Ireland holds roughly a quarter of all natural links courses in the world, and the quality runs astonishingly deep. From the towering dunes of Donegal to the Atlantic-battered coastline of County Kerry, the island offers a concentration of world-class golf that rivals anywhere on the planet. Six Irish courses currently sit in the World Top 100, and more than twenty contend for places in the GB&I Top 100 — a depth bettered only by England and Scotland.
Top 100 Golf Courses has ranked Ireland's golf courses biennially since 2006, tracking two decades of evolution across the Republic's twenty-six counties and, separately, Northern Ireland's six. That ongoing process has charted the rise of new architectural masterpieces, multi-million euro renovations, and the enduring dominance of courses that have occupied the summit since rankings began.
Ballybunion Old, Lahinch Old, Rosapenna St Patrick's Links and Portmarnock all hold their positions, reinforcing two decades of consistency at the summit. Four Republic of Ireland courses sit in the World Top 100, and sixteen feature in the GB&I Top 100 — a depth that underlines the country's status as one of the premier golf destinations on the planet.
Brittas Bay Club (formerly The European Club) has been removed while its comprehensive Kyle Phillips redesign takes shape ahead of a planned 2027 reopening. Curracloe Links, a potential future game-changer for the Republic, is also flagged as one to watch but remains outside the current rankings.
Portsalon is the headline climber. Situated on a remote stretch of County Donegal coastline, Portsalon's rise further strengthens the county's extraordinary concentration of quality, with five Donegal courses now in the Republic's top twenty-five.
Ballyliffin Old continues to gain recognition and climbs to seventeenth. The K Club Palmer North also rises.
Carne, Tralee, Enniscrone, Narin & Portnoo, Rosapenna Old Tom Morris and Galway Bay all rise - in part due to The European Club being removed.
Adare Manor slips three places to fourteen — a reflection of the updated criteria's emphasis on the golf itself rather than resort polish, though the Tom Fazio redesign remains Ireland's premier parkland course and 2027 Ryder Cup venue.
Ballybunion Old has held the number one position in the Republic of Ireland rankings since the inaugural 2006 edition — an unbroken twenty-year reign. Largely anonymous until Tom Simpson and Molly Gourlay's 1930s intervention, the course gained worldwide prominence after Tom Watson's famous visit in 1981. A major greens replacement project by Atlantic Golf Construction, overseen by architect Graeme Webster, has only strengthened its standing.
Lahinch Old, Waterville, The European Club and Portmarnock have been near-permanent fixtures in the upper reaches. For fourteen consecutive years, gaining entry to the top five was, as our 2020 article noted, "a very tough nut to crack."
That changed dramatically in 2022 when Rosapenna St Patrick's Links crashed into the rankings at number three — the highest new entry in the history of our Ireland listings.
Designed by Tom Doak of Renaissance Golf Design with lead associate Eric Everson, Clyde Johnson and Angela Moser, the course was built on 300 acres of spectacular Donegal dunescape previously occupied by two mediocre layouts. Opened in 2021, it immediately rewrote the top-five hierarchy.
The island's representation at the highest levels of world golf is remarkable. Six courses — Royal County Down, Royal Portrush Dunluce, Ballybunion Old, Lahinch, Rosapenna St Patrick's and Portmarnock — all feature in the World Top 100.
The overwhelming character is links golf. Ireland's Atlantic-facing coastlines provide the ideal combination of sandy soil, undulating terrain and prevailing wind that defines the links game at its purest. Adare Manor breaks the mould as the top-ranked parkland entry, demonstrating that world-class inland golf also has its place on the island.
County Kerry and County Donegal dominate the upper reaches of the rankings, but quality is genuinely distributed. Dublin's links courses — Portmarnock, The Island, Royal Dublin, and County Louth — provide accessible world-class golf close to the capital.
The west coast, from County Sligo to Enniscrone to Carne, offers some of the most naturally dramatic links terrain anywhere. And the hidden gems — Cruit Island, Dunfanaghy, Strandhill — continue to climb as more golfers discover their charms.
Ballybunion Old's twenty-year hold on the top position is extraordinary by any measure. The same small group of courses — Ballybunion, Lahinch, Waterville, Portmarnock, The European Club — have anchored the top tier since 2006, with only Rosapenna St Patrick's managing to break the stranglehold. This stability reflects the enduring quality of Ireland's classic links designs, many of which trace their architectural lineage through Tom Simpson, Alister MacKenzie, Old Tom Morris and Harry Colt.
