The 10 Best Links Golf Courses in Ireland to Play in 2027

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Ireland's wild Atlantic coastline holds the highest concentration of true links golf on earth, and a links trip here rivals Scotland for raw drama. Our Best Overall pick is Royal County Down in Northern Ireland, where a 2027 visitor green fee runs about £375 (≈€440) for a course many rank #1 in the world.

The Best Value play is Carne Golf Links in County Mayo at roughly €95, a remote dunes masterpiece for half the marquee price. This list is for golfers planning a links pilgrimage along Ireland's coasts, with fees spanning roughly €95 to €475. Every course below is a real, currently-operating links ranked on dune drama, design pedigree, conditioning, and championship history.

1. Royal County Down (Championship) 🏆 BEST OVERALL

Set beneath the Mountains of Mourne in Newcastle, Northern Ireland, Royal County Down's Championship Links is frequently ranked the #1 course in the world outside the U.S. by *Golf Digest*. Founded in 1889, it features blind shots, gorse-covered dunes, and bearded "eyebrow" bunkers.

Visitor green fees run about £375 (≈€440) for 2027.

The front nine, framed by the mountains and the Irish Sea, is considered one of the greatest stretches in golf. The blind tee shots over heather-cloaked ridges demand local knowledge or a caddie, and the course measures around 7,200 yards off the championship tees. It hosted the 2015 Irish Open, the Walker Cup, and is on the rota for major amateur events, while the adjacent Annesley Links offers a gentler second-course option within the same complex.

It ranks #1 for its overwhelming natural beauty and a design that's both penal and exhilarating — the consensus top links in Ireland.

2. Royal Portrush (Dunluce Links)

The only Irish course on the current Open Championship rota, Royal Portrush's Dunluce Links on the Antrim coast hosted The Open in 2019 (Shane Lowry's emotional home win) and returns in 2025. Visitor green fees run about £325 (≈€380) for 2027.

Highlights include the par-3 16th "Calamity Corner," played over a yawning ravine, and the tumbling dunes near the Giant's Causeway. Harry Colt's 1932 design was refreshed with two new holes for the 2019 Open. Portrush ranks for its Open pedigree and its place among the finest championship links in the British Isles.

The club's second course, the Valley Links, offers an excellent companion round, and the Antrim coast setting — within sight of the Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Castle, and the Bushmills distillery — makes Portrush one of the most scenic and rewarding golf bases in all of Ireland for a multi-day northern trip.

3. Ballybunion (Old Course)

On the Kerry coast, the Old Course at Ballybunion is the spiritual heart of southwest Irish links golf — Tom Watson called it "a course on which golf architects should live and play before they build golf courses." Visitor green fees run about €275 for 2027.

The course plays through towering dunes hard against the Atlantic, with a famous clifftop stretch on the back nine and a graveyard bordering the opening tee. Its raw, untamed character defines Irish links. Ballybunion ranks for its legendary status and the sheer scale of its dunescape, a must-play on any Wild Atlantic Way golf tour.

4. Lahinch (Old Course)

Dubbed the "St Andrews of Ireland," Lahinch in County Clare is a quirky, beloved links shaped by Old Tom Morris and later Alister MacKenzie. It hosted the 2019 Irish Open and is famous for its blind par-3 "Dell" and the blind par-5 "Klondyke." Visitor green fees run about €255 for 2027.

Goats grazing near the clubhouse have long served as Lahinch's weather forecasters. The town buzzes with surf and traditional-music energy, making it one of Ireland's most fun golf bases. Lahinch ranks for its historic quirk, MacKenzie pedigree, and lively seaside-village setting near the Cliffs of Moher.

5. Portmarnock (Old Course)

Just north of Dublin on a sandy peninsula, Portmarnock's Old Course is a championship links that hosted numerous Irish Opens and is on the shortlist of future Open Championship venues in the Republic. Visitor green fees run about €295 for 2027.

Flatter than the dune-heavy western links, Portmarnock is a stern, fair, wind-exposed test where the par-3 15th is rated among the best short holes in golf. Its proximity to Dublin Airport makes it the most convenient world-class links in Ireland. Portmarnock ranks for championship pedigree and accessibility.

6. Carne Golf Links 💎 BEST VALUE

In remote Belmullet, County Mayo, Carne Golf Links sits among some of the tallest sand dunes in any links course in the world, designed by Eddie Hackett as his final work. Its remoteness keeps green fees low — about €95 for 2027, a fraction of the marquee links.

The dunes are so massive that fairways thread through canyons of marram grass, and the back nine on the Kilmore holes is a roller-coaster. A newer second 18, the Wild Atlantic Dunes, has since expanded the property to 27 championship holes, all sharing the same untamed, sandy character far from the tour-bus crowds.

For golfers willing to drive to Ireland's far northwest, Carne delivers a top-tier dunes experience at unbeatable value — the clear Best Value pick on this list.

7. Waterville Golf Links

On the Ring of Kerry, Waterville Golf Links is a remote, dramatic links restored to greatness by designer Tom Fazio's mentor work and a longtime favorite of touring pros who tuned up here before The Open. Visitor green fees run about €275 for 2027.

