Discover Some of Ireland's Greatest Links Golf Courses
There are 408 Golf clubs in Ireland, but only 53 of these are links courses.
Lee Valley Golf & Country Club
The magnificent Lee Valley Golf & Country Club is situated just 15 minutes outside Cork City Centre but yet in the heart of paradise.
Voted in the top 100 Irish Golf Courses 2006 by Golf Digest, this Cork Golf Club, designed by world famous Ryder Cup Star Christy O'Connor Jnr, is one of the top Cork Golf Courses and arguably one of the finest in Ireland.
Renowned for its breathtaking scenery and overwhelming hospitality this family run Golf Club is a must for anyone visiting Cork. We pride ourselves on our attention to detail, quality of our product and service. There is always a member of the family on hand to ensure that your experience is made truly unique and unforgettable.
Killarney Golf & Fishing Club
With 3 Championship courses the Killarney Golf & Fishing Club can offer 3 totally unique options and challenges to the golfer.
Mahony's Point the shortest of our three courses at 6,800 yards is a lakeside course with spectacular views including the famous, breathtaking 18th described by Gene Sarazen as “one of the most memorable holes in the world”.
Killeen, the jewel in the crown, re-opened in 2006 offering both spectacular lakeside scenery and also challenging golf to long hitters with water features on nearly every hole and fast greens. Nick Faldo, on winning the first of his two successive Irish Opens in 1991, was one of only three players to finish under par. That was before the changes in 2006, which will provide an even tougher challenge.
Lackabane, which opened for play in 1999 is a Parkland course providing an excellent golfing challenge with enough water hazards that add both beauty and danger in equal measure.
Enniscrone Golf Links
Enniscrone Golf Club, located in County Sligo in Northwest Ireland. Situated beside the picturesque seaside town of Enniscrone (also spelt as Inniscrone), the golf course affords panoramic views of Killala Bay, Bartra Island and sandy beaches with Nephin and the Ox Mountains forming the backdrop.
Founded in 1918, redesigned by Eddie Hackett in 1974 and by Donald Steel in 2001, this Irish championship course is one of Ireland's finest authentic golf links. Apart from the championship links known as The Dunes, there is also the splendid 9 hole Scurmore course.
County Sligo Golf Club at Rosses Point
County Sligo Golf Club is situated on the Rosses Point peninsula in the North-West of Ireland, under the shadow of the majestic Benbulben mountain. Their picturesque and challenging championship links is over 100 years old and recognized as one of Ireland's greatest courses. It is one of the most popular golf destinations in Ireland, and when you experience it, you will understand why
Carne Golf Links
Carne Golf Links in North Mayo on the West Coast of Ireland lies in magnificent unspoiled sand dunes overlooking Blacksod Bay and the wild Atlantic Ocean near the town of Belmullet. Discover Erris in North Mayo an area that is famed the world over for its golf course and white sandy atlantic beaches that stretch for miles, its bountiful wildlife and warm welcome.
Carne Golf Links was the last links course to be designed by the late Eddie Hackett and it is now believed by many who have played it to his greatest challenge.
The building of Carne has caused little disturbance to this wild and ancient landscape. Tees and greens occurred naturally and very little earth moving was involved in the course construction. There are some breathtaking views over the Atlantic and the legendary islands of Inis Glóire and Inis Géidhe.
Ballybunion Golf Club
Located on the north-west coast of County Kerry, on a beautiful stretch of sand dunes overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, you'll find two wonderfully challenging and unique links golf courses at Ballybunion - the Old Course and the Cashen Course. The Old Course exudes a majestic feel that simply cannot be compared to any other course on earth. With beautifully contoured fairways that tumble down through a blanket of grassy dunes, it's no wonder these challenging holes have been consistently rated among the top courses in the world.
The Trent Jones Cashen Course, located along the sweeping, undisturbed shoreline, offers breathtaking views throughout. There is a wild look to the place. Long grass covers the dunes that pitch and roll throughout the course.
Whatever your choice, every hole, every hazard and every shot is defined by nature's infinite presence.
Lahinch Golf Course
Lahinch is a traditional, out-and-back links and is a true classic and you'll relish every moment, specially the unique challenges of the par 5 4th followed by a blinding par 3 amidst the dunes. Offering 2 courses: Dough Castle named for the remains of the castle which can be seen on the 7th hole and the Old Course.
Tralee Golf Club
Designed and built by Arnold Palmer, this stunning setting represents a true paradise for those willing to challenge what is widely acclaimed as one of the finest links courses in the world. Smitten at first sight, Palmer would later go on record with this memorable quote: “I may have designed the first nine, but surely God designed the back nine”. It comes as no surprise to learn that, due to the majestic beauty of this setting, Palmer choose it to be his first and, arguably, his finest golf course in Europe.
Tralee, in addition to boasting a clear view of the Atlantic Ocean from every hole, has a fully qualified resident professional, fully stocked Pro Shop, a spacious and comfortable restaurant and bar and it has earned a reputation for having a most friendly and relaxed atmosphere for members and visitors alike. A trip to Southwest Ireland could not be complete without playing this most precious and unpretentious of golfing jewels.
