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Ireland

Golf in Ireland possibly dates back beyond the nineteenth century but records are scant. However, there is no doubt whatsoever that Ireland possesses many of the finest golf courses in the world and is quite rightly one of the premier golf destinations thanks to household names such as Ballybunion, Lahinch and Portmarnock, and St Patrick's at Rosapenna.

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  1. As you drive from the historic town of Ballybunion, along the winding road to the golf club, your eyes feast upon the most spectacular links land imaginable.

  2. Lahinch Golf Club is situated next to the lovely beach of Liscannor Bay. It's an enchanting place to play golf... rugged, distinctive, unusually varied and immensely entertaining.

  3. Rosapenna (St Patrick's)

    Donegal, Ireland

    Construction of the new St Patrick’s links at Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort began in April 2018, with Tom Doak’s lead associate Eric Everson working alongside Clyde Johnson and Angela Moser to complete the build during 2020.

  4. ”I know of no greater finish in the world than that of the last five holes at Portmarnock Golf Club”, said Bernard Darwin

  5. European Club

    Wicklow, Ireland

    The European Club is located in the garden of Ireland, between the coastal towns of Wicklow and Arklow, about 30 miles south of Dublin.

  6. Waterville Golf Links

    Kerry, Ireland

    Waterville Golf Links plays on a promontory surrounded by the sea. It’s a stunning, remote location...

  7. The Island

    Dublin, Ireland

    The Island Golf Club is a no-frills golf course. There is nothing manicured and it’s all very harmonious and in tune with its surroundings.

  8. The approach road to the links of County Louth Golf Club, or Baltray as it is better known, named after the local fishing village, is especially uplifting.

  9. County Sligo Golf Club – or Rosses Point, as it is better known – is an exhilarating west coast links, situated in the heart of Yeats country.

  10. Doonbeg is the course that Greg Norman built, but it was redesigned by Martin Hawtree over a two-year period after the property was acquired in 2014 by Donald Trump and renamed Trump International Golf Links.

  11. Adare Manor Golf Club

    Limerick, Ireland

    Following J. P. McManus’s acquisition of Adare Manor in 2015, the old RTJ-designed parkland course has gone, replaced by a new Tom Fazio layout which opened in May 2018.

  12. The Carne links at Belmullet sits in splendid isolation on the Atlantic edge of County Mayo, where holes are laid out on a peninsula amidst gigantic dunes with far-reaching views across Blacksod Bay to the islands of Inis Gloire and Inis Geidhewild.

  13. Ballyliffin Golf Club is often described as “the Ballybunion of the North” or “the Dornoch of Ireland” and the reason is simple; all the aforementioned are set amidst towering natural sand dunes.

  14. Rosapenna's fabulous new Sandy Hills golf course was designed by Pat Ruddy and opened for play in July 2003.

  15. Tralee Golf Club

    Kerry, Ireland

    At Tralee Golf Club, Palmer has designed a golf course that will stimulate the senses every bit as much as the enchanting and breathtaking scenery.

  16. The location is ravishing; Enniscrone Golf Club is set on a promontory, which juts out into Killala Bay at the mouth of the Moy Estuary.

  17. Old Head Golf Links

    Cork, Ireland

    Laid out on a narrow headland, jutting out for two miles into the Atlantic Ocean, Old Head Golf Links has to be one of the world’s most exhilarating golf courses...

  18. Narin and Portnoo Links

    Donegal, Ireland

    Tucked away in the southwest corner of Donegal, Narin and Portnoo Golf Club is a links that deserves to be bracketed with many other natural, unspoilt courses that should be given greater recognition.

  19. Royal Dublin Golf Club

    Dublin, Ireland

    Royal Dublin Golf Club is located on Bull Island, in Dublin Bay. The island was formed following the building of a sea wall in the early 1800s. The result is a perfect sandy island, superb terrain for a golf course...

  20. Donegal Golf Club

    Donegal, Ireland

    The Murvagh peninsula jutting out into Donegal Bay is the home of Donegal Golf Club. It’s an enchanting and isolated setting for a big links course.

  21. The Old course at Ballyliffin Golf Club is a classic links, with fairways that pitch and roll through wild dunes. This is links golf at its most traditional, where the perfect drive will often find an awkward lie.

  22. Cork Golf Club

    Cork, Ireland

    Cork Golf Club is one of the most attractive courses in Ireland. It's an Alister MacKenzie gem that's delightfully situated on a tiny peninsula called Little Island...

  23. Portsalon Golf Club

    Donegal, Ireland

    Portsalon Golf Club is an exhilarating golf course, situated in a stunning location with most of the holes weaving their way between sand dunes.

  24. If you are brave enough to tackle the brutal Championship course from Connemara Golf Club's back tees – good luck – pray that the wind machine is turned off.

  25. Dooks Golf Club

    Kerry, Ireland

    Dooks Golf Club is a tranquil, engaging and fun golf course. It also provides a true and traditional links experience.

  26. For such a modern layout, the Portmarnock Resort & Jameson Golf Links is a very natural and understated course. There is nothing showy about the design; the natural links land is used simply and effectively.

  27. Strandhill Golf Club

    Sligo, Ireland

    Between the Atlantic and Knocknarea Mountain lies Strandhill Golf Club. Described by Christy O'Connor Senior as "the hidden jewel of the West".

  28. In September of 2009, Rosapenna's Old Tom Morris golf course reopened after a major facelift where design from the late 19th century spans more than a hundred years to meet the brave new modern golf world.

  29. Mount Juliet

    Kilkenny, Ireland

    The course at Mount Juliet is set in lush, rolling parkland, part of a 1,500 acres old Irish country estate with an 18th century mansion as the clubhouse...

  30. Druids Glen Golf Resort

    Wicklow, Ireland

    Druids Glen is the kaleidoscope of golf courses, for there is more colour here than at any other course in Ireland.