The Island: 2026 Access and Booking Update
The Island is the wild card of Dublin links golf, a tumbling course routed through some of the tallest dunes in Ireland on a spit of land across the estuary from Malahide. Twenty five minutes from the airport, it is one of the easiest great links to add to a trip. Here is where access, booking and fees stand for 2026.
The news: Dublin's other great links keeps climbing
The story at The Island in 2026 is momentum. Long overshadowed by its more famous neighbour across the water at Portmarnock, the club has spent recent years rising up the rankings and onto more visitors' itineraries, helped by a routing that uses its extraordinary dune ground better than ever. As the Open Championship conversation pulls attention to north Dublin links golf, The Island is the round that lets a group play two top tier courses in one short stay.
For trip planners, the practical takeaway is access plus location. The Island remains a welcoming semi private club, and its position roughly 25 minutes from Dublin Airport makes it the ideal opening or closing round of an Irish trip. That convenience, paired with rising demand, means the best 2026 summer tee times are worth locking in early.
The course itself
The Island plays as a par 71 of around 6,685 yards on a peninsula at Donabate in County Dublin. The club was founded in 1890, among the first dozen in Ireland, and the course today carries the fingerprints of Fred Hawtree and Eddie Hackett, with later refinement by Martin Hawtree that opened up views and strengthened the routing through the sandhills.
What you remember is the dunes. Fairways thread between towering ridges of marram covered sand, several of them blind or semi blind, with the estuary and Malahide in view across the water. The closing holes along the shore are a thrilling, exposed finish where the wind has the final word. It is a wilder, more intimate experience than the grand fairness of Portmarnock, and the contrast is exactly why the two pair so well.
How to play it in 2026
Access is comfortable. The Island welcomes visitors most days outside member times, with advance booking essential, and tee times can be reserved through the club or the usual booking channels. The links plays year round, but for the firm turf and the long evenings, the May to September window is what most visitors want.
On cost, the indicative 2026 green fee runs from around 175 to 295 euro for eighteen holes, depending on the season and the time of day, with shoulder and twilight rates at the lower end. Those figures are set by the club and move year to year, so treat them as indicative and always confirm the current fee and availability directly with The Island before booking. It is a fine walk, so take a caddie if one is available.
Our take
Our take is that The Island is the most underrated great links near Dublin, and an easy yes on any Irish trip. The dunes alone justify the round, the convenience to the airport is a planning gift, and the value relative to the marquee names is real. Play it once and most golfers come away surprised it is not better known.
If you are building a Dublin itinerary in 2026, pair The Island with Portmarnock across the estuary and Royal Dublin at Bull Island for a three links city break that needs no long drives. Use The Island as the first or last round around your flights, and let the bigger names anchor the middle of the trip.
Plan your Dublin links trip
From the wild dunes of The Island to Portmarnock and Royal Dublin, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
Can visitors play The Island in 2026?
Yes. The Island is a semi private club that welcomes visitors most days, with advance booking essential. It sits about 25 minutes from Dublin Airport, which makes it an easy first or last round of an Ireland trip, so reserve summer tee times well ahead.
How much does it cost to play The Island?
The indicative 2026 green fee runs from around 175 to 295 euro for eighteen holes depending on season and time of day. Rates are set by the club and change year to year, so always confirm the current fee directly with The Island before booking.
What makes The Island special?
Founded in 1890, The Island runs through some of the tallest dunes in Irish golf on a spit of land across the estuary from Malahide. Narrow, tumbling fairways framed by towering sandhills give it a wild, intimate character that few links can match so close to a capital city.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course, season and access details verified June 2026 from club and golf travel sources; conditions and green fees change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.