Ireland
Ireland is quite simply a golfers paradise. Golf courses are everywhere - and their numbers are growing as each year passes. Whether it is coastal links gems you are looking for, usually complete with stunning sea views, or parkland treasures away from the coast, no country is better equipped than Ireland to meet your needs.
If quantity and variety are well catered for, so to is quality. Every golf course in Ireland, including all the great name courses, are accessible to visiting golfers. There are no courses here which are exclusively for "members only". If you are on a tightish budget, there are always good value courses to be found in any neighbourhood, and many hidden gems can be counted in their number. To make the most of your golfing trip, and to help in your planning, you can look up the location of the best courses in Ireland on our customised maps.
Visitors welcome
Limerick
Original design by Robert Trent Jones Sr (1995); significantly revamped by Tom Fazio (2017).
Wkends restrictd
Belfast
David Jones
Visitors welcome
Athlone
J. McAllister
Wkends restrictd
Killarney
Robert Trent Jones Sr.
Wkends restrictd
Killarney
Original layout by club professional James McKenna. After 8 yrs of closure, a new 9-hole layout was designed by Lionel Hewson (1906), and extended to 18-holes in 1926. Additional modifications made by Tom Simpson (1937) and Tom Watson (1995).
Visitors welcome
Londonderry
Pat Ruddy & Tom Craddock
Visitors welcome
Londonderry
Ballyliffin's original nine-hole course dated back to 1947. Between 1970 and 1973 a "new course" was brought into play on neighbouring ground, replacing the original nine holes. This new layout (now known as the Old Links) was designed by Eddie Hackett with input from local agricultural adviser Martin Hopkins, and English course architects Frank Pennink and Charles Lawrie. Recent modifications to the Old Links were made by Nick Faldo (2005). The Glashedy Links dates from 1995.
Visitors welcome
Dundalk
Pat Ruddy & Tom Craddock
Visitors welcome
Limerick
Des Smyth & Declan Branigan
Visitors welcome
Galway
Robert J. "Bobby" Brown
Visitors welcome
Killarney
Original design by Arthur Spring (1994). Course redesigned by Tom Mackenzie of Mackenzie & Ebert Golf Course Architects (2007).
Visitors welcome
Belfast
Harry Colt
Visitors welcome
Kilkenny
Original design by Cecil Barcroft (1899). Later modifications to greens and bunkering by Tom Simpson & Molly Gourlay (1937).
Visitors welcome
Sligo
Eddie Hackett
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Colin Montgomerie & Stan Eby
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Mark O'Meara & Tim Lobb
Visitors welcome
Killarney
Dr Arthur Spring
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Jonathan Gaunt
Wkends restrictd
Coleraine
Ben Sayers
Visitors welcome
Dundalk
Christy O’Connor Sr & Jr
Visitors welcome
Galway
Eddie Hackett
Visitors welcome
Cork
Dr Alister MacKenzie redesigned the course, extending it to 18-holes in 1927.
Visitors welcome
Dundalk
Current layout by Cecil Barcroft (1914); substantially modified by Tom Simpson & Molly Gourlay (1938).
Visitors welcome
Sligo
Original 18-hole layout by Capt William Campbell (1906); substantially redesigned by Harry Colt (1927-31).
Visitors welcome
Londonderry
Michael Doherty
Visitors welcome
Killarney
Eddie Hackett & Christy O'Connor Jr.
Not Mondays
Sligo
Eddie Hackett
Visitors welcome
Killarney
Original layout designed by the club members, with several subsequent makeovers. Substantial redesign by Martin Hawtree (2005).
Visitors welcome
Limerick
Original layout designed by American course architect Brook L. Wigginton (1961). Significant improvements made by Ron Kirby and Joe Carr (2003).
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Pat Ruddy & Tom Craddock
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Pat Ruddy
Visitors welcome
Limerick
Philip Walton
Visitors welcome
Waterford
Five Enterprises (Dublin)
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Original course designed by Harry Colt (1920). New course at the current Ballyman Glen location, designed by Hawtree Ltd (2006).
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Mel Flanagan
Visitors welcome
Sligo
Eddie Hackett designed the expansion from nine to 18 holes (1974). Donald Steel added a further nine holes (1999).
Visitors welcome
Athlone
Christy O'Connor Jr.
