Carne Golf Links is one of Ireland’s most dramatic and memorable links, set within the vast Wild Atlantic Dunes on the remote west coast of Mayo. Rated among the very best courses in the country, it offers golf on an extraordinary scale, where towering dunes create a sense of space and spectacle that few courses can match. Although only opened in the early 1990s, Carne feels timeless, as if it has always belonged to this rugged coastline.

The routing weaves through immense dune corridors, demanding imagination, commitment and a feel for the ground game. It is raw, untamed golf, deeply immersive and richly rewarding. In recent years, increased attention from the likes of No Laying Up and Tom Coyne has brought Carne wider recognition, but its appeal remains rooted in the purity of the experience. Carne delivers links golf at its most elemental, in a setting that leaves a lasting impression.

County Sligo Golf Club, known locally as Rosses Point, sits on a striking peninsula overlooking Sligo Bay and offers a links experience full of variety and character. The course moves across dramatically undulating ground, with raised plateau greens, natural run offs, burns, dunes and a constant shift between high and low ground keeping the round engaging from start to finish. Purposeful bunkering and the use of natural contours place an emphasis on thoughtful shot selection throughout.

A defining feature of Rosses Point is its routing. The course unfolds across three clearly different sections, each with its own feel and demands. The back nine in particular is outstanding, with holes eleven through seventeen playing across the headland and providing a stretch of golf that is both demanding and memorable. Set against a rugged coastal backdrop, County Sligo delivers a richly varied and deeply satisfying links experience.

Cruit Island is a wonderfully distinctive nine hole links set on a rocky outcrop off the Donegal coast, offering a golfing experience that is far more memorable than its modest length suggests. At just under 2,800 yards, it looks innocuous on the scorecard, but the reality is a playful, inventive course full of character and gentle chaos. The routing makes bold use of the land, with holes hugging the coastline and asking for creativity, nerve and a sense of humour rather than precision alone.

The standout moment comes at the par three sixth, played across a dramatic chasm of rocks and beach to a green perched beyond, one of the most striking short holes in Ireland. Cruit Island is not about scoring or convention. It is about enjoyment, scenery and embracing the quirks of a truly one of a kind golfing adventure.

Situated in the North West of Ireland, Donegal’s links course is one of the longest in Ireland and Europe. It has been described as the “Muirfield of Ireland” because of the two loops of nine holes, the first nine an outer loop and the second nine an inner loop running in the opposite direction. It’s a very pleasant course in a lovely setting.

Enniscrone is home to the Dunes Championship Links, laid across an extraordinary stretch of Ireland’s west coast, among some of the largest dunes in Ireland. Golf has been played here for more than a century, but it was Eddie Hackett’s work in the 1970s that shaped Enniscrone into the bold and compelling course it is today.

The Dunes moves through vast, rumpled terrain, with fairways twisting between immense dunes and creating a strong sense of movement throughout the round. Several holes on the front nine offer a little breathing space before the course turns back into the dunes for a demanding and memorable run home. It is a layout that rewards patience and commitment, asking players to trust their lines and accept the challenge of the ground.

Regularly ranked among Ireland’s leading links and often described as a must play, Enniscrone delivers golf that feels raw, honest and deeply satisfying, leaving a lasting impression long after the round is finished.

Mulranny Golf Links is a traditional nine hole course set on a narrow strip of land along the shores of Clew Bay in County Mayo. Founded in 1896, it is one of Ireland’s older links and has retained a simple, natural feel that reflects both its setting and its history.

The course sits between the bay and the surrounding countryside, with open views toward Croagh Patrick and Clare Island on clear days. The holes are compact and varied, shaped by subtle changes in ground rather than dramatic features, and the wind plays a constant role in how the course is approached. Each hole asks a slightly different question, rewarding good judgement and a feel for links golf rather than power.

Mulranny is not about length or spectacle. It is about place, tradition and the pleasure of playing golf in a quiet coastal setting that feels unchanged by time.

Narin & Portnoo, in beautiful County Donegal, is a links that has been elevated into something truly special. For years, few golfers knew of these remote seaside holes, but the recent redesign by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner has firmly put the course on the Irish golf map.

Set close to the Atlantic and framed by impressive dunes, Narin & Portnoo embodies Hanse’s design philosophy – generous from the tee, yet full of strategic interest. The round begins across gentler land before reaching the coast, which is used to stunning effect. Tees are carved naturally into the dunes, and greens are beautifully positioned to make the most of the ocean views.

Narin & Portnoo is engaging, thoughtful, and full of character. It may not have the fame of Ireland’s best-known links, but those who play it discover a course of genuine quality and lasting enjoyment.

Golf has been played at Rosapenna since the 1890s, when Old Tom Morris first laid out nine holes on this remarkable stretch of Donegal coastline. Those original holes still form the back nine of the Old Tom Morris Links course today. The front nine, added much later by Pat Ruddy and opened in 2009, brings a contrasting, more modern feel.

The two halves offer very different experiences. The newer front nine is routed through dramatic dunes set slightly back from the coast, with broader scale and more adventurous shots on offer. The Old Tom holes on the back nine are the course’s heart, running toward Sheephaven Bay across gentler ground where the running game and natural contours come into play.

Together, they create an enjoyable and varied round that blends history with modern design. This is not a course that sets out to overwhelm, but one that rewards imagination and offers the simple pleasure of true links golf.

Rosapenna’s Sandy Hills Links is a modern and demanding course routed through some of the wildest dunes on the estate. This links is a true test that demands both courage and precision.

The design is bold and uncompromising. Many holes stand alone, carved through towering dunes that require accuracy from the tee to find the fairways. Yet Sandy Hills is equally a second-shot course, where approaches to elevated greens call for control and nerve – any miss can lead to a difficult recovery.

If you enjoy a championship-level challenge, you’ll relish tackling this magnificent links terrain. Demanding yet endlessly rewarding, Sandy Hills captures the essence of modern links golf. Many golfers call it their favourite at Rosapenna – but the only way to know is to play it yourself!

St Patrick’s Links is the modern classic at Rosapenna, already heralded as one of the world’s leading courses. Set on what was once described as the last great stretch of undeveloped links land in Ireland, it is a remarkable design by Tom Doak. From the outset, the course reflects Doak’s belief that great golf should be strategic, engaging and enjoyable rather than relentlessly severe.

From the tee, St Patrick’s feels generous, with wide fairways, huge scale and natural movement through towering dunes, all framed by sweeping views across Sheephaven Bay. The course encourages bold play, but positioning is always rewarded. The real examination comes around the greens, where large, subtly contoured surfaces demand imagination, precision and nerve. Every approach invites thought, and every putt carries consequence.

St Patrick’s Links is the showpiece of a resort that now boasts three world-class courses. Rosapenna has become one of Ireland’s premier golfing destinations, and this spectacular Doak design is its crowning jewel.