Dooks Golf Links
The golf links is set out on one of the three stretches of sand dunes at the head of Dingle bay. In the immediate foreground are the sand dune peninsulas of Rossbeigh and Inch and just a few miles away the whitewashed houses of Cromane fishing village provide an eye-catching distraction. South eastwards are the famed McGillycuddy's Reeks, to the Southwest are the lovely cooms and hills of Glenbeigh and across the bay to the north are the Slieve Mish and Dingle mountains. A truly magical location for a stunning golf course.
Dooks Golf Links is not as exposed as some Irish courses and features and amazing variety of gorse, heather and wild flowers, the "gentle" wind is never far away and the narrow genuine sandy fairways and well contoured greens offer you a real taste of traditional golf at its very best.
Waterville Golf Course
Golf at Waterville is a mystical experience – the beauty of classic links land, surrounded by the sea, yet forever challenged and shaped by the elements.
Over 100 years old, Waterville is rated among the top 5 courses in Ireland and the top 20 links courses in the world.
Links golf combines sand dunes gorse and native grasses, firm fairways, sod faced bunkers and subtle putting surfaces all intertwined by the ever-changing weather. Forget the lob wedge. Think bump and run and creative shot making. Are you ready to walk in the footsteps of Irelands earliest golfers?
Baltray-County Louth Golf Club
County Louth Golf Club or "Baltray" as it is more affectionately known is situated 4 miles from the historic town of Drogheda at the mouth of the river Boyne. With the river to the south and the Irish Sea to the east. This is Links golf at is very best, with only the muted murmur of a ships engine to break the sounds of nature, as it quietly wends its way up river to the port.
Rated in Golf Digest's top 100 courses in the world as a "hidden gem". It is one of the top twenty five courses in the British Isles and it is in the top six in the island. Sometimes ferocious and other times benign, it provides competition for all handicaps.
Royal County Down
Royal County Down is located in one of the world’s most naturally beautiful links settings in the Murlough Nature Reserve. Against the magnificent backdrop of the Mountains of Mourne, the links stretches along the shores of Dundrum Bay, zigzagging back and forth to provide a different vista from virtually every hole.
The narrowest ribbons of fairways thread their way through as impressive a set of sand dunes as could be imagined. The fairways are surrounded by purple heather and golden gorse, so beautiful to look at but so punishing for any who may stray from the prescribed path. The ‘bearded’ bunkers are world famous and feature overhanging lips of marram, red fescue and heather. The greens are fast and many are domed, rejecting any shot lacking conviction. This is a true test of any player’s command of the traditional bump and run, the preferred way to play any links.
Royal Portrush Golf Course
Royal Portrush Golf Club is home to one of the best and most challenging links golf courses in the world, the Dunluce Links, and the hidden gem, the Valley Links. The only club in Ireland to have hosted The Open Championship, Royal Portrush is a members’ club which welcomes visitors all year round to face the challenges of its courses and to brave the testing conditions. The Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush Golf Club ranks amongst the world’s greatest courses. Voted Number 12 in the world by Golf Magazine, it is a masterpiece of golf course architecture. Unimaginable rough and testing greens, combined with the unpredictable weather of the roaring North Atlantic make this course an admirable test for even the most seasoned golf aficionado.
The Valley lies between the East Strand and the Dunluce golf course in Portrush. As its name suggests, the course is situated between the huge sand hills immediately along the Atlantic shore and the higher ground on which the Championship course is laid out.
That is not to say the holes of the course are routed over anything like plain, level lying land, far from it, as the Valley has more than its fair share of the humps, hollows and undulations to be found on any links worthy of the name.
St Anne’s Golf Course
St. Anne’s Golf Club is an impressive and testing 18-holes links golf course (par 71) situated on Dublin’s most famous ecological attraction - Bull Island Nature Reserve in Dublin Bay. The island, a bird sanctuary under the protection of Unesco, is natural links terrain of sand and dunes. The island’s beach is over three miles long. The unique setting of this famous old links with the splendid panoramic views of Howth Head and across Dublin Bay to the Wicklow mountains ensures a most relaxing and enjoyable game.
Founded in 1921, it is a member-owned golf club. In 2003 an extensive redevelopment of the course was completed. Also, that year we opened our new state-of-the-art clubhouse.
The course itself has undergone significant development over the past two years, which included the building of five new greens and eight new tee complexes. The sacred turf of the old Croke Park pitch was used to great effect in developing, strengthening and giving real definition to the back nine in St. Anne’s.
Portmarnock Golf Course
Founded in 1894, Portmarnock is consistently ranked amongst the top golf courses in the world. With a rich history closely aligned to the progression of golf in Ireland, Portmarnock has hosted many major professional and amateur events including multiple Irish Open Championships, the Walker Cup and the Irish Amateur Close Championship. From Sam Snead to Seve Ballesteros, some of golf's best known names have tested their skills on this north county Dublin sand spit. Considered by many as a fair but challenging test of golf, Portmarnock invites you to experience one of the purest links courses in the world.