Much is made of the fact that Ireland has 9 courses in the current Golf Digest World Top 100 courses. And rightly so. The list is a who’s who of Irish golf courses – Royal County Down #1, Royal Portrush #8, Ballybunion #18, Lahinch #41, Waterville #60, Portmarnock #62, Old Head of Kinsale #85, Co. Sligo #91  and the European Club #93.

However, we wanted to shine a spotlight this month on some of our “hidden gems” that may not be on that particular list but are amazing experiences in their own right. Golf in Ireland is concentrated (for the most part) in 4 regions – Dublin area, Northern Ireland, North West Ireland and South West Ireland. You can see the geographical clustering on the map below.

We’ve selected a number of hidden gems in each region that are all top class championship venues. In fact, the list includes Irish Open and Ryder Cup venues, so, perhaps “must plays” rather than “hidden gems” is more accurate in some cases.

ireland golf map. golf courses in ireland. links golf. g golf ireland

Dublin area.
Royal Dublin, Co. Louth (Baltray), The Island, Portmarnock Links, Druids Glen, Mount Juliet, Carton House, Killeen Castle, K Club, Powerscourt.

Northern Ireland.
Ardglass, Royal Belfast, Castlerock, Portstewart, Lough Erne Resort.

North West Ireland.
Co. Donegal (Murvagh), Rosapenna, Portsalon, Ballyliffin, Narin and Portnoo, Co. Sligo (Rosses Point), Enniscrone, Carne, Galway Bay.

South West Ireland.
Adare Manor, Dooks, Killarney Golf Club, Hogs Head, Cork Golf Club, Fota Island, Dromoland Castle.

With over 400 golf courses to choose from and 1/3 of the true links courses in the world, Ireland is a bucket list destination for the discerning golfer. And that’s not even mentioning our world famous hospitality and the “craic” in the “19th hole”! Put playing golf in Ireland top of your golfing to do list!

REMEMBER:
Time sheets for 2024 are now open and starting to fill. There are also some big events coming down the tracks soon to Ireland – The Open at Royal Portrush in 2025 and The Ryder Cup in 2027 at Adare Manor. If you want to get ahead of the crowd, get in touch to register your interest for 2024 and beyond.

We look forward to welcoming you on your next golf holiday!

Yours in Golf,

G Golf Ireland

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