World class links every day, friendly clubs, and evenings of music and pints, all along the Wild Atlantic Way. Ireland is the buddies trip by which others are measured, and one concierge can route the whole run from one famous course to the next.
Photograph: Ballybunion Golf Club, Peter Wortmann, via Google
A buddies golf trip to Ireland is the gold standard of the genre. The southwest alone strings together more great links than almost anywhere on earth, Ballybunion, Lahinch, Waterville and Tralee among them, all within a comfortable drive along the Wild Atlantic Way, and the welcome in the clubs and the pubs is as much a part of the trip as the golf. It suits the fourball that wants a championship links every day, the society that wants a route that flows naturally from course to course, and the milestone group that wants the bucket list links of Kerry and Clare with the craic to match.
The classic version bases around Shannon and works down through Lahinch and the Clare coast into Kerry for Ballybunion, Tralee and Waterville, with the spectacular Old Head of Kinsale or Doonbeg as options for a fuller week. Groups flying into Dublin can build a different trip around Portmarnock and the County Down links to the north. Either way, the format is the same: links by day, pints by night, and a driver to make both painless.
The headline round and, for many, the finest links in Ireland, the Old Course runs along the cliffs above the Atlantic with the dunes pressing in and the famous graveyard beside the first tee. Wild, natural and humbling, it is the course most buddies trips are built around.
The St Andrews of Ireland, an Old Tom Morris links later reworked by Alister MacKenzie, full of quirk and charm among the Clare dunes, with the famous blind Dell and Klondyke holes. A joyous, characterful round and the natural Clare anchor of the trip.
A majestic links on the Ring of Kerry, long associated with the great players who tuned up here before the Open, with big dunes, a stern back nine and one of the most scenic settings in golf. The drive around the peninsula is a trip highlight in itself.
Arnold Palmer's first design in Europe, set on a spectacular stretch of the Kerry coast with a front nine along the cliffs and a back nine plunging through giant dunes. Thrilling, scenic and a perfect partner to Ballybunion and Waterville in a Kerry week.
Designers and course details verified June 2026 from the clubs and recognized course sources. Green fees move with season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
Fly into Shannon, drive to the Clare coast and open with the quirky, joyous links at Lahinch, then a night in the village.
Down the coast to Kerry for the Old Course at Ballybunion, the headline round on the cliffs, then settle into a Kerry base.
Arnold Palmer's dramatic links through the dunes, a short drive from base, with an evening of music in town.
The scenic run around the Ring of Kerry to the majestic links at Waterville, a trip highlight on and off the course.
A last links or a return to a favorite before transfers back to Shannon or Kerry airport to fly out.
Shannon is the natural gateway for the southwest, with Kerry airport handy for the Kerry leg. A driver or a hire car keeps the days flexible and the evenings sociable. Caddies can be arranged at the marquee links and are well worth it on the big dunes courses.
| Style | Per person, 2026 | What it usually includes |
|---|---|---|
| Long weekend | From around $1,400 to $2,400 | 3 nights, 3 rounds around Shannon, comfortable hotels, a driver option |
| Classic links week | From around $2,400 to $4,400 | 5 nights, Ballybunion, Lahinch, Waterville, Tralee, good hotels and transfers |
| Bucket list with extras | From around $4,400 upward | Best lodging, caddies throughout, Old Head or Doonbeg added, dining |
Indicative third party operator package ranges for the 2026 season, excluding flights, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking.
The links season runs from spring to autumn, with May to September the prime window for the longest days, the firmest turf and the best chance of dry weather, though Ireland's coast is exposed and the wind sets the tempo whenever you go. Late spring and early September trade a little weather risk for quieter tee sheets and softer rates. Book the marquee links such as Ballybunion and Lahinch well ahead, since the best summer times fill months in advance, and build in a buffer day for weather.
Tell us the group size, 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 is the buddies trip by which others are measured, a coastline of world class links, friendly clubs and great pubs, all within a manageable drive. The southwest alone strings Ballybunion, Lahinch, Waterville and Tralee along the Wild Atlantic Way. It suits the group that wants championship links every day, evenings of music and pints, and a route that flows from one famous course to the next.
A southwest trip builds around Ballybunion's Old Course and Lahinch, the Old Tom Morris and MacKenzie links in Clare. Add Waterville on the Ring of Kerry and Tralee, Arnold Palmer's dramatic links, and consider Old Head of Kinsale or Doonbeg for a fuller week. Dublin trips lean on Portmarnock and the County Down links to the north.
Five to seven nights is the sweet spot, enough to play four or five great links with a rest day built in. A long weekend can take in two or three courses around Shannon, while a full week lets a group play the whole southwest run or combine it with the north. Build in a buffer day for weather, since the wind sets the tempo.
May to September is the prime window for long days, firm turf and the best chance of dry weather, though the links are exposed and wind and rain are part of the experience. Late spring and early autumn are quieter and softer on rates. Book the marquee links well ahead, since the best summer times fill months in advance.
Links tee sheet windows, course access changes and the buddies trips worth moving on first. Every other week.