County Louth Baltray: 2026 Access and Booking Update
Tom Simpson's championship links north of Dublin is one of the purest tests in Ireland and a within reach alternative to the famous southwest. Here is where Baltray stands in 2026, the fees and how to book around its championship week.
Photo via Google.
The news: the East of Ireland returns to Baltray
County Louth Golf Club, known to every Irish golfer simply as Baltray, was founded in 1892 and given its enduring shape in 1938 by the architect Tom Simpson, working with Molly Gourlay. It plays as a par 72 of around 7,031 yards on a stretch of dune land where the River Boyne meets the Irish Sea, a links of such quality that Golf Digest once called it a snapshot of the way golf should be.
The 2026 news hook is the fixture that defines the club's calendar. Baltray hosted the East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship again at the end of May 2026, as it has done annually since 1941. For travelling golfers the practical takeaway is the same every year: the course is busiest, and visitor access tightest, around championship week, so plan your dates with that in mind.
A links built on fairness
Baltray's reputation is not built on tricks or blind shots but on the opposite. Simpson laid out a links that asks honest, strategic questions: position off the tee, control into firm greens, and the nerve to attack when the wind allows. The dunes frame rather than dominate, the greens are subtle, and the more you play it the more you appreciate how little is left to luck. That is exactly why purists rate it so highly.
It is also a genuine championship venue rather than a holiday course dressed up as one, which shows in the conditioning and the strength of the closing stretch. The full facts box, signature holes and how to get on sit on our County Louth course page.
Indicative 2026 green fees and access
County Louth welcomes visitors outside club and competition times, and books tee times directly. The indicative 2026 fee sits in the band below; treat it as indicative, since the rate varies by day and season and the club restricts visitor play around its competitions.
| What you book | When | Indicative 18 holes |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor green fee | peak season, prime times | about 185 to 205 euros |
| Shoulder and off peak | spring and autumn, quieter days | usually lower |
Indicative 2026 visitor green fees, single round of 18 holes. Restricted around club and championship dates. Always confirm directly before booking.
Baltray sits about 45 minutes north of Dublin near Drogheda, which makes it one of the easiest great links in Ireland to reach. That accessibility, plus its neighbour at Seapoint a few minutes away, makes the area a natural opening or closing leg of an Irish trip rather than a long detour. Book ahead for summer and avoid the championship week unless you are there to watch.
Our take
Our take is that Baltray is one of the most underrated rounds in Irish golf. It lacks the postcard fame of the southwest names, but as a pure test of links golf it is the equal of courses that cost more and ask for longer drives to reach. For a golfer who values shot making over scenery for its own sake, it is a must play.
The smart way to use it is as a high quality bookend to a Dublin based trip. Pair it with Seapoint next door for an easy two course day on the Louth coast, set the wider route with our best links courses in Ireland ranking and the Ireland golf hub, and let our best courses in Ireland list place it among its peers.
Plan your Ireland links golf trip
Baltray is a within reach great links for a Dublin based trip. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs a route around the courses you want, working the tee sheets, with no obligation.
Questions
Who designed County Louth at Baltray and when?
County Louth Golf Club, known to golfers as Baltray, was founded in 1892, and the links was redesigned in 1938 by the architect Tom Simpson working with Molly Gourlay. It plays as a par 72 of around 7,031 yards from the back tees and is regarded as one of the purest and fairest links tests in Ireland.
Can visitors play Baltray in 2026, and what is the green fee?
Yes. County Louth welcomes visitors outside its club and competition times, and the indicative 2026 green fee sits in the region of 185 to 205 euros for 18 holes depending on day and season. Treat that as indicative, book ahead because the tee sheet is busy in summer, and confirm the current rate and any restricted dates with the club before booking.
What championship does Baltray host?
Baltray has hosted the East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship annually since 1941, one of the oldest and most prestigious fixtures in Irish amateur golf. The 2026 edition was played at the course at the end of May, which is one reason visitor access is restricted around that week each year.
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 facts, history and indicative fees verified June 2026 from club, golf travel and ratings sources; rates, seasons and access change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.