The back nine winds through huge dunes along Ballinskelligs Bay, with the famous par-3 17th "Mulcahy's Peak" offering panoramic ocean views. Payne Stewart was an honorary captain here. Waterville ranks for its scenery, its tournament-prep heritage, and its place on the spectacular Kerry coastline.

8. Old Head Golf Links

Old Head of Kinsale in County Cork isn't a traditional links, but it's one of the most spectacular clifftop courses on earth, set on a 220-acre promontory ringed by 300-foot Atlantic cliffs. Visitor green fees run about €475 for 2027, the priciest on this list.

Nine of the eighteen holes play along the cliff edge, with the Atlantic crashing far below and a 9th-century lighthouse on the headland. It's not a pure links test, but few golf experiences match the vertigo and views. Old Head ranks for sheer spectacle — a once-in-a-lifetime round.

9. Tralee Golf Club

Designed by Arnold Palmer (his first European design) on the Kerry coast near Tralee, this links features a gentler front nine and a wild, dune-strewn back nine that Palmer himself praised as a gift of nature. Visitor green fees run about €235 for 2027.

The course overlooks the beach used in filming *Ryan's Daughter* and offers commanding views of the Dingle Peninsula. The back-nine dunes — especially the par-3 16th and par-4 17th — are world-class. Tralee ranks for its dramatic second nine and its Palmer design pedigree in a stunning setting.

10. The European Club

A modern links in County Wicklow south of Dublin, The European Club was designed, built, and owned by golf writer Pat Ruddy, who continually refines it. It's a frequent top-three Ireland ranking and known for deep revetted bunkers and 20 holes (two extra). Visitor green fees run about €225 for 2027.

Set on Brittas Bay, the course runs along a single belt of dunes with the Irish Sea always near. The long par-4 7th beside the beach is a standout. The European Club rounds out the list as a labor-of-love links, easily reachable from Dublin and beloved by purists.

How to Choose

Planning an Irish links trip is largely an exercise in geography and weather management. The country's best courses cluster into two broad circuits — the dramatic dunes of the southwest along the Wild Atlantic Way and the championship links of the north near the Antrim coast — and trying to combine both in a single short trip means long drives that eat into golf time.

Marquee venues such as Royal County Down, Royal Portrush, and Old Head command premium fees and limited visitor slots that sell out a year ahead, while remote gems like Carne and value classics like The European Club deliver world-class golf for far less if you're willing to travel off the beaten path.

Atlantic weather is the great variable, so firm-and-fast turf one hour can become a driving rainstorm the next. Use these guidelines to shape your itinerary:

• Split Ireland into two links circuits. The Southwest (Ballybunion, Lahinch, Waterville, Tralee, Old Head) and the North (Royal County Down, Royal Portrush) each form a tight, drivable cluster.
• Match fee to ambition. Old Head (€475) and Royal County Down (£375) are splurges; Carne (€95) and The European Club (€225) deliver elite links for far less.
• Book the marquee courses 6–12 months out. Royal County Down and Royal Portrush sell out their limited visitor slots fast for the 2027 season.
• Base near Dublin for convenience. Portmarnock and The European Club are world-class links within an hour of the airport — ideal for short trips.
• Pack for Atlantic weather. Western Irish links are exposed and wet; firm, fast turf can flip to driving rain in minutes, so waterproofs are essential.

FAQ

Which is the best golf course in Ireland?

Royal County Down in Newcastle, Northern Ireland, is the consensus #1, frequently ranked the best course in the world outside the United States by *Golf Digest*, thanks to its Mountains of Mourne backdrop and penal dune design.

What is the best-value links in Ireland?

Carne Golf Links in remote County Mayo, at about €95, offers a top-tier giant-dunes experience for a fraction of the marquee fees, making it the standout value for golfers willing to make the drive to the northwest.

Is Old Head a true links course?

No. Old Head Golf Links is a clifftop course on a dramatic Atlantic promontory, not a classic dunes links. It's prized for its 300-foot cliffs and ocean views rather than traditional links playing characteristics.

When is the best time to play golf in Ireland?

May through September offers the longest daylight and firmest turf. June and July are peak, while May and September bring fewer crowds and better rates, with the trade-off of more variable Atlantic weather.

Bottom Line

For the ultimate Irish links pilgrimage, Royal County Down at about £375 is the Best Overall — a world-#1 contender beneath the Mountains of Mourne. If value drives your trip, Carne Golf Links at roughly €95 delivers a giant-dunes masterpiece for a fraction of the cost.

Sources

• *Golf Digest* — World's 100 Greatest Golf Courses ranking
• The R&A — Open Championship venue history (Royal Portrush)
• *Golf Monthly* — Top 100 Golf Courses in Ireland
• *Top 100 Golf Courses* (top100golfcourses.com) — Ireland rankings
• Failte Ireland — Ireland's Wild Atlantic Way golf guides
• Tourism Northern Ireland — golf course profiles
• *Links Magazine* — Irish links course reviews