Narin and Portnoo Links
Narin and Portnoo is the great Donegal discovery, a links on a beautiful strip of duneland above Narin strand that the architect Gil Hanse restored between 2018 and 2020. His brief was to bring back the quirk and the raw, rugged feel the course had lost over the years, and the result has shot it up every ranking of Irish links.
Photo: Narin & Portnoo Links via Google, contributor Narin & Portnoo Links.
The verdict
What Hanse and his team did here is one of the most admired restoration jobs in Irish golf. Greens were moved back to the duneland edges, lost contours were reinstated and the wildness that defines the best links was reintroduced. For a club formed in 1930 on a modest budget, the transformation has been remarkable, and it now sits among the courses serious links golfers cross the country to find.
It is not long and it is not famous, and that is part of the charm. The setting above the beach with Gweebarra Bay and the Donegal hills beyond is glorious, the green fee is a fraction of the marquee links, and the golf is full of character and fun. Pair it with Rosapenna, Portsalon and Ballyliffin and you have a north west Ireland trip that the cognoscenti rate above almost anything.
Narin and Portnoo at a glance
- Founded
- 1930 (18 holes 1965)
- Designer
- Gil Hanse restoration 2018 to 2020
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 70
- Yardage
- 6,591 yds
- Green fee
- Around €180
Founding, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026. Narin and Portnoo was formed in 1930 and extended from nine to eighteen holes in 1965. Gil Hanse and his team carried out a celebrated restoration between 2018 and 2020, moving greens, reinstating contours and bringing back the original quirk. It plays par 70 at around 6,591 yards from the back tees. Indicative 2026 summer green fee is around 180 euros, with discounts in the shoulder season. Always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Narin and Portnoo tumbles over natural duneland right above the beach, and the Hanse restoration leaned into that landscape rather than taming it. Fairways spill and roll, greens sit in hollows and on shelves at the edge of the dunes, and the firm, fast turf invites the running, ground game that the best links demand.
The holes along the higher ground give long views over Gweebarra Bay and the Donegal coast, while the short holes are a particular delight, played to greens that Hanse pushed out to the most dramatic and exposed corners of the property. There is barely a flat lie or a dull moment on the card.
The closing stretch returns toward the strand and the clubhouse, and on a firm summer evening with the light low over the bay there are few more enjoyable places to finish a round of links golf in Ireland.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | A welcoming members club that takes visitors, with green fee golfers very much part of the daily mix outside member competitions |
| Green fee | Around 180 euros for an 18 hole round in summer, with discounts in the shoulder season in 2026 (indicative) |
| Booking | Book ahead in summer; word of the Hanse restoration has spread and tee times are busier than they once were |
| On the day | A walking links with a relaxed, friendly clubhouse; buggies are limited given the duneland terrain, so come prepared to walk |
| Getting there | On the Donegal coast near Portnoo, about 1 hour from Donegal town and around 1 hour 40 minutes from City of Derry airport |
| Best months | May to September for firm turf and long northern evenings, when the links is at its best |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with the club or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
The villages of Narin and Portnoo offer guest houses and self catering right by the strand, and the nearby town of Ardara has a handful of welcoming hotels and pubs, an ideal low key base for a Donegal links trip.
Most golfers touring the north west base themselves around Rosapenna or Letterkenny and reach Narin and Portnoo as part of a circuit that takes in Rosapenna, Portsalon, Ballyliffin and Sandy Hills, the densest run of fine links in Ireland outside the south west.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Narin and Portnoo.
Stay and play Narin and Portnoo and Donegal
We build the north west Ireland links circuit around Narin and Portnoo, Rosapenna, Portsalon and Ballyliffin, and sort a base and transfers across Donegal. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Narin and Portnoo questions
Who designed Narin and Portnoo Links?
The club was formed in 1930 and extended to eighteen holes in 1965. The course as played today is the work of a celebrated restoration by Gil Hanse and his team between 2018 and 2020, which reinstated the natural contours and original quirk of the duneland links.
What is the par and yardage of Narin and Portnoo?
Narin and Portnoo plays as a par 70 of around 6,591 yards from the back tees, with several sets of tees. Its defence is the wind, the firm running turf and greens set into the dunes rather than sheer length.
How much does it cost to play Narin and Portnoo?
The indicative 2026 summer green fee is around 180 euros for 18 holes, with discounts in the shoulder season. Fees change by year, so always confirm directly before booking.
Where is Narin and Portnoo Links?
Narin and Portnoo is on the Donegal coast near Portnoo in the north west of Ireland, above Narin strand, about an hour from Donegal town and around an hour and forty minutes from City of Derry airport.
Why is Narin and Portnoo worth the trip?
Gil Hanse's restoration between 2018 and 2020 transformed the course into one of the most admired links in Ireland, with a glorious setting above the beach, firm running turf and a green fee far below the marquee links.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Founding year, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.