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Pat Ruddy
Visitors welcome
Waterford
Patrick J. Merrigan
Visitors welcome
Cork
Original Deerpark course designed by Christy O'Connor Jr & Peter McEvoy; modified by Jeff Howes (1999). Howes also designed Fota Island's nine new holes (2006).
Visitors welcome
Coleraine
Simon Gidman
Visitors welcome
Galway
Christy O'Connor Jr.
Wkends restrictd
Galway
Dr Alister MacKenzie laid out the current course in the early-1920s.
Visitors welcome
Athlone
Christy O'Connor Jr.
Visitors welcome
Waterford
Original nine hole layout from 1939. Extended to a full 18 by Maurice Fives (1997).
Not Saturdays
Dublin
James Braid
Visitors welcome
Dundalk
New course designed by Christy O'Connor Jr (2000); the Old courses dates from 1930.
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Seve Ballesteros & Jeff Howes
Visitors welcome
Killarney
Robert Trent Jones Jr.
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Original layout created by various members; major redesign and improvements subsequently made by Fred Hawtree, Eddie Hackett (1985) and Martin Hawtree.
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Palmer North course: designed by Arnold Palmer & Ed Seay (1991).
Palmer South course: Arnold Palmer Design Company (2003; lead designer Harrison Minchew).
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Palmer North course: designed by Arnold Palmer & Ed Seay (1991).
Palmer South course: Arnold Palmer Design Company (2003; lead designer Harrison Minchew).
Visitors welcome
Kilkenny
Jack McDaid and Jim Cassidy
Visitors welcome
Killarney
Original design by Dr William (Billy) O'Sullivan & Fred Hawtree, with a subsequent redesign by Tom MacKenzie (2006).
Visitors welcome
Killarney
Donald Steel
Visitors welcome
Killarney
Sir Guy Campbell & Henry Longhurst
Visitors welcome
Dublin
A Jack Nicklaus Signature Course
Visitors welcome
Limerick
Redesigned by Dr Arthur Spring in 1994.
Visitors welcome
Belfast
James Braid
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Christy O'Connor Jr.
Not Saturdays
Belfast
Current course designed in the early 1920s by the firm of Colt, Mackenzie & Alison (Harry Colt, Alister Mackenzie and Charles Hugh Alison).
Visitors welcome
Limerick
Original layout by Old Tom Morris. Significant later modifications by Dr Alister MacKenzie (1920s); MacKenzie left untouched Morris's best holes (e.g. par-5 4th, par-3 5th). Further enhancements by Martin Hawtree (2003).
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Nick Bielenberg
Visitors welcome
Sligo
Tony Carroll
Visitors welcome
Sligo
Nick Faldo
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Tom MacKenzie (of Donald Steel & Co) designed the 2005/06 revamp of the Luttrellstown Castle course.
Visitors welcome
Belfast
Original course at this location designed by Commander John Harris from C.K. Cotton & Assocs (1962). Later modifications by Hawtree & Son (1965).
Visitors welcome
Kilkenny
Jack Nicklaus
Visitors welcome
Athlone
Michael Dolan
Visitors welcome
Galway
Unknown
Visitors welcome
Londonderry
The layout has evolved over the years with inputs from Hughie McNeill, Leo Wallace, various members, and most recently Eddie Connaughton (2004).
Visitors welcome
Athlone
Peter McEvoy
Visitors welcome
Cork
A collaborative design involving Ron Kirby, Paddy Merrigan, Liam Higgins, Eddie Hackett and Dr. Joe Carr.
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Christy O'Connor Jr.
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Original layout by founders George Ross (Capt) and William C. Pickeman (Secretary), assisted by Scottish professional Mungo Park (who stayed for a year as the Club's first pro). Third nine added by Fred Hawtree (1971); modifications to the Championship layout by Fred's son Martin Hawtree (2002).
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Bernhard Langer
Visitors welcome
Londonderry
Original design by Charles Thompson (golf professional at Portrush GC); substantial improvements designed by Pat Ruddy (2000).
Visitors welcome
Coleraine
Willie Park Jr (early 1920s) & Des Giffin (1986).
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Peter McEvoy
Visitors welcome
Dublin
David McLay-Kidd
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Christy O'Connor Jnr & Peter McEvoy
Visitors welcome
Killarney
Eddie Hackett
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Christy O'Connor Jr.
