Golf in Ireland
The greatest concentration of links golf on earth, from Royal County Down beneath the Mountains of Mourne to the wild dunes of Kerry and Clare. The courses that matter, the regions, the seasons and how to plan it.
Photograph: Royal County Down Golf Club, via Google
Why golf in Ireland
No country packs as much great links golf into as small a space as Ireland. The island holds more than thirty genuine championship links, and several of them sit near the top of every world ranking: Royal County Down and Royal Portrush in the north, Ballybunion, Lahinch and Waterville in the south west, Portmarnock on the Dublin coast. The dunes are taller, the fairways more tumbling and the welcome warmer than almost anywhere in the game, and the whole island is small enough that a week can take in two or three regions of world class links without a long transfer.
Ireland is also having a moment on the world stage. Royal Portrush staged the Open Championship in 2019 and again in 2025, and the 2027 Ryder Cup comes to Adare Manor in County Limerick, the first time the match has been held in Ireland since 2006. For a travelling golfer that means the best links in the world, a culture that treats the game as a pleasure rather than a chore, and pubs and hotels that turn every evening into part of the trip.
The regions
The North
Royal County Down and Royal Portrush, two of the very best links on earth, within an easy drive of Belfast and Newcastle, with Portstewart and Castlerock along the Causeway Coast nearby.
The South West
The wild Atlantic links of Kerry and Clare: Ballybunion, Lahinch, Waterville, Tralee, Doonbeg and Old Head, spread along the coast and worth every mile between them.
The East and Dublin
Portmarnock, The Island and Royal Dublin close to the airport, plus The K Club and Carton House inland, the easiest region to combine with a short trip or a city stay.
The courses that matter
Royal County Down
Routinely ranked the finest links in the world outside the United States, a savage, beautiful test beneath the Mountains of Mourne with blind drives and bearded bunkers.
Royal Portrush, Dunluce
The Causeway Coast masterpiece that staged the Open in 2019 and again in 2025, with the famous Calamity Corner and one of the great closing stretches in links golf.
Ballybunion, Old Course
The course Tom Watson called the best in the world to learn links golf, a roller coaster of giant dunes hard against the Atlantic in north Kerry.
Lahinch, Old Course
The St Andrews of Ireland, a quirky, joyful links in a County Clare seaside town, with the blind Klondyke and Dell holes that have survived every modernisation.
Waterville
A long, handsome links on the Ring of Kerry, remote and serene, a longtime favourite of touring professionals preparing for the Open.
Portmarnock, Championship
A classic, fair championship links on a peninsula north of Dublin, a former Irish Open host and the easiest world class round to combine with the city and the airport.
Old Head of Kinsale
The most dramatic clifftop course in the game, laid across a headland that juts two miles into the Atlantic, with nine holes playing along the cliff edge.
Tralee
Arnold Palmer's first European design, a thrilling links where the front nine hugs the beach and the back climbs into towering dunes.
Trump International Doonbeg
A modern links of huge dunes and a crescent beach on the Clare coast, with a luxury resort that makes it a natural base for the south west.
Carne Golf Links
The most remote great links in Ireland, out on the Mullet Peninsula in Mayo, a wild, towering dunescape that rewards the journey to the far west.
Adare Manor
The parkland showpiece that will host the 2027 Ryder Cup, a lavishly rebuilt course and five star manor hotel that anchors a luxury trip in the south west.
The K Club, Palmer South
The Ryder Cup host of 2006, a manicured parkland resort near Dublin built for groups, with two courses, a hotel and easy access from the city.
Designers and host history verified June 2026. Course profiles are added across the site as the directory grows. Always confirm visitor access and fees directly before booking.
When to go
| Season | Conditions | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| May to September | Warmest, driest, daylight past 10pm in midsummer | Prime links season, book the marquee tee times early |
| April and October | Cooler, windier, a higher chance of rain | Quieter shoulder months with softer rates |
| November to March | Wet and windy, short days, some courses on winter greens | Hardy golf only, the cheapest and emptiest of the year |
Irish links play through the wind in any season, so pack for four seasons in a day whenever you travel. The 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor will make the south west especially busy that autumn.
Indicative costs
| Item | Indicative 2026 | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Marquee green fee | Around €250 to €350, more at the very top | Royal County Down, Ballybunion, Lahinch, Waterville in summer |
| Royal Portrush, Dunluce | Around £320 to £600 | Varies by day and season |
| A week, all in | Around €3,000 to €6,000 per person | Marquee links, 4 to 5 star hotels, a driver, excluding flights |
Indicative third party figures for the 2026 season, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
Getting there and around
Ireland is served by two main gateways for a golf trip. Dublin is the busiest, with direct flights from across Europe and North America and the eastern links a short drive away, while Belfast and the City of Derry airport put you closest to Royal County Down and the Causeway Coast in the north. Shannon in the west is the smart arrival for a south west trip, dropping you within an hour of Lahinch, Ballybunion and the Kerry links. A hire car or a private driver is essential once you leave the cities, since the great links are rural and the drives between Kerry and Clare or Down and Dublin are part of the experience.
Where to stay
Match the base to the region. In the north, Newcastle for Royal County Down and the Portrush area for the Causeway Coast keep the marquee rounds close. In the south west, the resort hotels at Adare Manor, Trump Doonbeg and the Ballybunion and Killarney towns put you among the links, with Killarney a lively base for touring Kerry. On the east coast, a Dublin city hotel pairs the golf at Portmarnock and The Island with the restaurants and the airport. Book the resort hotels well ahead for the summer, and let one planner line up the right base for each leg.
Plan your Ireland golf trip
Tell us the courses you want and roughly when. One concierge costs the whole trip to the head and replies within one working day, with no obligation.
Ireland golf questions
When is the best time to play golf in Ireland?
May to September is the prime window, with the longest daylight, the warmest weather and the firmest links in June and July. April and October are quieter and cheaper shoulder months with a higher chance of wind and rain. Irish links play through the wind in any season, so pack for four seasons in a day.
Which is better, the north or the south of Ireland?
Both are world class and many trips combine them. The north holds Royal County Down and Royal Portrush within an easy drive of Belfast. The south west links of Kerry and Clare are more spread out but unforgettable, and the Dublin coast adds Portmarnock and The Island close to the airport.
How much does a golf trip to Ireland cost in 2026?
Indicative 2026 summer fees run to around €350 at Royal County Down, around £320 to £600 at Royal Portrush, and roughly €250 to €320 at Ballybunion, Lahinch and Waterville. A week of marquee links with hotels and a driver typically lands between €3,000 and €6,000 per head. Always confirm directly before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Irish links openings, Royal Portrush and County Down booking windows and the 2027 Ryder Cup build up. Every other week.