Best Golf Courses in Ireland
6 ranked courses in Ireland
Ireland has six courses in this guide: five links and one coastal layout, with no parkland course. Ballybunion's Old Course ranks highest, followed by Lahinch, Waterville, Portmarnock and Old Head, with Rosapenna Golf Resort in Downings the newest addition. Four of the six are in Munster on the south-west coast: Ballybunion, Lahinch, Waterville and Old Head in Kinsale. Portmarnock in Leinster is the flatter and more classical counterpoint, and Rosapenna in Ulster has three links, St Patrick's by Tom Doak, Sandy Hills by Pat Ruddy and the Old Tom Morris Links. Ballybunion opened in 1893 and Old Head in 1997. Access is better than the labels suggest. Ballybunion and Portmarnock are private but take visitors on set days: Ballybunion on weekday mornings from mid-April to early October, Portmarnock on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday. Lahinch is semi-private and books online. Waterville, Old Head and Rosapenna are resort courses, and Rosapenna sells tee times to day visitors as well as resort guests.
— Top 6 Rankings
Top 6 Best Golf Courses in Ireland
Updated
About Golf Courses in Ireland
Ballybunion, Lahinch, Waterville and Kinsale are the south-west trip. Portmarnock is a separate stop in Leinster, and Downings in Ulster is a trip of its own.
- Ranked courses
- 6
- Course styles
- links 5 · coastal 1
- Access
- resort 3 · private 2 · semi-private 1
- Opened
- 1892–1997
- Playable without membership
- 4 of 6