Ireland Golf Course Renovations to Watch in 2026
Ireland's great links are being readied for their close ups. Lahinch is investing millions in a new clubhouse ahead of hosting the Walker Cup, while Portmarnock's rebranded Jameson Golf Links has completed a seaside remodel. Here is what is changing and what it means for visiting golfers.
The headline: Lahinch builds for the Walker Cup
The project to watch is at Lahinch on the Clare coast, the great Old Tom Morris and Alister MacKenzie links that hosts the Walker Cup in 2026. To prepare for the amateur game's biggest team match, the club is investing a reported five million pounds, with a sympathetic upgrade of its sixty year old clubhouse rather than a demolition. The course itself, with its blind par 3 Dell and the towering Klondyke, is the kind of revered links that custodians touch lightly, so the work concentrates on the facilities and the staging.
A Walker Cup is a rare honour for any links, and the investment around it is a vote of confidence in one of Ireland's most beloved courses. For travelling golfers the headline is simple: Lahinch will be in the global spotlight in 2026 and presented at its very best, so it belongs near the top of any west of Ireland itinerary, with the caveat that demand and any staging works around the match will tighten the tee sheet.
The wider picture
North of Dublin, the resort course at Portmarnock has completed a substantial remodel. The former Bernhard Langer design of 1995, reimagined by Jeff Lynch in a project that spanned two years, has been reborn as the Jameson Golf Links, with many tees and greens raised to bring the sea into view and frame the Velvet Strand and Ireland's Eye. Nearby, the historic Portmarnock championship links has been part of the conversation around a future Open Championship, a sign of how seriously Irish links are now taken on the world stage.
That ambition runs through the whole country. Adare Manor in County Limerick, comprehensively rebuilt by Tom Fazio, is preparing to host the Ryder Cup later this decade and sets a new standard for conditioning and presentation in Ireland. Between a Walker Cup links, an Open contender and a Ryder Cup host, the Irish golf calendar has rarely looked stronger.
What it means for your trip
For a 2026 Irish golf trip the southwest remains the classic route. Build around the Clare and Kerry coast, where Lahinch sits within easy reach of Ballybunion, Tralee and Doonbeg for a week of world class links, and time your Lahinch round to either side of the Walker Cup if you want to see the course at championship pitch. Confirm tee times early, as the match will draw heavy demand to the region.
Dublin makes the other natural base, pairing the two Portmarnock links and Royal Dublin on the coast north of the city with The Island and County Louth a short drive away. Wherever you go, the Irish links season runs roughly May to September at its most reliable, and green fees at the marquee courses are premium and seasonal, so always confirm current rates directly before booking.
Our take
Ireland is doing this exactly right. Faced with hosting the Walker Cup, Lahinch is spending on its clubhouse and its staging while leaving its sacred links alone, the correct instinct for a course of that pedigree. Add a freshly remodelled Jameson Links, an Open contender at Portmarnock and a Ryder Cup in waiting at Adare Manor, and the country has never had more reason to visit. Plan around the southwest or Dublin, book early for 2026, and confirm tee times and fees before you commit.
Plan your Irish golf trip
From Walker Cup Lahinch and the links of Clare and Kerry to the two Portmarnock courses near Dublin, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
Why is Lahinch being renovated in 2026?
Lahinch hosts the Walker Cup in 2026 and is investing a reported five million pounds, chiefly a sympathetic upgrade of its sixty year old clubhouse rather than a demolition. The course itself, a revered Old Tom Morris and MacKenzie links, is being touched only lightly.
What changed at Portmarnock's resort course?
The former Bernhard Langer design of 1995 has been reimagined by Jeff Lynch over a two year project and rebranded the Jameson Golf Links, with many tees and greens raised to bring the sea into view across the Velvet Strand.
When is the best time to play golf in Ireland?
The links season is most reliable from May to September. Book early for 2026 given the Walker Cup at Lahinch, and confirm green fees and tee times directly before booking.
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. Renovation and event details verified June 2026 from club and industry sources; fees and schedules change, so always confirm directly. Last reviewed June 2026.