Visitors welcome
Londonderry
Front-nine (Strand-nine) designed by Pat Ruddy (2009). Back-nine (Valley-nine) originally designed by Old Tom Morris (1893), with later modifications by Harry Vardon & James Braid (1906), and Harry Colt (1911).
Visitors welcome
Londonderry
Pat Ruddy with input from owner Frank Casey Snr.
Visitors welcome
Wexford
Fred Hawtree and J.H. Taylor
Sat'day restrictd
Belfast
Harry Colt
Not Weds or Sat
Belfast
Championship Links: original nine-hole layout by George L. Baillie (1889); extended to 18 holes by Old Tom Morris (1890). Various modifications made by George Combe (Club Capt), James Braid, J.H. Taylor, Harry Vardon and Ben Sayers (early 1900s). Harry Colt made further modifications (1925), creating the famous par-3 4th and par-4 9th holes. Further changes by Donald Steel (1997 & 2004).
Annesley Links: laid out by Old Tom Morris.
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Original course at the Curragh laid out by David Ritchie from Scotland (1852).
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Original Harry Colt design dates from 1921. Modifications by Martin Hawtree (2002).
Visitors welcome
Coleraine
The current Dunluce Links layout is largely the work of Harry Colt's 1929 redesign.
Visitors welcome
Coleraine
Harry Colt (1932).
(Closed in 2017)
Wexford
Peter McEvoy
Wkends restrictd
Dundalk
Des Smyth & Declan Branigan
Visitors welcome
Sligo
Paddy Merrigan
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Unknown
Visitors welcome
Wexford
Philip Walton's debut course as a golf designer.
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Pat Ruddy & Tom Craddock
Visitors welcome
Sligo
Original 9-hole layout redesigned in 1939 by John McAlister from Dublin; course extension to 18-holes by Eddie Hackett (1973).
Not Sundays
Killarney
Arnold Palmer designed the course at Tralee's current Barrow location (1984).
Not Sundays
Waterford
Capt. H.C. Tippet
Visitors welcome
Limerick
Greg Norman
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Patrick J. Merrigan
Visitors welcome
Waterford
Visitors welcome
Waterford
Des Smyth & Declan Brannigan
Visitors welcome
Killarney
Eddie Hackett & Claude Harmon designed the current layout (early 1970s). Significant changes made by Tom Fazio (2006/7).
Visitors welcome
Galway
Fred Hawtree
Visitors welcome
Waterford
Eddie Hackett
Mon, Thur, Fri, Sun
Dublin
Major improvements made by Peter McEvoy (1990s).
Wkends restrictd
Dublin
Paddy Merrigan designed subtantial revisions to the course in 1993.
Tournament of Champions: the PGA Tour’s calendar-year starts, as it has done since 1999, with this iconic event in Hawaii. The field is drawn from players who won a PGA Tour event in 2022, or were amongst the top 30 in last year’s FedEx Cup final standings (Jan 6-9).
Desert Swing: the European (DP World) Tour launches into 2023 with three events in its UAE “Desert Swing”. Up first is the Abu Dhabi Championship (Jan 19-22), followed by the Dubai Desert Classic (Jan 26-29) and the Ras Al Kaimah Championship (Feb 2-5).
Kathy Whitworth: the end of 2022 saw the passing of LPGA Tour legend Kathy Whitworth. Her 88 LPGA Tour victories is more than achieved by any other golfer on either the LPGA or PGA Tours. Amongst her victories were six major championship titles.
Barry Lane: the golfing world was also saddened by the passing of Barry Lane, one of the European Tour and European Senior Tours most popular players. Enjoying success on both Tours, Lane was know for his excellent ball-striking and amiable personality.
Marco Simone Golf & Country Club: With a clubhouse that might befit a Roman Emperor, and a golf course to match, you can be sure of a memorable outing at Rome's most talked about golf facility.
Jim Fazio's original layout was much changed to create a modern Ryder Cup course ... now one of the Eternal City's (and Italy's) most revered.
Costa’s "Cruise & Golf" allows golfers and their families to combine a unique golfing experience with the relaxation and fun of a cruise on board Costa Smeralda. Golf enthusiasts are offered a choice from 23 top-quality golf clubs; their chosen courses are played during the ship’s port calls in Italy, France and Spain. While the golfers are driving the fairways, accompanying non-golfers are able to enjoy the amenities and activities on-board, or explore wonderful places on day excursions organised by Costa. Read more ...
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