11 312 4 9 3 481 423 424 4 1 386 5 7 4 391 353 340 4 5 281 4 11 5 167 156 156 3 15 135 3 15 6 524 501 481 5 9 427 5 1 7 427 394 380 4 3 306 4 3 8 354 334 321 4 13 286 4 13 9 179 164 146 3 7 124 3 5 Out 3,381 3,148 3,022 36 2,677 37 10 306 298 284 4 18 229 4 18 11 409 388 371 4 4 329 4 4 12 394 348 334 4 6 284 4 10 13 196 159 135 3 14 91 3 16 14 356 339 316 4 10 298 4 8 15 187 167 148 3 8 108 3 12 16 566 530 478 5 16 383 5 14 17 440 415 392 4 2 328 4 2 18 391 374 356 4 12 316 4 6 In 3,245 3,018 2,814 35 2,366 35 Total 6,626 6,166 5,836 71 5,043 72 SSS 72 70 69 71
Men's Course Record: 65 Shane Lowry 18/09/205 (0) Pro. 71 Richey Coughlin
Ladies Course Record:
Roll of Honour Anne Burns 1997 Ladies Captain M. Dalton 1997 Men's Captain Dan Molloy 1997 President Anna Kavanagh 1998 Ladies Captain P. J. Murphy 1998 Men's Captain Dan Molloy 1998 President Suzanne Heffernan 1999 Ladies Captain L. Boland 1999 Men's Captain Dan Molloy 1999 President Mary McGill 2000 Ladies Captain P. Wynne 2000 Men's Captain Dan Molloy 2000 President Joan Murphy 2001 Ladies Captain Joe Monaghan 2001 Men's Captain Dan Molloy 2001 President Joan Murphy 2002 Ladies Captain Sean Berry 2002 Men's Captain Donal Molloy 2002 President Regina O'Regan 2003 Ladies Captain John O'Shea 2003 Men's Captain Donal Molloy 2003 President Rosaleen Duignan 2004 Ladies Captain Ben Duignan 2004 Men's Captain Donal Molloy 2004 President Aislinn Hackett 2005 Ladies Captain Donal Hackett 2005 Men's Captain Donal Molloy 2005 President Anne Duignan 2006 Ladies Captain Robert Dunne 2006 Men's Captain Donal Molloy 2006 President Caroline Guinan 2007 Ladies Captain Dolores Molloy 2007 Ladies President Kevin O'Regan 2007 Men's Captain Donal Molloy 2007 President Helen Egan (11) 2008 Lowest Ladies H'cap Shane Lowry (+4) 2008 Lowest Men's H'cap
Holes-in-One Person Date Hole No. Club Used Distance Michael Jones Jnr. 1 July 1997 13th Michael Jones Jnr. 1 September 1997 13th Pat Heffernan 1 October 1997 9th Ivan Ginnelly 1998 9th Mark O'Shea 1998 15th Patrick Taylor 2000 9th Michael Kilmartin 2001 13th Pat Heff Liam Wyer 18 August 2006 5th 156 m Brendan Lowry 29 December 2006 5th 156 m Paul Rabbette 11 February 2007 5th 167 m