The four lads were standing on the ninth tee, dressed in attire typical of modern teenagers. The sweatshirts proclaimed that one was a Manchester United supporter and another favoured Aston Villa, which must have made for some lively discussion about Dwight Yorke. I learned the other two supported Liverpool and Arsenal.

We were at Waterford Municipal Golf Course and here were four customers clearly enjoying the splendid amenity which became available to them last year when Christy O'Connor Snr did the honours at the official opening. The brainchild of retired city manager Michael Doody, it has the distinction of being the last course to be designed by the late Eddie Hackett.

So, what did it mean to these sports-loving youngsters, who ranged in ages from 13 to 16 years. "You can play hurling and soccer any day, but golf is an occasion," volunteered one of them. "You're away on your own. That's really great."

They hailed from nearby Lismore Park from where one boy's father brought them in his car. As they hit off the ninth tee with the free-flowing swings of uncluttered minds and supple bodies, I smiled to myself on noticing that one of them gripped the club left hand below right: the influences of hurling run deep in the Deise.

First impressions of the course were of quality, both in the layout and condition. Here was yet another example of the remarkable legacy Hackett has left to the Irish game, and he would have been proud to see the care lavished on it by Tom Sheridan, who progressed from the role of project manager to general manager of the facility.

By way of emphasising the small world that golfers inhabit, I first met Sheridan in 1983 on Spain's Costa del Sol on the fearsome Torrequebrada stretch, where he had just played the round of a lifetime. As a 10-handicap member of Arklow at that time, he had negotiated the wickedly tricky terrain in one-over-par gross for a Stableford score of 45 points.

Ten years later, we met again at Woodbrook where he was captain of the victorious Old Conna team in the All-Ireland final of the Jimmy Bruen Shield, in which his son, Mark, also played. And at Augusta National earlier this year, I came across Mark, who was gaining invaluable experience as a temporary member of the greens staff, while studying agronomy at a British college.

"Eddie (Hackett) did the original design in 1992, and he made his last visit here towards the end of 1996, about six weeks before he died," said Sheridan. "It was the last course he completed and in my view it represents some of his finest work."

Municipal courses are sometimes viewed as the bargain basement of golfing facilities, with all that such a designation entails. If that be so, Waterford have most definitely broken the mould, except from an financial standpoint. As a low-budget project, the course was built for the remarkably low price of £700,000.

But price didn't inhibit quality, as was richly emphasised by an English visitor who was on his own, putting on the 17th green. He identified himself as Elliot Noble from Watford and a 14-handicap member of the Batch worth Park club, and he was in Waterford to get married to a local girl four days later.

"This is the only peace I'm going to get this week," he said with a smile. "I have had four or five games here in recent months and I still can't believe how good it is," he enthused. "Over in England, municipals are considered to be only a step up from a dump, but they keep this place in remarkable condition. And it has a lovely variety of holes."

My earlier travels around the course had already brought me to this conclusion, but it was still interesting to hear it from a user's standpoint.

A plaque nearby declared that the official opening of the course was performed by the Mayor of Waterford, Cllr P Power, and the City Manager, E J Breen, on May 10th, 1997. The changing and administrative area is still a temporary structure, but, according to Sheridan, a clubhouse will be built within the next three or four years.

The first thing one notices about Waterford Municipal is the wonderful site. The former Health Board land, 130 acres of gently rolling terrain at Williamstown, has a distinctly rural character to it, despite its proximity to the city centre.

There are some fine holes, notably the 226-yard, par-three 10th, which is guarded by a stream, eight yards off the green to the right, and again at the rear, where a line of three trees creates a charming back-drop. "Christy was very taken by that one," said Sheridan. It wasn't difficult to understand why.

The 132-yard 16th, sharply contrasting in length but equally well located, is another delightful par-three. Walking from the tee there, I noticed that one of the red, hazard stakes was temporarily decorated by a navy baseball cap which informed us that its owner supporter the Chicago Bulls.

Meanwhile, excellent variety has been achieved in the par fours through an overall design which ensured that the 13th and 14th are the only successive holes played side-by-side, albeit in opposite directions.

They are preceded by the most difficult hole on the course. Measuring 465 yards, the 12th is a formidable par four, not only for its length but for the fact that the right-hand side, tee to green, is guarded all the way by a stream and an out of bounds fence.

It seems that there was some pressure on Hackett to make it a par five (he would have had no problem in finding the extra yardage). In his wisdom, however, the designer insisted on retaining the par-four designation, largely one suspects, with a view to fully exploiting the danger on the right.

As one would expect with a Hackett course, the par fives are of a high standard. And there is a particularly challenging, kidney-shaped green at the par-four 15th which, apart from being off-set, is domed so as to reject all but the well-struck approach.

When considering the merits of the course, however, it is necessary to look beyond its status as a municipal facility. Taking the view of our English friend, that it was so much better than the "dumps" he was familiar with, would be to do it scant justice.

The course is open to all-comers on a pay-and-play basis, but tee-times can be booked up to seven days in advance. All societies are welcome and it offers the concession of a £6 green-fee to students and old-age pensioners.

Some visitors have been critical of it as too long and too difficult, but this is to overlook the option of the forward, junior tees. The fact is that Waterford Municipal stands comparison with proprietary or members' courses of the highest quality.

As Sheridan was told recently by the captain of a prominent southern club: "You're sitting on the best-kept secret in Munster golf." Indeed he is.