Ardglass blends deep history with a rugged and exhilarating links experience set high on the clifftops above the Irish Sea. The course follows a classic out and back routing, playing from town out and around a dramatic headland before returning again, with the sea visible from every hole and coming directly into play on eight of the eighteen. Firm, fast conditions and constant coastal winds place a premium on judgement and control, while the small, well protected greens are a demanding target throughout the round.

A defining feature of Ardglass is its remarkable clubhouse, a fortified stone building dating back to 1405, which adds real character to the day. Combined with its exposed setting, distinctive routing and sense of place, Ardglass delivers a memorable and thoroughly engaging links experience.

Castlerock is a traditional links course that blends natural beauty with a quietly demanding test of golf. Set among impressive dunes beside the Atlantic, the course is shaped by firm, running turf, blind approaches and undulating fairways that reward commitment and imagination. Natural features such as the burn that winds its way through several holes combine with the working railway line that borders the property, creating interest and subtle pressure throughout the round.

The standout hole is the par three fourth, aptly named Double Trouble. Playing alongside the railway line with out of bounds tight to the right and a creek cutting in from the left, it is a precise and memorable challenge. With views across the ocean, the River Bann and surrounding countryside, Castlerock delivers classic, thoughtful links golf that is both engaging and thoroughly enjoyable.

County Louth, known to most golfers as Baltray, is a classic Irish links with genuine pedigree and enduring appeal. Consistently ranked among the country’s finest courses, it offers a championship test that remains welcoming and enjoyable to play. Paul McGinley captures it well, describing Baltray as a course that challenges without intimidation, with great variety, bold dunes and outstanding green complexes. It is often said to be a course visitors would happily join, and some have been tempted to do exactly that.

Founded in 1892 and later shaped by Tom Simpson, Baltray carries strong championship credentials. The holes run in every direction across open coastal ground, with wide views toward the Cooley and Mourne mountains adding to the sense of place. Combined with a warm welcome and excellent clubhouse food, it is easy to see why County Louth is held in such high regard.

Druid’s Glen is often nicknamed the Augusta of Europe. Designed by Pat Ruddy and Tom Craddock, this beautiful parkland classic has long been a premier test, hosting four Irish Opens where champions like Colin Montgomerie and Sergio Garcia prevailed. 

To reclaim its place among Europe’s elite, the resort has recently undergone a major multi-million Euro restoration. The course is immaculately presented and offers a striking contrast to the rugged links of the coast, closing in a true blaze of glory.

After a demanding stretch of holes, the finish will test your nerve. The 17th is a 203-yard par three played to an island green, where only a precise strike will do. Then comes the 18th, a 450-yard par four where water guards the final approach, creating a thrilling conclusion to one of Ireland’s most memorable and enjoyable courses.

Portmarnock is a classic links in the truest sense, set on a slender ribbon of duneland just north of Dublin. Long admired for its balance and restraint, it is widely regarded as one of the fairest tests of links golf in the world. There is only a single blind shot on the entire course, so the demands of each hole are easy to understand even when they are difficult to meet. The challenge lies not in deception, but in precision, judgement and execution.

Its quality has been proven over time. Portmarnock has hosted the Irish Open on nineteen occasions, as well as the Amateur Championship, and many believe it remains a natural future host for The Open Championship. Walking these fairways is to experience a course of quiet authority, one whose place at the top table of world golf is fully deserved.

Portstewart’s Strand Course delivers a coastline setting that is unforgettable from the very first tee. The opener looks out over the Strand Beach and the River Bann, with huge dunes framing a demanding downhill drive that sets the tone for the round. The front nine is the star attraction, carving its way through some of the largest dunes in Irish golf and creating holes that feel both dramatic and beautifully natural.

The inward nine offers a change of pace, with rolling terrain, well judged bunkering and glimpses of the North Atlantic adding to the experience. Portstewart is a striking and memorable links, full of character and challenge.

Royal County Down is widely regarded as one of the greatest golf courses in the world. Set beneath the sweeping Mountains of Mourne, it is a dramatic links long admired for both its beauty and its challenge. Bernard Darwin captured its spirit when he described it as “the kind of golf that people play in their most ecstatic dreams.”

The course unfolds across towering dunes thick with heather and gorse, with fairways rising and falling through striking natural ground. Blind tee shots are a defining feature, demanding trust and commitment and adding to the sense of adventure. The opening stretch is exceptional, building to the famous ninth hole, where the fairway tumbles toward the clubhouse with the mountains framed beyond.

Bold, stirring and timeless, Royal County Down offers an experience that lingers long after the round is finished.

Royal Dublin is a traditional out-and-back links, set proudly among the dunes of Bull Island. With history dating back to 1885, the club is steeped in heritage and offers a stern but fair test of golf.

Originally designed by the great Harry Colt, the course still reflects his masterful eye for strategy and natural beauty. Today, architects Clayton, DeVries and Pont have recently restored the bunkers, ensuring Colt’s vision remains alive for generations to come.

The links demands accuracy and thought, rewarding those who can shape their shots and stay patient. The layout runs straight out and then back home again. 

Royal Dublin is rightly regarded as one of Dublin’s best courses, a place where tradition and pure golf come together beautifully.

The Dunluce Course at Royal Portrush is one of the great links in world golf, set across towering dunes above the Atlantic on the Antrim coast. Long cherished by those who knew it well, it stepped fully onto the world stage after hosting The Open Championship in 2019 and again in 2025, allowing a wider audience to appreciate the quality and character of the course.

It is a big, muscular test that asks for commitment from the opening tee, with fairways climbing, falling and turning through the dunes. The greens are boldly contoured and exacting, often set hard against natural slopes, and approach play demands precision throughout. The reworked seventh and eighth holes sit comfortably within the routing, adding strength and rhythm to the outward half. As a championship links it is uncompromising, yet deeply rewarding, defined by scale, integrity and a powerful sense of place.

The Valley Links at Royal Portrush Golf Club is a distinguished 18-hole, par-71 championship course measuring 6,346 yards from the championship tees. Designed by the renowned architect Harry Colt in 1929, the course underwent enhancements by Martin Ebert and Tom Mackenzie in 2015 to refine its playability and challenge. 

Nestled between the towering dunes of the East Strand and the elevated terrain of the Dunluce Links, the Valley Links offers a classic links experience characterized by natural undulations, strategic bunkering, and fast, true greens. The course’s layout takes full advantage of the rugged coastal landscape, providing both a test of skill and a scenic golfing experience.

The Island Golf Club is not one of the best known courses in the country, yet it leaves a lasting impression on almost everyone who plays it. Founded in 1890 and set on a narrow peninsula north of Dublin, the course is surrounded by water on three sides, with the Irish Sea, Donabate Beach and the Broadmeadow estuary shaping both the scenery and the golf.

The routing threads its way through tall dunes, with fairways that can feel narrow in places and greens that reward the correct angle of approach. The dunes do not overwhelm the course, but instead guide it, creating a strong sense of movement from hole to hole. Recent work has subtly improved the flow and pacing of the round, sharpening the challenge while keeping the course’s traditional character intact.

The Island offers a demanding, engaging links that feels quietly confident rather than showy. It is a course that reveals its quality over the round and leaves you thinking about holes long after you finish.