Top 10 · Links Golf
Ten links that define Irish golf, ranked. The decisive course character and booking move sit with every entry.
The places we recommend to friends.
Newcastle, Co. Down
The undisputed king of links golf. The Mourne Mountains frame every shot on this raw, windswept masterpiece.
Why We Recommend It: The front nine through towering dunes is the most dramatic stretch of links golf on earth.
Insider Notes
Co. Kerry
Tom Watson called it one of the finest in the world. Atlantic cliffs, towering dunes, and not a single weak hole.
Why We Recommend It: The back nine is spiritual. Pair with the Cashen Course for a full day of links perfection.
Insider Notes
Co. Clare
The St Andrews of Ireland. Goats roam the fairways and predict the weather. Pure, joyful links golf.
Why We Recommend It: Play it, walk to the village for chowder, then drive 15 minutes to the Cliffs of Moher.
Insider Notes
Co. Dublin
Ireland's answer to Muirfield. A flat, exposed peninsula where the wind is the true hazard.
Why We Recommend It: Championship pedigree, 15 minutes from Dublin. The post-round sandwich is a rite of passage.
Insider Notes
Co. Kerry
Charlie Chaplin's favourite Irish escape. Remote, rugged, and rewarding on the Ring of Kerry.
Why We Recommend It: The Smuggler's Inn nearby serves the best seafood chowder you'll ever taste.
Insider Notes
Co. Kerry
Arnold Palmer designed this course to complement the rugged Kerry coastline. 18 holes of Atlantic drama.
Why We Recommend It: Palmer called it 'the most beautiful course I ever designed.' Pair with Ballybunion.
Insider Notes
Belmullet, Co. Mayo
Eddie Hackett's masterpiece in the wild northwest. The dunes are the largest in Europe.
Why We Recommend It: The most remote and rewarding links experience in Ireland. The journey is part of the magic.
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. Louth
A hidden gem north of Dublin. Strategic, windswept, and beloved by Irish golfers who know.
Why We Recommend It: This is the locals' links. Less famous, but every bit as good as the marquee names.
Insider Notes
Co. Sligo
A wild, undulating links on the shores of Killala Bay in the northwest. Dramatic and underrated.
Why We Recommend It: Pair with County Sligo (Rosses Point) for an incredible northwest links double.
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.
Before You Play
Every course on this list has its own visitor rules. The essays below are the working manual that applies to all of them: certificates, caddies, dress, freight, rentals, and the honest budget.
The BallotMost relevant here
Where a certificate is checked, and where it is not.
ReadThe Caddie
The €60 on the eighteenth green that changes the round.
ReadThe Bag
Which pro shops carry the good sets, and when to reserve.
ReadThe Clubhouse
What Irish clubs actually enforce at the door.
ReadThe Freight
Courier or Aer Lingus, and where the bag should land.
ReadThe Budget
The honest line-item number, green fees to the last pint.
ReadThe Walk
Where buggies are banned, and where the caddie is the point.
ReadThe Solo Round
Which clubs pair a party of one, and which times to ask for.
ReadThe questions we answer before every Ireland golf trip, gathered in one index.
The full planning Q&A
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.