Best Links Golf Courses in Ireland: A Guide for Visiting Golfers

Quick Answer: The best links golf courses in Ireland for a visiting golfer are Lahinch in Co. Clare, Ballybunion and Waterville in Co. Kerry, and Royal Portrush and Royal County Down in Northern Ireland. All five sit on wild Atlantic or Irish Sea coastline, all welcome visitors on set days, and each one is within about an hour or two of an airport. Book tee times early, as summer dates fill up months ahead.

Ireland is home to a large share of the world’s true links courses, and golfers come from all over the world to play them. We drive many of those golfers, on golf tours in Ireland with a chauffeur that run from a single round to a full week on the coast. This guide covers the five courses our guests ask about most: what makes each one special, where it is, and how to fit more than one into the same trip.

What Makes Links Golf in Ireland Special?

A links course is built on the sandy land between the sea and the farmland behind it. The ground is firm and fast, the grass is fine fescue, and there are very few trees. Dunes, hollows and pot bunkers shape every hole, and the wind decides how each one plays on the day.

That means links golf in Ireland rewards a different game from parkland golf. Low, running shots that bounce along the ground are often better than high shots that hang in the wind. A 150-yard par 3 can need a wedge one day and a long iron the next. For many visitors, that challenge, together with the views, is the whole point of the trip.

The Five Best Links Golf Courses in Ireland at a Glance

Course	Where	Nearest airport	Best known for
Lahinch (Old Course)	Co. Clare, west coast	Shannon	Blind holes, huge dunes and a lively golf town
Ballybunion (Old Course)	Co. Kerry, west coast	Kerry or Shannon	Holes along the cliffs above the Atlantic
Waterville Golf Links	Co. Kerry, Ring of Kerry	Kerry	Remote dunes and a peaceful setting
Royal Portrush (Dunluce)	Co. Antrim, north coast	Belfast International	Host of The Open in 2019 and 2025
Royal County Down	Co. Down, east coast	Belfast City	The Mourne Mountains and heather-topped bunkers

Every course on this list is within about two hours of an airport.

Lahinch Golf Club, Co. Clare

Lahinch is often called the St Andrews of Ireland, and the town lives for the game. Golf has been played here since 1892. Old Tom Morris laid out the first course, Alister MacKenzie reshaped it in the 1920s, and a restoration in recent decades brought back much of its old character. The Old Course hosted the Irish Open in 2019.

Two holes make Lahinch famous. The 4th, called Klondyke, is a par 5 where you hit blind over a huge dune. The 5th, the Dell, is a short par 3 to a green hidden between two dunes, with only a white marker stone to aim at. Both are odd, old-fashioned and great fun. The club also has a second links, the Castle Course, which is a good option for a warm-up round.

Getting there: about 50 minutes by road from Shannon Airport.
Nearby: the Cliffs of Moher are around 15 minutes away, so non-golfers in your group have plenty to do.
Good to know: the town has pubs, cafes and a surf beach within walking distance of the clubhouse.

Ballybunion Golf Club, Co. Kerry

Ballybunion is the course many visiting golfers come back to talk about. The club was founded in 1893, and the Old Course runs through tall dunes and along cliffs above the Atlantic. Tom Watson, who won five Open Championships, played here often and helped with work on the course in the 1990s. It hosted the Irish Open in 2000.

You notice something unusual on the very first tee: a graveyard sits just to the right of the fairway. From there the course gets better and better, with a run of holes along the cliff edge in the middle of the round. The second course, the Cashen, was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and is even wilder, with huge dunes and tight landing areas.

Getting there: about an hour from Kerry Airport, or about 1 hour 45 minutes from Shannon Airport.
Nearby: Tralee and its Arnold Palmer links are about 40 minutes away, which makes a good pairing.
Good to know: visitor times are limited at weekends, so plan your Ballybunion round for a weekday.

Waterville Golf Links, Co. Kerry

Waterville sits near the tip of the Iveragh peninsula, on the Ring of Kerry, and feels far from everywhere in the best way. The links opened in 1973. Irish designer Eddie Hackett created it with the club’s founder, John A. Mulcahy, and Tom Fazio has since refined it. The back nine runs through big dunes beside the sea and is among the best stretches of golf in the country.

The best-known hole is the 17th, a par 3 called Mulcahy’s Peak, played from a high tee across a valley of dunes. Payne Stewart loved Waterville and was made honorary captain of the club in 1999, and a statue of him stands near the clubhouse. Because it is quieter than the more famous names, Waterville often feels like your own private course.

Getting there: about 1 hour 45 minutes from Kerry Airport, or about three hours from Shannon.
Nearby: the Ring of Kerry drive, the Skellig coast and the village of Waterville itself.
Good to know: the drive is long, so plan to stay a night or two in the area rather than doing it as a day trip.

Royal Portrush Golf Club, Co. Antrim

Royal Portrush is the only course on the island of Ireland to have hosted The Open Championship, and it has done so three times: in 1951, 2019 and 2025. Shane Lowry won in 2019, to huge celebrations, and Scottie Scheffler won in 2025. The Dunluce Links was designed by Harry Colt, one of the greatest course architects of all, and two new holes were added before The Open returned in 2019.

