I think Ireland is pretty good.
1. Great club and inter-club competitions.
2. Low maintenance budgets for most clubs (excl. K-Club et al.)
3. Mostly walking game (excl. K-Club et al.)
4. Generally play quickly (excl. K-Club et al.)
I think the local club and inter-club scene in Ireland is very good. It's very competitive (but in a good natured way) and is a great way for golf clubs to get to know each other. Every other golfing union should take a look at the inter-club competitions that the Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI, still the oldest golfing union in the world
) and each individual province and county run. There are inter-club match-play events that cater all levels of golfers, not just the low handicappers.
These inter-club matches allow you to play some of the best courses in the country for nothing. My old club have played matches against great clubs such as RCD, Portrush, Castlerock, Portstewart, etc., and the team members play for no charge at all. It's the same situation in Connacht, Munster and Leinster.
I wonder about England. My brother is a member of a club in the NE and he says that once October comes, all club competitions cease and the competitive atmosphere takes a nose-dive. I also don't see the attraction in two-balls; isn't a 4BBB match between regulars one of the best ways to play golf?
Based on my limited experience of Sweden so far, I don't rate it that highly. Even matches between clubs in Sweden are strokeplay. My home club has about 10 singles competitions from May to October. I only get 10 opportunities to reduce my handicap in the whole year. If I want to have more chances, I need to play elsewhere. In Ireland, you could play 10+ competitions in a month.