Water Rock’s novel membership move

East Cork’s Water Rock Golf Course has long flown in the face of accepted golfing industry wisdom.

Like Hollystown Golf Club in Dublin before it, Water Rock has since 1994 placed an emphasis on affordable golf, eschewing memberships in favour of a green fees-only model that has proven successful for 20 years.

The course near Midleton is extremely popular with societies, tourists, and individual golfers, casual or otherwise, who would rather not be burdened with expensive joining and annual fees and can handle dropping in for a midweek round that will only set them back €25.00, €30 at weekends.