As I discovered over the next four hours, the design, which I have always considered very good, hasn’t changed much at all. Might have been the odd bunker added here or there but that’s all.

The biggest change has been in its superior presentation, particularly in recent times, as a result of good rainfall during the past two years. The bentgrass greens I saw during my visit to compile this feature were excellent, while the predominantly couch grass fairways were superb. Both fairways and greens would be the envy of many metropolitan clubs. For decades, Duntryleague was famous for its fine-leaf African couch fairways that were an absolute joy to hit off and there are still some patches of this couch, mixed in with another couch strain, to be found on the course.

GACourseDuntry03I always found that part of the joy of playing Duntryleague was, on each visit, learning just a little bit more about the history of the course and the 19th century mansion that stands on the highest point of the property. The mansion, which now serves as the clubhouse and offers guesthouse accommodation, dates back to 1876 when James Dalton started the estate after migrating from Ireland. The name Duntryleague was derived from his birthplace in County Limerick and was originally called ‘Doon Tri Liag’.

A stained glass window in the mansion was presented by the Vatican to Dalton on the occasion of his investiture as a Papal Knight for his services to the Catholic Church. Dalton’s strong ties with the church would ultimately lead to the estate being sold to the Orange Golf Club.

When Dalton died in 1919, the property was left to one of his sons Father Patrick Dalton, a Jesuit priest. But Father Dalton could not accept the bequest himself and Duntryleague became the property of the church for more than a decade. The then Bishop of Bathurst had rejected the idea of turning the property into a Catholic college, which sparked the interest of members at the nearby Orange Golf Club. The club had existed nearby on a small plot of land since 1901 and they were interested in buying the property. The Bishop gave the club two weeks to come up with £12,000. The club members found the money and Duntryleague was theirs.