Carne
Carne is the wild west of links golf, Eddie Hackett's final and most untamed design, routed through some of the biggest dunes in the game on the Belmullet peninsula at the very edge of County Mayo. A par 72 of about 6,702 yards above Blacksod Bay, it is remote, raw and thrilling, the round serious links lovers travel hours of single track road to play. Hackett ranked it among his finest work.
Photo: Carne Golf Links via Google.
The verdict
Carne is the last links Eddie Hackett built, and many believe it is his masterpiece. Opened in stages in the early 1990s on common land at the tip of the Belmullet peninsula, it was shaped with the lightest possible touch, Hackett moving almost no earth and letting the holes tumble through dunes so vast they dwarf the golfer. Few courses anywhere feel this natural, or this dramatic, and few sit in a landscape so remote and unspoiled.
It is also a course that rewards the adventurous. The far west of Mayo is a long way from anywhere, the Atlantic wind is relentless and the dunes give you blind shots and fierce elevation changes, but the reward is a links of huge character at a green fee that shames the famous names. Add the later Kilmore nine to make twenty seven holes of dune golf, and Carne is the climax of a Wild Atlantic Way trip, paired with Enniscrone and County Sligo up the coast. It is golf at its most elemental.
Carne at a glance
- Opened
- 1992 to 1993
- Designer
- Eddie Hackett
- Type
- Dune links
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 6,702 yds
- Green fee
- From about €110
Designer, opening and yardage verified June 2026 from Carne Golf Links and leading course databases. Carne was the last links designed by Eddie Hackett, with the first nine opening in 1992, the second in 1993 and the clubhouse in 1995, a par 72 of about 6,702 yards. A later nine, the Kilmore by Ally McIntosh and Jim Engh, opened in 2013 to create the twenty seven hole complex. The 2026 visitor green fee is indicative at about 110 euros, rising toward 150 euros in peak summer, with replay rates and caddies available. Rates change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Carne is a roller coaster from the opening tee, the fairways heaving between dunes that climb thirty, forty and fifty feet above the turf, the greens tucked into hollows and perched on shelves. Hackett's genius was to let the land do the work, and the result is a course where every hole feels discovered rather than designed, demanding imagination and a willingness to play the bold shot.
The back nine is the stuff of legend among links devotees, climbing into the highest dunes for a sequence of holes that few courses can match for sheer drama. Blind tee shots, plunging approaches and greens that seem to hang in the sky combine with the ever present wind off the Atlantic to make each hole an event, and the views over Blacksod Bay and the islands beyond are worth the journey on their own.
The closing stretch winds back down through the dunes to the clubhouse, the wind often swirling in the bowls between the hills. Carne rewards the golfer who embraces the chaos, flights the ball low and accepts that the bounce will not always be fair, and it gives back one of the most exhilarating and memorable links rounds in all of Ireland.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Public access links; visitors welcome and rarely turned away, but book ahead in summer |
| Green fee | About 110 euros, rising toward 150 euros in peak summer; replay rates available (indicative, 2026) |
| Courses | The Hackett eighteen plus the Kilmore nine, twenty seven holes of dune links in total |
| Booking | Contact the golf club directly; advance booking advised for summer and for groups |
| On the day | Walking links through big dunes; caddies can be arranged and are well worth taking |
| Getting there | Belmullet in far west County Mayo, about an hour from Ireland West Airport Knock |
| Best months | May to September for the warmest, driest links weather on this exposed Atlantic coast |
Access and green fees verified indicatively June 2026 from Carne Golf Links; rates and booking rules change, so always confirm directly before booking with the club or your trip planner.
Where to stay nearby
The town of Belmullet, a short drive from the links, has welcoming hotels, guesthouses and pubs, and is the natural base for a round at Carne and for exploring the remote beauty of the Mullet peninsula and the wider North Mayo coast. It is a place to slow down, eat fresh seafood and soak up one of the last truly wild corners of Ireland.
Carne is best enjoyed as the high point of a Wild Atlantic Way golf trip, paired with the great dune links to the south and east. A touring itinerary up the west coast can string Carne together with Enniscrone in Sligo, County Sligo at Rosses Point and Connemara in Galway for a links adventure few others have made.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and lodges near Carne.
Build a Wild Atlantic Way golf trip
We secure the Carne tee times, pair them with the great links of the west coast and book the lodging around them. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Carne questions
Who designed Carne and when did it open?
Carne Golf Links was the last links course designed by the celebrated Irish architect Eddie Hackett. The first nine opened in 1992 and the second nine in 1993, with the clubhouse completed in 1995. Hackett regarded Carne and Waterville as his greatest achievements, and he routed the holes through the natural dunes with as little disturbance as possible.
What is the par and length of Carne?
The original Hackett eighteen at Carne is a par 72 of about 6,702 yards, playing far longer in the Atlantic wind. A later nine, the Kilmore, designed by Ally McIntosh and Jim Engh and opened in 2013, combines with part of the Hackett layout to form the Wild Atlantic Dunes course, so Carne now offers twenty seven holes of giant dune links golf.
How much does it cost to play Carne in 2026?
Green fees at Carne are indicative at about 110 euros, rising toward 150 euros in the peak summer months, which is excellent value for a links of this quality. Replay and multi round rates are available, and caddies can be arranged. These are indicative published rates that change by season and year, so always confirm current pricing directly before booking.
Can visitors play Carne?
Yes. Carne welcomes visitors and is a public access links, and because it lies in the remote far west of County Mayo it is rarely crowded, though booking ahead is wise in summer. It is a walking links through big dune country, and a caddie is well worth taking for the lines and the blind shots. Always confirm current booking rules and availability before you travel.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening years, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.