Top 10 · Championship Golf
Ten Irish championship stages, ranked. Each entry gives you the test, the pedigree and the practical booking move.
The places we recommend to friends.
Newcastle, Co. Down
World #1. Host of the 2015 Irish Open. A championship test where the Mourne Mountains meet the sea.
Why We Recommend It: If you play one course in Ireland, play this one. There is nothing else like it on earth.
Insider Notes
Co. Dublin
12 Irish Opens, countless Walker Cups. The benchmark for championship links in Ireland.
Why We Recommend It: Pure championship pedigree. The wind off the Irish Sea is the ultimate examiner.
Insider Notes
Co. Limerick
Tom Fazio's complete redesign. Host of the 2027 Ryder Cup. Ireland's most ambitious golf project.
Why We Recommend It: Play it now, before the Ryder Cup transforms it into the most famous course in Europe.
Insider Notes
Co. Kildare
Arnold Palmer's Ryder Cup design. The River Liffey winds through 14 water hazards.
Why We Recommend It: Where Europe reclaimed the Ryder Cup in 2006. The ghosts of that Sunday still linger.
Insider Notes
Co. Kerry
Tom Watson's favourite links. Host of multiple international championships and Pro-Ams.
Why We Recommend It: When Watson first visited in 1981, he told the world. The world has been coming ever since.
Insider Notes
Co. Kilkenny
Jack Nicklaus's only Irish design. Three-time Irish Open host. Tiger Woods won here in 2002.
Why We Recommend It: Tiger won here. Nicklaus designed it. The parkland routing through the estate is immaculate.
Insider Notes
Co. Antrim
Host of The Open Championship in 2019, the first time in 68 years. Shane Lowry's coronation.
Why We Recommend It: The atmosphere of an Open venue with the raw beauty of the Causeway Coast.
Insider Notes
Brittas Bay, Co. Wicklow
Closed for redevelopment. The former European Club is being reimagined as Brittas Bay Club, with reopening planned for 2027.
Why We Recommend It: Keep it on the future-trip list, not the current tee sheet. We would choose Portmarnock or Royal Dublin while it is closed.
Insider Notes
Co. Wicklow
Four consecutive Irish Opens (1996 to 1999). The 'Augusta of Europe' with its demanding water hazards.
Why We Recommend It: Four Irish Opens in a row. No course has been more dominant in that era.
Insider Notes
Co. Clare
Host of the South of Ireland Championship since 1895. Ireland's most beloved links.
Why We Recommend It: The South of Ireland Amateur is the most atmospheric event in Irish golf. Be there in July.
Insider Notes
Insider Knowledge
Every links course in Ireland has its own personality. Some punish wayward drives. Others test your patience with brutal bunkering or swirling coastal winds. Here's our insider take on how these courses really play.
A "Sneaky Hard" masterpiece. It's a true ball-striking test. You won't lose many balls, but you'll find it incredibly difficult to play to your handicap.
Intimidating and narrow. The massive dunes create blind shots and tight corridors. It requires extreme precision and a brave heart.
The Tournament Standard. With the River Liffey and 14 water hazards, it's a wicked challenge. Bring extra balls. The beauty hides the bite.
Strategic and windy. The natural hazards and heavy rough combined with shifting sea winds make this a gritty traditional test of links golf.
Brutal rough and fast greens. Some find this even more demanding than Portmarnock due to narrower fairways and lightning-speed putting surfaces.
The Ultimate Grudge Match. Known for its 13-foot deep bunkers and unique 20-hole layout. Arguably the most difficult course on this list.
Approachable and fair. While still a serious links challenge, it is more playable for the casual golfer and rewards good shots without being overly penal.
The Inland Gauntlet. Technically demanding with heavy use of water. It is a shot-maker's course where one wrong club choice can be fatal.
The Bunker Minefield. With over 130 man-deep pot bunkers, it is a mental test as much as a physical one.
Fair and forgiving. A strong but fair test. While it stretches over 7,000 yards, the miss areas are generous and the greens are tiered but predictable.
Links Week
The Printed Edit
Our classic Ireland links route. Tee times, bases, and the dinners worth booking before you fly.
The version golfers print before locking in tee times.
This page belongs to golf in Ireland.
Courses, order of play and where to sleep between rounds.