MT. STERLING, Ky. (LEX 18) — Rolling across 170 acres of Mount Sterling countryside, Irish Hills Golf Course isn't just a place to play — it's a place built on history, family and community.
It's the kind of place people come for the sport but stay for the fellowship, with the course running since 1961.
"I've been here since I was 5 years old so you know I just love the course," Brad Toy, the general manager, said. "We still have a lot of the old members, you know, that have been here a lot longer than I have. Like you know, that have been here since it started in 61."
For the owner, Brad Toy, keeping the course alive isn't just about maintaining the greens — it's about growing the game for the next generation.
"We have about 55 kids on the high school golf team, which is pretty much unheard of. We're pretty proud of that. I think a lot of its because the course and us and how we treat them," Toy said.
Toy ran the course from 2015 to 2019 before selling it. But his love for golf brought him back three years later.
"My favorite hole is probably 15. It's on the backside. It's across the water. It's a par 3. It's a tier 3 green. So it's a very challenging hole but it's a fun hole at the same time," Toy said.
Beyond the birdies and bogeys, the land dates back more than a century, once home to the Chenault family whose roots stretch back to the Civil War.
The original house still stands on the property, built in the 1800s — a quiet reminder of where it all began and traditions have grown ever since.
"We have what we call McVey corner back there and its from an employee that passed away. That's where we got its name. But its hole 13, 14 and 15 and its kind of the three toughest holes on the course. The reason we named it that is because Joe McVey, he came in one day and told me, 'Brad, I just birdied 13, 14 and 15.' So that's how it got its name. It's Joe's corner now," Toy said.
The course isn't just a hole-in-one for golfers, but for anyone looking to spend a sunny day surrounded by great views.
"It's really the best place in Mt. Sterling to go take pictures… wedding pictures, formals, just anything like that. People just, they automatically think of the golf course to come out here. I told my head greenskeeper, 'Hey we gotta have the course looking good this weekend because it's homecoming.' Gotta have it mowed down good for pictures," Toy said.
From first-timers to longtime pros, everyone's part of the story here at Irish Hills — one swing at a time.
