The course, often described as an “inland links”, is laid out on open heathland with a natural lake and furze featuring on many holes; it is a blaze of yellow from early Spring onwards. Facilities available include a 10-bay driving range, lake-side putting green and two practice areas as well as a magnificent clubhouse. The Irish Golf Review Winter/Spring 2011/2012 states “The Heath is one of the most enjoyable day-outs to be found anywhere, especially if you’re not all that keen on climbing up and down hills for much of your day! It should suit all types of golfers, blessed as it is with a friendly course and delightful clubhouse, all within a short few miles from the M7 and approx. an hour from Dublin”. While the current club, The Heath Golf Club (Portlaoise), was instituted in 1930 the original club, the Queen’s County Heath G.C. dates back to November 1889 and is the seventh oldest golf club in Ireland. A trophy which has come into the possession of the club was played for in 1891 and bears the inscription “Queens County Heath Golf Club”. The Golfing Annual 1892/93 records the President as the Earl of Portarlington, the Captain as Colonel Cosby and the Hon. Secretary as Captain H. Armstrong, Rathleash House, Portarlington. A report in the Golfing Annual 1894/95 stated “… there is an excellent clubhouse, originally the Grand Stand, when races were held on The Heath”. The club was reinstituted in 1903 and registered as Maryboro Golf Club and its existence is recorded up until 1916 in The Irish Golf Guides but there is no mention of its subsequent demise. The present club was instituted in 1930, affiliated in 1931 and extended to 18 holes in 1971; the clubhouse, located in exactly the same position as the old Grand Stand of 1889, was rebuilt in 1991 and officially opened in August 1992.
