Founded in 1889, the course offers a tremendous challenge to even the most experienced golfers. With the Mourne Mountains rising up from the Irish Sea and providing a stunning backdrop to every game, Royal County Down is a scenic course. The fact that the course has five blind tee shots, which is unusual, makes it very challenging. Well-positioned bunkers demand a very high degree of accuracy with your tee shots and your iron approaches to the undulating greens. This fabulous links course played host to the Walker Cup in 2007. A course you are sure to enjoy.

The Island Golf Club, situated 15 miles from Dublin Airport, is a beautiful links course set in splendid isolation. Founded in 1890 and originally requiring golfers to take a ferry across the estuary, the golf club enjoys a unique setting, surrounded by the sea on three sides. Completely in harmony with its surroundings, the course abounds with flora and fauna, including skylarks – also found on The Island Club’s emblem. The course has recently played host to several important tournaments including Regional Qualifying for The Open, the Irish PGA and will host The Amateur Championship with Portmarnock in 2019.

Portmarnock is one of the truly great golf courses in Ireland, which is interesting as there is no famous architect name tied to this course. Opened in December 1894 as a 9-hole course, then extended in 1896 and 1971, it is classic links golf at its best and only gets better with time. The course hosted the Walker Cup in 1991, the first year it was televised. Voted as one of the best by the European PGA Tour players, Portmarnock Golf Club is located only 10 miles to the north of Dublin on Ireland’s east coast.

Royal Dublin is a links course situated on North Bull Island, just outside Dublin. The club, which celebrated its 125th anniversary in 2010, was instituted in 1885 and has been in its current location since 1889. Extensively redesigned by Harry S. Colt in the 1920s, the course has recently been brought up to date by Martin Hawtree. Like all links courses, the wind plays a large part in the game, especially over the last few testing holes. Royal Dublin is a course well worth playing.

Old Head Golf Links is one of the most remarkable developments ever conceived in the history of golf. Situated on a dramatic promontory, it rises hundreds of feet high above the Atlantic Ocean. Designed by a distinguished team, including Ron Kirby and the late Eddie Hackett, the course provides an exhilarating test of golf and concentration for players of all standards, and there is little room for error. This stunning golf course is located on the south coast of Ireland, close to the city of Cork.

Over 100 years old, the golf course at Waterville in south-west Ireland is a testing links-style course. The current course opened for play in 1973, and has undergone several recent changes and refurbishments as part of the ‘Fazio Project’. Regularly rated as one of the top 5 courses in the country, this remote course is set on a peninsula, and is surrounded by the sea on three sides. The back nine provides panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Kerry mountains. Definitely worth a visit, this is a fine links golf course.

Killarney Golf & Fishing Club is one of Ireland’s most prestigious and historic golfing venues. Located in Killarney’s National Park and surrounded by the lakes of Lough Leane, Killarney Golf & Fishing Club is a world class destination and home to two 18-hole Championship Golf Courses, Killeen and Mahony’s Point. Our flagship course is Killeen, a four-time host to The Irish Open and is a “must play” for golfers visiting Killarney. The club has hosted several major National and International tournaments, both professional and amateur.

The first Arnold Palmer designed course in Europe, this course opened in 1984. The magnificent 18-hole links is set in spectacular scenery on the Barrow peninsula, surrounded on three sides by the sea. It is a challenging course, with the first nine being relatively flat holes and set on a cliff top; the second nine, by contrast, are built on dunes and Palmer famously quipped ‘I designed the first nine, but surely God designed the back nine’. This tough course is well-worth the drive and is one of the top links courses in Ireland.

The world-famous Old Course at Ballybunion is consistently rated among the top ten courses in the world. A true seaside links, the sharp contours and high sand dunes make the Old Course a truly magnificent challenge. Combine this with the wind, which is prevalent here, and you have a gem of a golf course that is not to be missed.

Fully redesigned and rebuilt in 2016-2017 to championship-worthy specifications, The Golf Course at Adare Manor offers a spectacular golfing experience amid the breath-taking surroundings of the parkland estate. Planted throughout with mature trees, gorgeously landscaped, and bound by the peaceful waters of the River Maigue, the course offers ever-changing vistas and breath-taking approaches to each hole. Every bit as strategic as it is scenic, this is a course which demands precision but rewards risk and courage.

