Ulster is where golf gets serious. Home to Royal County Down — consistently ranked in the world's top three — and Royal Portrush, the only club outside mainland Britain to have hosted The Open Championship, this northernmost province of Ireland offers a concentration of world-class links that no single destination can match… and that's before you've crossed into County Donegal, where Tom Doak's St Patrick's Links at Rosapenna has taken the world rankings by storm.
Spanning nine counties — six forming Northern Ireland (UK) and three in the Republic — Ulster encompasses the volcanic drama of the Causeway Coast, the brooding grandeur of the Mourne Mountains, and the wild Atlantic peninsulas of Donegal. Serious golfers planning a week here will find it almost impossible to leave without wanting to return. 📍
Consistently ranked number one in the world, Royal County Down at Newcastle is the course that golfers travel from every corner of the planet to play.
Set beneath the Mourne Mountains with the Irish Sea flanking the opening holes, this is a course of almost absurd natural beauty and considerable ferocity. Towering sand hills, blind tee shots over heather-clad ridges, gorse-lined fairways, and domed windswept greens combine to create one of the purest tests in golf.
Old Tom Morris laid the foundations in 1889; Harry Vardon, Harry Colt, and Alister MacKenzie have all contributed since. 💚
Host of the 2025 Open Championship, Royal Portrush is the only club outside mainland Britain on the Open rota. Harry Colt's Dunluce Links is a course of enormous character, and Martin Ebert's renovations for 2019, including two spectacular new holes at the 7th and 8th. Calamity Corner, the par-3 16th with its sheer drop to the right, is one of the most recognisable long - short holes in world golf. The Valley Links next door is an excellent and more affordable companion course.
Standing on the first tee at Portstewart — elevated above towering dunes with the Atlantic stretching away and Donegal's hills beyond — is an experience golfers remember for life. Des Giffin's incorporation of seven new holes into massive dunesland in the early 1990s transformed this into a genuine championship venue; it hosted the 2017 Irish Open, won by Jon Rahm.
Tom Doak's debut Irish design opened in 2021. Set over extraordinary terrain above Sheephaven Bay in County Donegal, it delivers exactly the sprawling, horizon-filling golf that Doak's best work is known for. The resort also hosts the Sandy Hills Links (Pat Ruddy, 2003) and the historic Old Tom Morris Links of 1893. A Three Links Ticket covering all three courses is available for day visitors.
The most northerly golf club in Ireland, Ballyliffin, is often described as "the Ballybunion of the north."
The Glashedy Links hosted the 2018 Irish Open and is a severe championship test at over 7,500 yards. The Old Links is an entirely different experience — a more traditional links with fairways that pitch and roll through wild, shaggy dunes. Two courses, one extraordinary setting on the Inishowen Peninsula. Playing both in a single day is a realistic. 🌊
The clubhouse dates to the 13th century — almost certainly the oldest building used as a golf clubhouse anywhere in the world. The course tumbles along County Down's southeast coast with sea views from almost every hole. Once a course people squeezed in on the way to Royal County Down, it's now a destination in its own right.
One of the most beautiful settings in Irish golf, on the shores of Ballymastocker Bay on the Fanad Peninsula. The second hole, a 500-yard par-4 that appears to disappear into the beach, is one of the most memorable in Ireland. Remote, requiring commitment to reach, and absolutely worth every mile.
An isolated peninsula jutting into Donegal Bay makes for one of Ireland's most enchanting links settings. Eddie Hackett's original layout, updated by Pat Ruddy, reaches its spectacular peak from the 5th hole, the "Valley of Tears" par-3, where the course enters proper dune country.
Fifteen minutes from Royal Portrush on the same stretch of the Causeway Coast, Castlerock's Mussenden Links was extensively overhauled in 2017-18 and is a proper test in the shadow of the remarkable clifftop Mussenden Temple.
Day 1 — Arrival & Ardglass: Fly into Belfast, drive south to County Down. An afternoon round at Ardglass is the perfect introduction — clifftop drama, warm welcome, 30 minutes from Newcastle.
Day 2 — Royal County Down: The day most visitors have been planning for months. Championship Course in the morning; consider the Annesley Course (par-66) in the afternoon to maximise time on this extraordinary ground. A full golf day.
Day 3 — Drive to Portrush: The 90-minute coastal drive from Newcastle to Portrush via the A2 is one of golf's great road trips. Arrive, settle in, walk the Dunluce coastline. Can play the Valley course if you’re up for it or have a day in Belfast.
Day 4 — Royal Portrush (Dunluce Links): Arrive 45 minutes early. Hire a local caddie — they know every blind tee shot, every slope, every wind trick. An evening walk along East Strand beach is the perfect debrief.
