County Mayo Golf Holidays
Mayo is the Ireland golf trip before the crowds found it: Eddie Hackett's last and wildest links at Carne, Fred Hawtree parkland under the holy mountain at Westport, and green fees that read like a different decade. Here is who it suits, the courses to build around, a costed five night route and when to book it.
Photograph: Carne Golf Links, via Google
Who a Mayo trip suits
Golfers who have done the marquee Irish southwest, or who never wanted the marquee version in the first place. Mayo is for the group that rates golf by dunes and welcome rather than by famous names: at 110 euro, Carne costs roughly a quarter of the peak rate at the most famous links of County Kerry, and you will often have the back nine to yourselves. It also suits mixed groups: Westport is one of Ireland's best small towns for non golfers, the Great Western Greenway cycle route runs along Clew Bay past Mulranny, and the county itself carries Achill Island, Croagh Patrick and Ashford Castle. What it is not: a buggy and resort trip. This is self drive, weather honest links golf, and that is the point.
The courses to build around
Three anchors. Carne Golf Links at Belmullet is the headline: the last links Eddie Hackett ever designed, opened in 1993 through some of the biggest dunes in Irish golf, with the Kilmore nine added in 2013 to a Jim Engh and Ally McIntosh design making 27 holes in all. The 2026 visitor rate is 110 euro. Westport Golf Club, founded 1908 with its current Fred Hawtree course opened in 1973, rolls along Clew Bay beneath Croagh Patrick, stretches to 6,980 yards with five par 5s, has hosted the Irish Amateur Close and the Irish PGA Championship, and asks 75 euro in 2026. And twenty minutes past Ballina, just over the Sligo border, Enniscrone's Dunes course completes the trio at 195 euro, the most polished links of the three. Around them sit the charmers: Mulranny's nine hole links of 1896 on the Greenway, the nine at Keel on Achill Island behind the beach, and Ballinrobe's parkland on the Cloonacastle estate, founded 1895.
A five night Mayo structure that works
| Day | The plan |
|---|---|
| Day 1 · Arrive | Fly into Ireland West Airport at Knock, an hour from Westport, or drive about three hours from Dublin. Check in at Westport, walk the town, early dinner on Bridge Street |
| Day 2 · Westport GC | Westport Golf Club under Croagh Patrick, 75 euro. Big hitters get five par 5s; everyone gets the Clew Bay views. Afternoon free for the Greenway or Croagh Patrick's lower slopes |
| Day 3 · Carne | The day trip the trip is for: about 90 minutes north to Belmullet for Carne, 110 euro. Play the championship 18, add the Kilmore nine if the legs allow, and budget the whole day |
| Day 4 · Clew Bay day | Rest day with golf in it: nine holes at Mulranny on the bay, founded 1896, or the nine at Keel on Achill Island behind one of Ireland's great beaches. Non golfers take the Greenway by bike |
| Day 5 · Enniscrone | East via Ballina to Enniscrone's Dunes course, 195 euro, the most complete links of the week. Caddies bookable in advance. Final night in Westport, or sleep at Enniscrone to shorten the morning |
| Day 6 · Depart | Knock airport is under an hour from both bases. With a later flight, County Sligo at Rosses Point makes a famous bonus round on the way |
Round the trip up to seven nights by adding County Sligo and Connemara, Eddie Hackett's other west coast giant, an hour and a half south. Check tee times · Browse stays.
Costs, stays and when to book
The green fee math is gentle: the four core rounds above total roughly 400 to 450 euro per player at 2026 rates, less than a single peak round at Ireland's most famous names. Third party operators and self built trips alike typically land a five night Mayo holiday around 1,100 to 1,900 euro per person with three to four star lodging, car split between four and the golf included, before flights; those ranges are indicative for the 2026 season and always confirm directly before booking. Westport town is the natural base, with hotels for every budget; Belmullet has simple, friendly options if you would rather wake up next to Carne; and Ashford Castle at Cong, the five star castle estate with its own private nine, turns the same golf into a luxury week for couples, in the spirit of our luxury Ireland tours page.
Book summer tee times at Carne and Enniscrone three to six months out; both welcome visitors daily but the prime morning slots go first, and Westport asks for advance booking with a handicap. May to September is the season, June and July give daylight past 10pm, and April or October trade certainty for value. Caddies exist at Enniscrone, around 75 euro for a senior caddie plus tip, and trolleys everywhere; our Ireland caddie guide covers the etiquette. For the wider context, see green fees in Ireland, our Ireland trip planning guide, and the best courses in County Mayo ranking. If Mayo is one leg of a longer loop, the 10 day coastal itinerary and the broader Ireland golf holidays page show where it fits.
Plan your County Mayo golf trip
Tell us your group, your month and how wild you want the links, and one concierge books Carne, Westport and Enniscrone, sorts the base and costs the trip to the head. No obligation.
Mayo golf holiday questions
How many days do you need for a Mayo golf trip?
Five nights is the sweet spot: Carne, Westport and Enniscrone with a Clew Bay nine and a rest day, never changing hotel more than once. A long weekend works if you limit it to Carne plus Westport from a single Westport base.
What does golf in County Mayo cost?
Remarkably little for the quality. Indicative 2026 high season visitor rates: Carne 110 euro, Westport 75 euro, Enniscrone's Dunes 195 euro. A five night self drive trip typically lands around 1,100 to 1,900 euro per person with three to four star lodging, before flights. Always confirm directly before booking.
When is the best time for a Mayo golf holiday?
May to September for the long evenings and the best links weather, with June and July giving daylight past 10pm. April and October are honest value windows if you accept wilder Atlantic weather. Book summer tee times at Carne and Enniscrone three to six months ahead.
What airport do you fly into for Mayo golf?
Ireland West Airport at Knock is the local door, about an hour from Westport and from Enniscrone, with UK connections. Dublin is roughly three hours away and usually has better long haul fares; Shannon works if Mayo joins a west coast route through Clare and Galway.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and 2026 fees verified June 2026 against club published rates. Last reviewed June 2026.