Designed by Greg Norman and opened in 2002, this much anticipated course has managed to live up to its hype. Now regarded as one of Ireland’s must-play golf courses, Trump International Golf Links, Ireland won the 2010 IAGTO golf resort of the year. Set in amongst sand dunes, the Atlantic Ocean is visible from 16 of the 18 holes. Trump International Golf Links, Ireland is located 30 minutes south of Lahinch on the west coast of Ireland.

Originally laid out by Old Tom Morris in 1894, the Old Course at Lahinch is one of Ireland’s great links courses. A must on any itinerary covering the west coast of Ireland, you will not be disappointed by this wonderful, historic golf course; 2 of Morris’s original holes – the Klondyke (4th) and Dell (5th) – are still in play today. This course is the permanent home of the South of Ireland Open Amateur Championship which was first played in 1895.

Ireland’s most westerly course, Carne is well worth a visit for golfers in this area of Ireland. Set in magnificent, unspoiled dunes, with views out to Blacksod Bay and the Atlantic Ocean, the elevated tees and plateau greens exploit this course’s lovely natural setting. The last links course to be designed by Eddie Hackett, this is considered by many to be his finest. Be wary of deceptively tricky doglegs and lurking bunkers on this challenging links golf course.

Enniscrone Golf Club boasts some of the most spectacular duneland in western Europe, which is home to the renowned Dunes Championship 18-hole course. The links offers golfers stunning views of Killala Bay, the Moy Estuary, Bartragh Island and the Nephin and Ox Mountain ranges, as well as the surrounding west Sligo countryside. For a raw links experience, Enniscrone is hard to beat. The golf course itself weaves its way through some of Ireland’s highest dunes, which tower above the golfer as one plays the Dunes course, and provide a stunning backdrop to the holes created by Eddie Hackett and Donald Steel.

Now considered to be one of the top links courses in Ireland, County Sligo is host to a number of competitions, including the West of Ireland Championships and Internationals. Set in an elevated position on cliffs above three large beaches, the prevailing winds provide an additional challenge. Opened in 1894 as a 9-hole course, County Sligo was extended to 18 holes in 1931 by Harry S. Colt.

Founded in 1947, this is Ireland’s most northerly course. Faldo described it as the most natural golf course he had ever played; “an undiscovered masterpiece” – the Royal Dornoch of Ireland. Constant pressure on the course and clubhouse by locals and visitors led to the creation of the sister course the Glashedy. Glashedy played host to the Irish Seniors Open in 2006. Both courses are well worth a visit.

In 2009, the Strand Nine opened at Rosapenna to replace the original back nine which played across the main road on a number of holes. These new links holes are now played as the front nine & are routed through the low lying dunes to the east of the Sandy Hills Links. The original back nine of the Old Links, known as the ‘Coastguard Holes’ are now played as a separate nine hole course beginning & finishing at the practice ground.  Running to just under 7,000 yards off the championship markers the Stand and Valley nines which now make up the Old Tom Morris Links are a testing combination of traditional and modern links holes which bridge a century of golf design influences.

Portstewart is a difficult but fair open links course, giving magnificent views of Donegal Hills, the rolling Atlantic, Strand Beach and the River Bann. The Strand Course is of championship standard, and is now, arguably, vying with Royal County Down as the finest course in Northern Ireland. A must-play for any golfer visiting the north, the Strand course has played host to major events such as the Irish Amateur Championship, British Girls’ Championship and final qualifying for the Open Championship.

One of three ‘Royal’ courses in Northern Ireland, Portrush is steeped in history. The only course in Ireland to have hosted the Open Championship (1951, when Max Faulkner won) it is on everybody’s shortlist of top Irish courses, a great test of any golfer’s nerves and shot-making ability. The course is famous not only for its magnificent turf and superb golf holes but also for its lovely setting, overlooked by the ruins of Dunluce Castle. A must play on any itinerary for golfers who are visiting Northern Ireland, Royal Portrush hosted the 2012 Irish Open and The 148th Open in 2019.