Day 5 — Portstewart & Giant's Causeway: That opening tee shot at Portstewart is worth the trip alone. Afternoon at the Giant's Causeway (pre-book the visitor centre) or Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge.
Day 6 — Cross into Donegal: Ballyliffin: Drive via Londonderry into County Donegal. Play Glashedy or Old Links at Ballyliffin, and explore the Inishowen Peninsula.
Day 7 — Rosapenna: Finish at Rosapenna, staying on-site if possible. St Patrick's Links in the morning; Sandy Hills or Old Tom Morris in the afternoon. Depart via Donegal Town or continue to Dublin (approximately 3.5 hours). 🏁
Airports: Belfast International (BFS) and George Best Belfast City Airport (BHD) are the main gateways for Northern Ireland.
City of Derry Airport (LDY) is the most convenient for the Causeway Coast and Donegal.
Dublin Airport is a viable option for US arrivals — Newcastle is 1.5 hours south, Portrush approximately 2.5 hours north.
Car hire is essential. The course geography — spread across two countries, multiple coastlines and remote peninsulas — makes public transport impractical.
Currency: Northern Ireland uses Sterling (GBP); the Republic uses Euro (EUR). Having both to hand avoids hassle on the Donegal border. Most courses accept cards, but caddies always require cash.
Weather & timing: May and June are the sweet spot as the gorse is in bloom. Peak season is July–August (busy, expensive, but potentially glorious). September brings softer fairways and beautiful light at lower green fees. Bring waterproofs regardless of the season. ☁️🌤️
Slieve Donard Resort & Spa, Newcastle — The grand Victorian hotel that sits directly on the edge of Royal County Down. Recently renovated by Marine & Lawn to magnificent effect, with a world-class spa and four dining options. The definitive base for County Down golf.
The Bushmills Inn, Bushmills — A 17th-century coaching inn with 41 individually designed rooms, a gaslit bar, and an award-winning restaurant using entirely local produce. Ten minutes from Royal Portrush, 20 from Portstewart. An atmosphere that makes the Causeway Coast feel like home.
Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort, Donegal — Staying on-site gives priority access to the most in-demand tee times in Irish golf right now, particularly St Patrick's Links. Bayview Suites overlooking Sheephaven Bay are exceptional.
B&Bs throughout: Quality options everywhere in both countries. Local character, hearty breakfasts, and owners who know every course in the county. 🛏️
Post-round eating: The Bushmills Inn Restaurant is the standout on the Causeway Coast — local seafood, game from the Macnaghten estate, and atmosphere that earns its reputation. In Newcastle, the Mourne Seafood Bar does excellent things with local shellfish.
Belfast dining: One of Ireland's most vibrant food scenes. The Cathedral Quarter has excellent independent restaurants; St George's Market (Saturday mornings) is a must-visit for street food and local produce.
Whiskey: The Old Bushmills Distillery — the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery, operating since 1608. Only a 15-minute walk from The Bushmills Inn and 1 mile from Royal Portrush. Tours and tastings available daily. A dram after the Dunluce Links is one of life's pleasures. 🥃
Beyond golf: The Giant's Causeway (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge are world-class attractions. The walled city of Derry~Londonderry is one of the last intact walled cities in Europe. The Mourne Mountains offer superb walking from Newcastle. Donegal's sea cliffs at Slieve League are among the highest in Europe. 🏔️
Book Royal County Down and Royal Portrush first — then build the rest of the trip around those fixed points. Both clubs have restricted visitor days and both book out well in advance. Attempting to plan other courses first and then fitting in the Royal clubs is the most common and costly mistake.
Best value window: Try May to mid-June or September to October for lower fees, better availability, and often the best course conditions. Even these shoulder periods require booking at the top courses. 📊
⛳ Hire a caddie at Royal County Down. The blind tee shots require local knowledge that no yardage book fully conveys. A senior caddie here has been carrying bags for decades.
⛳ Play the Valley Links the evening before your Dunluce booking. Don’t sleep on the Valley - it’s not the relief course and woudl be the main attraction most everywhere else.
⛳ Cross into Donegal. Too many visitors focus entirely on Northern Ireland and miss Rosapenna, Ballyliffin and Portsalon entirely.
⛳ Visitor days matter. Royal County Down is closed to visitors on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Plan your week accordingly, or you'll face a wasted day.
⛳ Go in May or June. The gorse in bloom on Royal County Down and Portrush transforms these courses. If you've never seen golden gorse against the Mourne Mountains, nothing else in golf looks quite like it. 🌼
