Golf in County Galway
The wild edge of Ireland. County Galway pairs one of the great Atlantic links at Connemara, laid out by Eddie Hackett beneath the Twelve Bens, with the championship parkland of Galway Bay and a city built for an evening of music and seafood after the round.
Photo: Connemara Golf Links via Google.
Why golf here
County Galway is the gateway to the west of Ireland, and its golf has the drama to match the landscape. The headline is Connemara, a vast Atlantic links at Ballyconneely where Eddie Hackett routed the holes through rock and dune beneath the Twelve Bens mountains, with the ocean on one side and bog and stone on the other. It is raw, exposed and unforgettable, the kind of links that reminds you golf began on ground exactly like this.
Around it sits a complete trip. Galway Bay Golf Resort gives you a polished Christy O'Connor Junior parkland on a peninsula reaching into the sea, the historic Galway Golf Club hugs the shore at Salthill, and Gort and Oughterard offer good, affordable parkland inland. Galway city ties it together, a compact, lively place of pubs, live music and some of the best seafood in Ireland, ten minutes from much of the golf. Pair it with the Burren and Clare to the south and you have a wonderful west of Ireland week.
Reviewed June 2026 by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and indicative fees verified at publication. How we research and review.
County Galway golf at a glance
- Best months
- May to Sep
- Style
- Atlantic links and parkland
- Courses
- 5 to plan around
- Trip length
- 4 to 6 nights
- Fly into
- Shannon or Dublin
- From / head
- about $2,500 in 2026
Indicative figures for a 2026 trip; the per head guide is a third party package estimate, not our price, and excludes flights. Always confirm rates and tee times directly before booking.
The courses to build around
From a world class Atlantic links to easygoing inland parkland, these are the County Galway rounds worth planning a trip around. They sit within an hour or so of Galway city, so a four or five night trip can take in the best of them.
1. Connemara Championship Links
The reason to come. Eddie Hackett designed Connemara from 1970 with the local priest Father Peter Waldron, carving a championship links from rock and machair on the far Atlantic edge at Ballyconneely. The back nine is one of the toughest and most thrilling stretches in Irish golf, stretching past 7,000 yards into the wind beneath the Twelve Bens, with the long par 3 thirteenth a signature test. Wild, remote and worth every mile of the drive. See our Connemara course guide.
2. Galway Bay Golf Resort
Christy O'Connor Junior laid this championship parkland out on the Renville peninsula east of the city, with Galway Bay framing many of the holes and the Atlantic in play on the exposed stretches. It is the polished resort round of the county, well conditioned and with lodging on site, and the natural base for a softer parkland trip. Our Galway Bay course guide has the detail.
3. Galway Golf Club
The historic city club, founded in 1895 and set on rising ground above the bay at Salthill, a short stroll from the Galway promenade. It is a mature, tree lined parkland with sea views from the higher holes and a genuine sense of history, an enjoyable and very convenient round right on the edge of town.
4. Gort Golf Club
A second Christy O'Connor Junior design, this one an inland parkland on the limestone fringe of the Burren in south Galway. Generous fairways, mature trees and good value make it an easy, enjoyable round on the way between Galway and Clare, and a useful spare day course on a longer trip.
5. Oughterard Golf Club
A mature parkland just west of the city at the gateway to Connemara, with generous tree lined fairways developed to championship standard over the years. It is friendly, affordable and beautifully set, an ideal warm up or a relaxed round to bookend the bigger links day at Ballyconneely.
When to go
| Season | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Apr to May | Spring brings longer days and firming turf. Quieter courses and lower fees, though the Atlantic can still send a cold, blustery day |
| Jun to Aug | Peak season. The warmest weather, the longest evenings and the best links conditions, with light until late; book Connemara ahead |
| Sep to Oct | A favourite window. Mild air, settled spells and emptier courses make early autumn excellent for a west coast golf trip |
| Nov to Mar | Quiet and wet. The links stay playable on milder days at the lowest green fees, but pack for wind and rain |
Indicative green fees and costs
| Course | Style | Indicative green fee |
|---|---|---|
| Galway Bay Golf Resort | Championship parkland | about €110 to €150 |
| Connemara Links | Atlantic links | about €70 to €95 |
| Galway Golf Club | Coastal parkland | about €50 to €70 |
| Gort Golf Club | Inland parkland | about €40 to €55 |
| Oughterard | Parkland | about €40 to €55 |
Package guide. A four to six night County Galway golf trip with four or five rounds, a good hotel in or near the city and a hire car commonly runs from around $2,500 to $4,800 per golfer for 2026, before flights, depending on lodging. These are third party ranges, not our prices, and you should always confirm directly before booking.
Comparing live tee times? See our recommended tee time partner for the County Galway courses.
Getting there and where to stay
Shannon airport is the closest gateway, around an hour and a quarter from Galway city, while Dublin is roughly two and a half hours by motorway across the country. A hire car is essential, as the golf spreads from the city out into Connemara and south toward the Burren, and the drive out to Ballyconneely is part of the experience.
Galway city makes the natural base, a compact and lively place full of hotels, pubs with live music and superb seafood, with most of the parkland golf within twenty minutes. For a links focused trip, a night or two out at a Connemara lodge near Clifden puts you on the doorstep of the Ballyconneely links and the wild scenery of the region.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts in and around Galway.
Plan a County Galway golf trip
Tell us roughly when you want to travel and who is in the group, and one concierge builds a costed itinerary around Connemara, Galway Bay and the best places to stay and eat, with no obligation.
County Galway golf questions
What are the best golf courses in County Galway?
Eddie Hackett's Connemara Championship Links at Ballyconneely is the marquee round, a wild Atlantic links beneath the Twelve Bens. Christy O'Connor Junior's Galway Bay Golf Resort at Oranmore is the leading parkland by the sea, with the historic Galway Golf Club at Salthill, Gort and Oughterard rounding out a varied group.
When is the best time to play golf in County Galway?
May to September gives the longest days, the warmest weather and the firmest links turf in the west of Ireland. June and September are ideal, balancing good conditions with fewer crowds. The Atlantic coast is exposed, so pack for wind and a passing shower in any month.
How much are green fees in County Galway in 2026?
Indicative 2026 green fees run from around 40 to 55 euros at Gort and Oughterard, 70 to 95 euros at Connemara and roughly 110 to 150 euros at Galway Bay, with seasonal variation. Always confirm directly before booking.
How do you get to County Galway for golf?
Fly into Shannon, around an hour and a quarter away, or Dublin, around two and a half hours by car across the country. A hire car is essential, as the best courses spread from Galway city out into Connemara and south toward the Burren.
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. Course designers, opening years and par verified June 2026 from the clubs and leading course databases; green fees indicative for 2026, always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.