Golf · The North Coast Corridor
Royal Portrush, Portstewart, Castlerock and Ballyliffin. The published 2026 green fees, the booking rules, and the order we would play them.
The quick answer
Base yourself in Bushmills. Play Royal Portrush (£420), Portstewart Strand (£335 in summer, £195 in April and October) and Castlerock (£250 in summer), then cross into Donegal for Ballyliffin (€330 Glashedy, €550 for 36 holes). Book Portrush first. Every price on this page is from the club's own website, checked 28 September 2026.
We think the North Coast is the best golf week in Ireland that most Americans only half take. They fly in for Portrush, play it once, and leave. The courses either side of it are the reason to stay. If you want the southwest version, read Lahinch, Ballybunion and Waterville. For the east, pair this with Royal County Down.
01 · Portrush, County Antrim
Dunluce Links, plus the Valley
The anchor. Book it first and build the week around the tee time you get. The Valley is the round we tell groups to add, not skip.
Phone: See the club's visitor page · Source: the club's own page
02 · Portstewart, County Londonderry
The Strand Course
The front nine runs through the tallest dunes on the coast and is as good as anything in Ireland. April and October at £195 is the best value on this corridor.
Phone: +44 28 7083 2015 · Source: the club's own page
03 · Castlerock, County Londonderry
The Mussenden Course
The quiet one. Americans skip it and they are wrong to. Play it the morning you visit Mussenden Temple and Downhill Strand, which sit just along the shore.
Phone: 028 7084 8314 · Source: the club's own page
04 · Inishowen, County Donegal
Glashedy Links and the Old Links
Cross the border and the currency changes to euro. The 36-hole day at €550 is the one to take: Glashedy in the morning, the Old Links after lunch.
Phone: +353 74 937 6119 · Source: the club's own page
Glashedy in the morning. The Old Links after lunch.
The five days
Day one
Arrive, check in at Bushmills, walk the Causeway in the evening when the coaches have gone.
Day two
Royal Portrush, Dunluce Links. Dinner in Portrush, and book the table before you fly.
Day three
Portstewart Strand in the morning. The afternoon is Bushmills Distillery or the Valley, depending on the legs.
Day four
Castlerock, then Mussenden Temple and Downhill Strand. Cross into Donegal for the night.
Day five
Ballyliffin, Glashedy and the Old Links. Continue west to Rosapenna if you have a sixth day.
Longer trip? Our seven-day golf itinerary starts here and runs south. For the partner who is not playing, the Parallel Fairway has a companion day for Portrush. Browse the rest on the golf hub or read the Belfast Edit if you fly in there.
Experiences in North Coast
Curated by us, booked through Viator. Small groups, sensible departures, and the local knowledge that turns a checklist day into a memorable one.
Giant's Causeway & Bushmills Distillery
Full day
The non-golf day that suits the Portrush base. Stones in the morning, a tasting after.
Book on ViatorGiant's Causeway, Rope Bridge, Dark Hedges
Full day · Coach
The full coast in one day, for the companion while you play Portstewart.
Book on ViatorDerry City Walls Tour
Walking tour
On the way to Donegal. The walls are the best way to understand the north in two hours.
Book on ViatorWhere to stay near North Coast
Real bases for visiting North Coast, vetted by us and bookable through Hotels.com. We earn a small commission if you book through these links, at no cost to you.
Questions
From the clubs' own pages: Royal Portrush Dunluce £420 and Valley £200; Portstewart Strand £335 May to September and £195 in April and October; Castlerock Mussenden £250 May to September and £175 in April and October; Ballyliffin Glashedy €330, Old Links €300, or €550 for both on the same day.
Five. Four courses, one a day, with an arrival evening. Add a sixth for Rosapenna in Donegal.
Sterling at Portrush, Portstewart and Castlerock in Northern Ireland. Euro at Ballyliffin and Rosapenna in Donegal.
Bushmills for the Antrim courses: the Bushmills Inn or the Causeway Hotel. Move into Donegal for the Ballyliffin night.
It depends on the club. Royal Portrush takes full non-refundable payment. Portstewart refunds 50% with 30 days' notice and nothing inside that. Castlerock and Ballyliffin do not publish green fee cancellation terms, so ask before you pay.
This page belongs to golf in Ireland.
Courses, order of play and where to sleep between rounds.