Ireland's east coast, the stretch of dunes and parkland north and south of Dublin, holds some of the most underrated links in the game alongside a clutch of famous championship parklands. You can land in the capital and play world class golf within the hour. Here are the ten courses we would build an east coast trip around.
Our ranking puts the quality and pedigree of the design first, then history, condition and the wider experience. The east coast's glory is its links, the natural duneland courses on the sandy ground around Dublin, so the great Portmarnock and the Tom Simpson classic at Baltray lead our list, with the famous championship parklands of Wicklow and Kildare close behind. The verdicts are ours; the design credits and championship histories we cite are a matter of record.
Everything here sits within easy reach of Dublin, which is the point: a single base in or near the capital puts a run of championship links and the Ryder Cup parklands within an hour's drive. That makes the east coast one of the most convenient great golf destinations in Europe, ideal for a long weekend as much as a full week.
Reviewed June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and fees verified at publication. How we research and review.
From the championship links of Portmarnock to Pat Ruddy's modern masterpiece at the European Club, ranked with our verdicts and the reasons to play each one.
The east coast's number one and one of the great championship links in the world, laid out on a sandy peninsula north of Dublin and a nineteen time host of the Irish Open. Subtle, exposed and relentlessly fair, with no weak hole and a brutal finish into the wind. The benchmark round of Irish golf near the capital.
Pat Ruddy's modern links masterpiece in the dunes at Brittas Bay, south of Dublin, designed, owned and refined by the architect himself. Big, bold and beautifully natural, with several holes ranked among the finest in Ireland. A favourite of touring professionals and a must on any east coast trip.
Known to everyone as Baltray, a Tom Simpson links from 1938 that connoisseurs rate among the most underappreciated courses in Ireland. Rumpled fairways, clever greens and a glorious natural setting at the mouth of the Boyne make it a quiet classic and a fine partner to Portmarnock.
A thrilling links among some of the highest dunes in Ireland at Donabate, north of Dublin, framed by the Irish Sea and the Broadmeadow estuary. Narrow, tumbling and full of blind shots and natural drama, it has risen into the front rank of Irish links and sits minutes from the airport.
A Bernhard Langer links on the Portmarnock peninsula, sharing the same fine duneland as its illustrious neighbour and attached to a country house hotel. Natural and understated, it makes an ideal base for a links trip and a strong round in its own right.
A historic links on Bull Island in Dublin Bay, redesigned by Harry Colt and long associated with the great Christy O'Connor Senior. A classic out and back layout with a famous gambling finish at the par five eighteenth, all within sight of the city. Convenient, traditional and full of character.
The Arnold Palmer course at the K Club in Kildare staged the 2006 Ryder Cup, a lush, water laced championship parkland on the banks of the Liffey. Manicured, dramatic and resort polished, it is the grandest inland round near Dublin and a regular European Tour venue.
A Pat Ruddy and Tom Craddock parkland in the Wicklow hills once dubbed the Augusta of Europe, host of four Irish Opens in its early years. Immaculate, scenic and demanding, with water and a famous run around the twelfth and thirteenth, it is one of the finest inland tests in the country.
The Montgomerie course at Carton House near Maynooth is an inland links in style, treeless, links bunkered and exposed, and a former host of the Irish Open. A clever change of pace from the parklands around it and an easy add on west of Dublin.
The East course at Powerscourt, set on a grand estate beneath the Sugar Loaf mountain in Wicklow, is a handsome, well conditioned parkland with sweeping views. Polished and enjoyable, it completes a strong inland trio in Wicklow and rounds out our east coast ten.
East coast golf plays from spring to autumn, with April to October the window and the high summer months the busiest; the links stay playable later than the parklands. The links reward a still morning, so an early tee time on a calm day is worth chasing.
Green fees at the championship courses are significant but fair for the quality, with Portmarnock and the K Club at the top of the range and the quieter links offering better value. The figures below are indicative high season rates; shoulder season and twilight golf is cheaper.
| Course | Type | Indicative green fee |
|---|---|---|
| Portmarnock Golf Club | Links | €250 to €350 |
| The European Club | Links | €150 to €275 |
| County Louth, Baltray | Links | €150 to €220 |
| The Island Golf Club | Links | €150 to €200 |
| The K Club, Palmer South | Parkland | €250 to €395 |
Compare live tee times through our partner: [TEE_TIME_AFFILIATE_LINK]. Hotels near the courses: [HOTEL_AFFILIATE_LINK].
The east coast is built for an efficient trip: a base in or near Dublin puts the championship links of Portmarnock, the Island and Baltray to the north and the European Club, Druids Glen and the K Club to the south all within about an hour. You can mix links and parkland day to day without ever facing a long drive.
Plan for April to October for the best conditions, and book the marquee courses well ahead, as Portmarnock and the K Club fill quickly. We can secure the tee times, arrange a base near the golf and pair the rounds with Dublin itself or a run further north toward the great links of the coast.
Portmarnock Golf Club, a championship links on the peninsula north of the city and a nineteen time host of the Irish Open, is widely regarded as the best course near Dublin. Pat Ruddy's European Club in Wicklow and the Tom Simpson links at Baltray lead the group behind it.
The east coast's finest links include Portmarnock, the European Club, County Louth at Baltray, the Island, Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links and Royal Dublin. The famous parklands of the K Club, Druids Glen, Carton House and Powerscourt sit alongside them inland.
Indicative 2026 high season green fees run from around 150 euros at the quieter links to 250 to 395 euros at Portmarnock and the K Club. Shoulder season and twilight rates are lower. Always confirm directly before booking.
April to October offers the best conditions, with the links playable a little later into autumn than the parklands. Calm mornings are prized on the exposed links, so an early tee time on a still day is worth seeking out.
Yes. Because the championship links and parklands all sit within about an hour of Dublin, a long weekend can comfortably take in three or four of the best courses from a single base, which is what makes the east coast such an efficient golf destination.
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