County Donegal has emerged as perhaps the most exciting golfing region in Ireland. The arrival of Rosapenna St Patrick's transformed the county's reputation, but the story is broader. Narin & Portnoo's Hanse-Wagner reimagination, the steady rise of Rosapenna's Old Tom Morris course, the cult appeal of Cruit Island, and the rediscovery of Dunfanaghy have collectively established Donegal as a destination to rival Kerry and Clare.
The biggest ranking movements have consistently been driven by architectural intervention. Tom Fazio's work at Adare Manor, Tom Doak's creation at St Patrick's Links, Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner's remodelling at Narin & Portnoo, and Mackenzie & Ebert's master plan at The Island all demonstrate that thoughtful design investment — whether building new or reimagining existing layouts — is the most reliable path to ranking advancement.
Shorter, quirkier courses with genuine strategic interest have gained ground, while lavish resort courses, though still excellent places to visit, have seen their rankings adjust. As the new criteria emphasises, budget size has not been the deciding factor, but rather memorable, engaging golf is what matters.
The 2010 "Your Top 100 Golf Courses in Ireland" was a distinctive edition — a crowd-sourced ranking based entirely on player review ratings rather than the dedicated panellist approach used in other years. Published alongside companion lists for Scotland, England and Wales, it was part of a wider "Your Britain & Ireland Top 100" exercise that number-crunched thousands of golf ball ratings submitted by the Top100 community. The European Club, Tralee, Ballybunion Old and Rosapenna Sandy Hills all featured prominently in the combined GB&I list.
The dedicated Republic of Ireland Top 100 was updated with Ballybunion Old maintaining its familiar position at the summit, continuing the dominance established in 2006. The established order remained largely intact, with the same core group of links courses holding the upper tier.
The 2014 update continued the biennial cycle with Ballybunion Old once again unchallenged at number one. The top five remained the same handful of courses that had occupied those positions since the rankings began, reinforcing the extraordinary consistency at the summit of Irish golf.
The 2018 edition brought seven new entries into the Top 100. Notably, Adare Manor was absent from the table, its course closed and under complete reconstruction as the Tom Fazio redesign took shape.
The headline story was unmistakable: Adare Manor's re-emergence at number fourteen following its multi-million euro Tom Fazio transformation. The old Robert Trent Jones Sr. course had been entirely replaced, with Atlantic Golf Construction installing new drainage, new greens and sand-capped fairways to create what is now one of the best-maintained courses in all of Ireland. The Ryder Cup 2027 announcement added further lustre.
The ninth biennial revision produced the most dramatic shake-up in the rankings' history. Tom Doak's Rosapenna St Patrick's Links entered at number three — the first course to crack the established top-five fortress since rankings began. Narin & Portnoo climbed ten places to eighteen after its Hanse-Wagner reimagination. Further down, Cruit Island continued its rise (up twelve to fifty-three), Dunfanaghy surged twenty-six places to seventy-four, and Woodenbridge climbed twelve to seventy-one.
The most recent update applied revised evaluation criteria that emphasised authentic golfing experiences over resort polish. Fifteen courses moved up five or more places. Traditional links courses rose sharply; parkland resort courses adjusted downward.
Rosapenna Old Tom Morris broke into the top thirty, Royal Dublin into the top twenty, and the rankings signalled a clear direction: exciting, strategic golf — regardless of budget or amenities — is what defines Ireland's best.
The comprehensive 2026 GB&I ranking overhaul, currently underway, will reassess every course across Britain and Ireland under updated criteria. The Ireland results are expected later this spring and will provide the most thorough evaluation yet of the island's golfing credentials.
Several developments are worth watching. Brittas Bay Club — the Kyle Phillips redesign of Pat Ruddy's European Club — is set to reopen in 2027 with improved playability, expanded sea views and restored native ecosystems.
The continued maturation of Rosapenna St Patrick's Links, is widely regarded as still having significant upside. And with the Ryder Cup arriving at Adare Manor in 2027, the spotlight on Irish golf has never been brighter.
Ballybunion Cashen continues enhancement work, Rosapenna's Old Tom Morris course is gaining traction with every season, and the ongoing bunker programme at Royal Dublin promises further improvement. The depth of talent across Ireland's 494 golf courses means the competition for ranking places will only intensify.