The most famous hole is the 16th, Calamity Corner, a long par 3 played over a deep drop on the right. Miss it there and the name makes sense. The club’s second course, the Valley Links, is a fine links in its own right and easier to book. Portrush is also a short drive from the Giant’s Causeway, so a golf day here fits well with sightseeing.

Getting there: about an hour from Belfast International Airport, or about three hours from Dublin Airport.
Nearby: Portstewart and Castlerock, two more strong links, are within 20 minutes.
Good to know: demand has grown since The Open, so book the Dunluce as early as you can.

Royal County Down Golf Club, Co. Down

Many golfers consider Royal County Down the best course in the world, and it regularly appears at or near the top of world rankings. The club was founded in 1889, with Old Tom Morris involved in the early layout. The Championship Links runs along Dundrum Bay with the Mountains of Mourne rising behind the town of Newcastle, and the views are unforgettable.

Royal County Down is also hard. Several tee shots are blind, the fairways are narrow, and the bunkers have rough, shaggy edges of marram grass and heather. It hosted the Walker Cup in 2007 and the Irish Open in 2015. Take a caddie if you can: local knowledge saves a lot of lost balls.

Getting there: about 50 minutes from Belfast City Airport, or about 1 hour 45 minutes from Dublin Airport.
Nearby: the Mourne Mountains, Tollymore Forest Park and the seaside town of Newcastle.
Good to know: visitor days are limited, and the club may ask for a handicap certificate.

How to Fit Several Links Courses Into One Trip

Ireland is small, but the drive from Kerry to Co. Down still takes about five hours or more. The easiest approach is to choose one coast and stay there:

The west: fly into Shannon for Lahinch, Doonbeg, Ballybunion, Tralee and Waterville. Base yourself first in Clare, then in Kerry.
The north: fly into Belfast or Dublin for Royal Portrush, Portstewart and Royal County Down, with a night in each area.
Both coasts: possible in ten days or more, with a travel day in the middle. Fly into one airport and home from the other to avoid doubling back.

Try to keep the long drives for rest days, and plan no more than one round a day if you want to enjoy each course. For sample itineraries, the best bases and more detail on routes, read our guide to planning a golf trip to the West of Ireland.

If your trip falls in September 2027, the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Co. Limerick will make hotels and roads in the west much busier than usual. Adare Manor is a parkland course, not a links, but it sits close to Shannon and Lahinch. Our Ryder Cup 2027 Travel Guide explains how to plan around it.

Tips for Visiting Golfers

Book early. For May to September, book tee times at the famous links six to twelve months ahead.
Check visitor times. Most clubs keep certain days or times for members, often at weekends.
Carry a handicap certificate. Some clubs ask for proof of handicap, and a few set a maximum.
Take a caddie. On blind links holes, a good caddie is worth every cent, and the stories are a bonus.
Pack for four seasons. Bring waterproofs, layers, a warm hat and spare gloves, even in summer.
Budget for green fees. Peak-season fees at the top courses can run to several hundred euro, or pounds in Northern Ireland. Shoulder months such as April and October are often cheaper and quieter.

Getting Around: Transport for Golfers

Golf bags take up a lot of room. Four players with clubs and luggage will not fit into a normal hire car, and after a long day on a windy links nobody wants to drive narrow country roads to the hotel. With a private driver, the clubs go in the back, the group travels together, and you can enjoy the 19th hole without thinking about the drive home.

We meet golfers off flights at Shannon Airport, Kerry Airport, Belfast and Dublin, and our Mercedes V-Class and Sprinter vans have room for every bag. Book online or contact our team to plan the transport around your tee times.

A V-Class carries four to six golfers with their bags.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best links golf course in Ireland?

Royal County Down and Royal Portrush usually top the rankings, with Ballybunion, Lahinch and Waterville close behind. The best one for you depends on where you are travelling and the style of golf you enjoy.

Can visitors play Royal Portrush and Royal County Down?

Yes. Both clubs welcome visitors on set days and times. Book well ahead, and expect to be asked for a handicap certificate.

When is the best time to play links golf in Ireland?

May to September brings the longest days and the best weather. April and October are quieter and often cheaper, though the weather is less settled. Links courses drain well, so they are playable for much of the year.

Which airport is best for links golf in the west of Ireland?

Shannon Airport. Lahinch and Doonbeg are under an hour away, and Ballybunion is about 1 hour 45 minutes. Kerry Airport is closer for Ballybunion and Waterville.

Are Royal Portrush and Royal County Down in Ireland?

They are on the island of Ireland, in Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK. There are no border checks when you drive between the Republic and Northern Ireland, but prices there are in pounds sterling.

How many rounds can I play in a week?

Five or six is realistic if you stay in one region. Many groups play five rounds and keep one day free for travel or rest.

About This Guide

This guide was written by the Apache Travels team in Shannon, Co. Clare. We drive visiting golfers to courses across Ireland every season. Course details were checked in October 2026 against the clubs’ own websites, including Lahinch Golf Club, Royal Portrush and Royal County Down. Drive times are approximate. Visitor days, green fees and booking rules change every year, so always check with each club before you travel.