Enniscrone Golf Club
Golf travel to the UK and Ireland have arguably never seen a demand like we have today. And just like any supply and demand curve, the rates to play many of the marquee golf courses in these regions have crept up over the last few years as Americans are still coming over in droves to play here, and with good reason.
There is truly nothing like immersing yourself in the culture of this region of the world, and when you combine the warm hospitality of the region alongside some of the best courses in the world, it’s a guarantee that a golf trip here will create memories that last forever.
As the golf world will have all their eyes on Royal Portrush in July of 2025 as they host the Open Championship, we’ve found ourselves trying to help golfers find incredible value all while still enjoying some iconic championship golf. One such destination that fits that bill is the Northwest of Ireland.
Similar to the boom that the Southwest of Ireland saw about 20 years ago when courses like Ballybunion, Portmarnock, Tralee, Lahinch, Waterville, and Dooks Golf Club started to make their way onto more golfer’s itineraries, Northwest Ireland is quickly becoming the new “go-to” region for a golf trip as you can find equally great experiences all while stretching your dollar quite a bit further.
We’ve taken the liberty of highlighting a few of our favorites in the region here for you here.
Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort: St. Patrick’s Links
Many great golf trips will include at least one round of golf on a highly ranked course that every member of your group will have circled as “the one” that they absolutely must play. That course in the Northwest of Ireland is St. Patrick’s Links at Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort. This course was ranked by Golf Magazine/Golf.com as the 49th Best Golf Course in the World on their most recent rankings list, and Tom Doak and his team at Renaissance Golf Design took a piece of land that once housed 36 holes of golf and recreated it into a modern links design that gives you 18-holes of unforgettable golf. The massive scale of the property can be felt throughout your round as you navigate your way through huge dunes and enjoy scenic views of Sheephaven Bay along the coast.
In addition to St. Patrick’s Links, the resort also features Sand Hills Links, a highly touted links design and the always fun Old Tom Morris Links giving you 54 holes of golf all under one roof.
Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort: St. Patrick’s Links
Enniscrone Golf Club: The Dunes
Authentic, links style golf at an incredible price. That’s the definition of what the experience at Enniscrone Golf Club will provide at their iconic Dunes Course. With incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean and gorgeous mounding throughout, it is covered with thick fescue grass that you’ll want to avoid at all costs. It is a true test from tee to green, and accuracy means as much as power here if you want to score on this links legend. We made our way “across the pond” and have put together this exclusive drone footage for you here so you can see how special this layout is, so enjoy!
Cruit Island Golf Club
Cruit Island Golf Club is the definition of unique, and we highly recommend including this on your itinerary to the Northwest of Ireland. This 9-hole beauty is typically played twice to create a par-68 18-hole golf experience as this course showcases breathtaking panoramic views along the ocean and among the cliffs. Even in peak season, the rates here are unbelievably low for the quality of golf that you will receive. It’s conveniently located on the way from Rosapenna down to Narin & Portnoo, so it’s a great addition to fit into your itinerary on a day where you might be switching accommodations from one area to the next.
Cruit Island Golf Club
Narin & Portnoo Links
Located along the Donegal coast, Narin & Portnoo Links was originally founded in 1905 but was recently redesigned by the iconic duo of Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner to reestablish this incredible layout of links golf into one of the best courses in the whole of Ireland. They have not only redesigned the course, but they have also completely renovated the clubhouse to bring it in line with some of the best clubhouses in the Southwest or Ireland. They hired a new head chef recently and the food is magnificent, and a meal comes complimentary with a tee time at Narin & Portnoo. What’s not to like!?
Narin and Portnoo Links
Ballyliffin Golf Club
As the host site of the 2024 R&A Amateur Championship, Ballyliffin Golf Club featured 36-holes of world-class championship golf with the Old Links and Glashedy Links courses as well as the 9-hole par-3 links course known as Pollan Links. Rory McIlroy has been quoted as saying “Ballyliffin’s two courses are a must play on any golf trip to Ireland” so it’s tough to find higher praise than that. The Glashedy Links is the newer of the two designs, and it tops out at over 7,500 yards from the back tees so it packs quite a punch, and the Old Links provides a more traditional design than its newer sister course creating a fantastic 1-2 combination to include on your itinerary in the Northwest of Ireland.
Ballyliffin Golf Club
Carne Golf Links
Carne Golf Links is another name that you have undoubtedly heard of amongst the best golf courses in Ireland, and this club is home to two 18-hole routings with the Wild Atlantic Dunes routing and Hackett Links. That being said, there are actually only 27 holes of golf on property here so you can either play the both routings over two consecutive days, play one of the 18-hole routings one day, or play all 27 holes in one day.
The original Hackett Links was the last, and possibly the best, design by legendary golf course architect Eddie Hackett. The Wild Atlantic Dunes routing was created by a duo between Ally McIntosh and Jim Engh as they incorporated Hackett’s original plans for the last 9 holes that were added to the facility on the most dramatic piece of land on the property. The result is an incredible golf experience, and if you’re only going to fit in 18 holes here, we highly recommend trying to do it on a day when you can experience the Wild Atlantic Dunes routing.
Carne Golf Links
County Sligo Golf Club: Colt Championship Links Course
As the home of the West of Ireland Championship that has yielded winners such as Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, and Padraig Harrington over the years, this beautiful links design was reimagined by Harry Colt in 1927 and the result was a fantastic championship layout. This is a true golfer’s course as there are some amazing holes such as the driveable par-4 2nd hole that has just as good of a chance of yielding a birdie as it does a double bogey as well as the scenic par-5 12th hole that plays along the water and offers a great risk-reward hole where a premium is placed on a well-positioned drive off this dogleg left tee shot.
It’s one of those courses that good players love to play as it’s a tough yet fair layout, and if you ask the locals, you’ll often hear that it is among their favorite courses to play in the country.
County Sligo Golf Club: Colt Championship Links Course
Recommendation
We’ve highlighted a few of our favorite courses in the region here for you, but please note there are many more courses to enjoy here. You can certainly get the most bang for your buck when you’re looking to book a trip to Ireland in the Northwest region. The courses that we’ve covered here still cover quite a bit of ground, and it’s also important to note that this region is very close to legendary Northern Ireland courses such as Royal Portrush Golf Club and Portstewart Golf Club. For those flying into Dublin and traveling via car, you can easily include a stop at courses along the way such as Royal County Down or Ardglass. The options are endless!
One thing you’ll quickly realize when you start planning a trip like this is that utilizing a professional’s connections and expertise in the region is vital to creating the best experience for you and your crew. While booking on your own is certainly an option, we highly, highly recommend utilizing a Tour Operator in the region as they can advise you on everything from golf courses, accommodations, transportation, and sightseeing during your visit. There are a lot of great companies that can provide these services, but one we can suggest that we know will take incredible care of you is Lyons Links. As an Authorized Provider of the Open Championship and St. Andrews Links in Scotland, the Lyons team has incredible access to golf and lodging in this area of the world as well as a stable of qualified drivers who can escort you around the whole of Ireland.
The other recommendation that is a must is to start planning now! Travel to Ireland is at an all-time high, and even if you’re thinking about a trip in 2026 or 2027, the time to reach out and start these conversations. Demand continues to climb, so get the group chat going and start planning your epic Ireland adventure today.