Best golf courses: Ireland - West

Golf in Ireland West has been described by Tourism Ireland as 'warm, wild and wonderful'. This part of Ireland offers fabulous links and parkland courses with varied heritage and beautiful scenery. It is one of our preferred golfing destinations. The links golf courses are world renowned and open for visitors to play.

Make the most out of your golf trip to the west 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.

5-PLUS: In the world’s elite - has few peers; one of our top-rated 5s!
Wkends restrictd
Killarney
Simpson, Tom et al

Visitors?

Wkends restrictd

Nearest city

Killarney

Designer

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).

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Visitors welcome
Limerick
Morris & MacKenzie

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Limerick

Designer

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).

5-star: Fabulous – courses don’t get much better than this.
Visitors welcome
Killarney
Hackett, Eddie

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Killarney

Designer

Eddie Hackett & Claude Harmon designed the current layout (early 1970s). Significant changes made by Tom Fazio (2006/7).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Sligo
Hackett; Engh & McIntosh

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Sligo

Designer

Eddie Hackett designed the original 18-holes (1993), now called the Hackett Links. On the Wild Atlantic course, holes 1 thru' 7, and 17 and 18 are part of the original Hackett layout; they are played as holes 1 thru' 7, and 8 and 9 when you play the Hackett Links. The middle section of Wild Atlantic (holes 8 thru' 16; sometimes called the Kilmore Nine) was added later and designed by Jim Engh & Ally McIntosh (2013).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Weekdays only
Killarney
Palmer, Arnold

Visitors?

Weekdays only

Nearest city

Killarney

Designer

Arnold Palmer designed the course at Tralee's current Barrow location (1984).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Resort guests prioritised
Limerick
Jones Sr & Fazio

Visitors?

Resort guests prioritised

Nearest city

Limerick

Designer

Original design by Robert Trent Jones Sr (1995); significantly revamped by Tom Fazio (2017).

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Limerick
Norman, Greg

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Limerick

Designer

Greg Norman

4-PLUS: Must play course - excellent standard; worthy of 4½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Cork
Kirby, Ron et al

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Cork

Designer

A collaborative design involving Ron Kirby, Paddy Merrigan, Liam Higgins, Eddie Hackett and Dr. Joe Carr.

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Cork
O'Connor & McEvoy

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Cork

Designer

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).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Wkends restrictd
Killarney
Jones Sr, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Wkends restrictd

Nearest city

Killarney

Designer

Robert Trent Jones Sr.

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Killarney
Jones II, Robert Trent

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Killarney

Designer

Robert Trent Jones Jr.

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Galway
O'Connor Jr, Christy

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Galway

Designer

Christy O'Connor Jr.

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Killarney
Hawtree, Martin

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Killarney

Designer

Original layout designed by the club members, with several subsequent makeovers. Substantial redesign by Martin Hawtree (2005).

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Galway
Hackett, Eddie

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Galway

Designer

Eddie Hackett

4-star: Above average course - well worth a visit.
Visitors welcome
Killarney
O'Sullivan, Dr Billy

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Killarney

Designer

Original design by Dr William (Billy) O'Sullivan & Fred Hawtree, with a subsequent redesign by Tom MacKenzie (2006).

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Killarney
Spring, Dr Arthur

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Killarney

Designer

Dr Arthur Spring

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Limerick
Kirby, Ron

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Limerick

Designer

Original layout designed by American course architect Brook L. Wigginton (1961). Significant improvements made by Ron Kirby and Joe Carr (2003).

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Killarney
Campbell, Sir Guy

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Killarney

Designer

Sir Guy Campbell & Henry Longhurst

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Wkends restrictd
Galway
MacKenzie, Dr Alister

Visitors?

Wkends restrictd

Nearest city

Galway

Designer

Dr Alister MacKenzie laid out the current course in the early-1920s.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Killarney
Hackett & O'Connor Jr.

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Killarney

Designer

Eddie Hackett & Christy O'Connor Jr.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Athlone
McAllister, J.

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Athlone

Designer

J. McAllister

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Cork
MacKenzie, Dr Alister

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Cork

Designer

Dr Alister MacKenzie redesigned the course, extending it to 18-holes in 1927.

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Galway
Hawtree, Fred

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Galway

Designer

Fred Hawtree

3-PLUS: Good course - several memorable features; worthy of 3½ stars.
Visitors welcome
Killarney
Hackett, Eddie

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Killarney

Designer

Eddie Hackett

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Limerick
Smyth, Des

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Limerick

Designer

Des Smyth & Declan Branigan

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Killarney
Spring & Mackenzie

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Killarney

Designer

Original design by Arthur Spring (1994). Course redesigned by Tom Mackenzie of Mackenzie & Ebert Golf Course Architects (2007).

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Galway
Unknown

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Galway

Designer

Unknown

3-star: Good course – an enjoyable test for your game.
Visitors welcome
Galway
Brown, Robert

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Galway

Designer

Robert J. "Bobby" Brown

2-star: Reasonably okay course - if better courses not available.
Visitors welcome
Limerick
Spring, Arthur

Visitors?

Visitors welcome

Nearest city

Limerick

Designer

Redesigned by Dr Arthur Spring in 1994.

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Tournaments

Ryder Cup: Rome plays host to the first ever Ryder Cup to be staged in Italy, with the USA defending golf’s greatest team trophy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club (Sept 29-Oct 1).

Solheim Cup: also in September, also in southern Europe, the 18th Solheim Cup will be contested at Finca Cortesin on the Costa del Sol, with Europe defending after their surprise win in Toledo, Inverness Club (Ohio) in 2021 (Sept 22-24). 

Who's Who

Céline Boutier: with many successes as both an amateur and professional golfer, Boutier added a major championship title to her impressive résumé at this year’s Evian Championship.

Alex Cejka: buffeted by rain and high winds, especially on the high-scoring final day, Čejka prevailed over Pádraig Harrington in a playoff at Royal Porthcawl, to scoop the Senior Open Championship title.

Marco Simone Golf & Country Club

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.

Prince's Golf Club, Kent (UK)

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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