Ireland East boasts a staggering series of excellent golf courses. The creation of the EuroRoute 1 Motorway down Ireland’s east coast makes this as one of the world’s great golf destinations with some of the World’s Top-100 Golf Courses.
Make the most out of your golf trip to the east of Ireland. Look up the location of the golf courses on the map; it will help you with your planning to play the best during your holidays. To each golf course visited we have applied a rating. The scale, 5 (highest) to 2 (lowest), attempts to provide an indication of the golfing experience you can expect at each rated course. Hover your on-screen mouse pointer above the rating key hereafter to read our definitions.
Visitors welcome
Dundalk
Pat Ruddy & Tom Craddock
Visitors welcome
Kilkenny
Original design by Cecil Barcroft (1899). Later modifications to greens and bunkering by Tom Simpson & Molly Gourlay (1937).
Visitors welcome
Dundalk
Current layout by Cecil Barcroft (1914); substantially modified by Tom Simpson & Molly Gourlay (1938).
Visitors welcome
Limerick
Philip Walton
Visitors welcome
Waterford
Five Enterprises (Dublin)
(Closed in 2019)
Dublin
Mel Flanagan
Visitors welcome
Athlone
Christy O'Connor Jr.
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Pat Ruddy
Visitors welcome
Waterford
Patrick J. Merrigan
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).
Visitors welcome
Dundalk
New course designed by Christy O'Connor Jr (2000). The original nine holes of the Old course date from 1930; it was extended to 18 holes in 1956.
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Seve Ballesteros & Jeff Howes
Visitors welcome
Kilkenny
Jack McDaid and Jim Cassidy
Visitors welcome
Kilkenny
Jack Nicklaus
Visitors welcome
Athlone
Michael Dolan
Visitors welcome
Athlone
Peter McEvoy
Visitors welcome
Dublin
Christy O'Connor Jnr & Peter McEvoy
Visitors welcome
Wexford
Current layout by Frederick G. "Fred" Hawtree & J.H. Taylor (1927).
(Closed in 2017)
Wexford
Peter McEvoy
Wkends restrictd
Dundalk
Des Smyth & Declan Branigan
Visitors welcome
Wexford
Philip Walton's debut course as a golf designer.
Visitors welcome
Waterford
Capt. H.C. Tippet
Visitors welcome
Waterford
Original nine-holes designed by Willie Park Jr. Redesigned and extended to 18-holes by James Braid (1934).
Visitors welcome
Waterford
Des Smyth & Declan Brannigan
Visitors welcome
Waterford
Eddie Hackett
Wkends restrictd
Dublin
Paddy Merrigan designed subtantial revisions to the course in 1993.
Sony Open in Hawaii: played at Waialae Country Club near Honolulu, the Sony Open takes over the spotlight from The Sentry as the PGA Tour’s calendar-year opening event (Jan 15-18). The Sentry (not being played in 2026) was formerly known as the Tournament of Champions, with a field typically restricted to golfers who won a PGA Tour event in the previous calendar year.
Dubai Desert Classic: the DP World Tour’s first Rolex Series event of 2026, is contested for the 37th time (Jan 22-25). First won by Englishman Mark James in 1989, it now boasts a four-time winner, Rory McIlroy. Played on the Emirates Golf Club’s Majlis course, this once desert-surrounded course is the long-time flagship for Golf in Dubai.
Our visit last month included two rounds at Golf de Chantilly, one of France’s most prestigious clubs.
It offers two superb layouts: Le Vineuil, a five-star championship course with a rich history, and Longères, an excellent four-star course that provides a strong and enjoyable test.
The wider Paris region offers plenty more. Courses such as Fontainebleau, Golf de Saint-Germain, and several other top-rated layouts make this area one of Europe’s most rewarding golf destinations, offering a mix of woodland, heathland, and parkland designs.
The Dutch: "It's no' just a game", as they say in Scotland, and that's certainly true at The Dutch. With 5-star services throughout, a lavishly comfortable Loch Lomond-inspired clubhouse, and a superbly designed and presented golf course, one could not ask for more from this top-end private club.
Join us at The Dutch from August 21–24 for the Festival of Golf, featuring the HotelPlanner Tour. Experience four days of top-tier sport, live music, incredible food, and unexpected surprises. Explore the grounds, connect with others, embrace new challenges, and dive into an unforgettable celebration. Click here to buy tickets.
Here at Prince’s Golf Club you'll find 27 excellent holes of links golf. Just over the fence and sharing similar terrain is Royal St George’s; but Prince’s is far from overshadowed by its venerable neighbour. The three nine-hole loops at Prince's, laid out over gently undulating terrain, are sure to bring a smile of satisfaction to all lovers of links golf.
Stay&Play at Prince's: excellent onsite Lodge accommodation available
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