County Sligo Golf Club, Rosses Point
Beneath the flat topped peak of Benbulben, on a windswept promontory into Sligo Bay, sits one of Ireland's great championship links. Remodelled by Harry Colt and crowned Irish Course of the Year for 2024, County Sligo at Rosses Point is the heart of Yeats country golf, raw, rolling and utterly memorable.
Photo: The County Sligo Golf Club via Google.
The verdict
County Sligo Golf Club, universally known as Rosses Point, is the jewel of Ireland's northwest. Founded in 1894, the links was remodelled in 1927 by the master architect Harry Colt, whose routing makes brilliant use of a tumbling, exposed headland between the Atlantic and the mountains. The opening holes climb to a high plateau before the course plunges down to the linksland proper, where the wind rarely rests and the views to Benbulben and across Sligo Bay are among the finest in golf.
It is a links of genuine championship pedigree, long the home of the West of Ireland Championship and a regular on the lists of the country's very best courses, a status confirmed when it was named Irish Course of the Year for 2024. For the travelling golfer it is both a serious test and a soul stirring walk, the kind of place that defines a trip to the northwest and lingers in the memory long after the scorecard is forgotten.
County Sligo Rosses Point at a glance
- Founded
- 1894
- Colt remodel
- 1927
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- 6,600 yds
- Green fee
- From €150 to €175
Founding date, the 1927 Harry Colt remodel, par and yardage verified June 2026 from the club and course databases. The championship links plays to a par of 71 at around 6,600 yards, stretching well beyond that from the back tees. Green fees are indicative, roughly 150 to 175 euros for a peak summer round in the 2025 to 2026 seasons, with shoulder season and twilight rates. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Rosses Point opens uphill to a high plateau, a gentle climb that delivers you to a stretch of holes with vast views over the bay and out to the Atlantic. Then the course tumbles down into the heart of the links, where the wind takes full hold and the rolling fairways and humpbacked greens demand both flight control and a sturdy nerve.
The famous third, a long uphill par 4 to an exposed green, sets the tone, and the closing holes along the lower linksland are where the round is decided. The par 4 17th, played back toward the clubhouse against the prevailing wind, is one of the great finishing tests in Irish golf, asking for two brave, well struck shots when your card is on the line.
Throughout, Benbulben looms over the golf like a guardian, and the light off Sligo Bay shifts by the minute. Colt's routing means you face every wind direction in a single round, so no two days play the same. It is a links that examines your whole game and stirs your whole spirit, which is exactly why it ranks among the best courses in the country.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A members club that warmly welcomes visitors and societies with a booked tee time on the championship links |
| Green fee | Around 150 to 175 euros for a peak summer round, with shoulder season, twilight and group rates available (indicative) |
| Booking | Reserve through the club ahead of a northwest trip; summer weekends and championship weeks fill early |
| On the day | A walking links with caddies arrangeable on notice; a fine clubhouse with sweeping views over the bay |
| Getting there | At Rosses Point about ten minutes from Sligo town and around two and a half hours from both Dublin and Knock airports |
| Best months | May to September for the firmest turf and the longest light, though the links plays year round |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026 from the club; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with County Sligo Golf Club or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
Sligo town, ten minutes away, makes the natural base, with characterful hotels, a lively dining and music scene and easy reach of the course. The village of Rosses Point itself offers a handful of seaside inns and guest houses for those who want the links and the beach on their doorstep.
Rosses Point is the anchor of a northwest Ireland tour. Pair it with the towering dunes of Enniscrone nearby and the wild links of Donegal further north, Rosapenna and Ballyliffin among them. The roads are quiet, the courses uncrowded and the scenery extraordinary, which makes the northwest one of the most rewarding and best value golf regions in the country.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Rosses Point.
Anchor a northwest Ireland tour at Rosses Point
We build County Sligo into a northwest links trip with Enniscrone, Rosapenna and Ballyliffin, book the tee times in the right order and handle the hotels and the driving. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
County Sligo questions
Who designed County Sligo at Rosses Point?
The links was founded in 1894 and remodelled in 1927 by the renowned architect Harry Colt, whose routing makes the most of the exposed headland between Sligo Bay and the Atlantic beneath Benbulben mountain.
What are the par and length of Rosses Point?
The championship links plays to a par of 71 at around 6,600 yards, stretching well beyond that from the back tees. The wind, not the yardage, is the chief defense of the course.
Has County Sligo won any recent awards?
Yes. County Sligo Golf Club was named Irish Course of the Year for 2024, confirming its standing among the very best links in the country and a long history as host of the West of Ireland Championship.
How much does it cost to play County Sligo?
Indicative peak summer green fees run around 150 to 175 euros for a round in the 2025 to 2026 seasons, with shoulder season and twilight rates. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Design history, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.