My Ireland
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Golf in Northern Ireland
With historic links courses, homegrown champions and a famously warm welcome guaranteed on and off the fairways, Northern Ireland is a world-class golfing destination
Golf in Northern Ireland is having a moment. Local hero Rory McIlroy is one of the world’s top golfers, Royal Portrush hosted an Open Championship to remember in 2019 – and will do so again in 2025 – and a number of legendary links and pristine parkland courses are finally getting the international recognition they deserve.
In spite of its impressive golfing pedigree, Northern Ireland makes golfing easy. You don’t need to be a member to play on the courses here. Just book your tee time and turn up – or choose an operator to arrange it all for you. Then get ready to play the round of your life!
It’s spectacular. It’s awesome.
Rory McIlroy, referring to Royal Portrush Golf Club
Golf in Northern Ireland
L-R: Royal Portrush Golf Club, County Antrim; Royal County Down Golf Club, County Down; Castlerock Golf Club, County Londonderry; Royal Portrush Clubhouse, County Antrim
Stunning golf courses
One of the main draws of a golfing trip to Northern Ireland has to be playing the world-renowned links courses dotted along the rugged Causeway Coast. Portstewart Golf Club and Castlerock Golf Club – both in County Londonderry – offer challenging links golf at its finest in a world of towering sand dunes, undulating fairways and tricky manicured greens.
Not to be outdone, County Down also claims a selection of must-play courses. Top of the list is Royal County Down Golf Club – previously named number one in Golf Digest’s Top 100 Courses in the World outside of the US. Add Warrenpoint Golf Club and Ardglass Golf Club into the mix and County Down is just starting to show off.
Yet there’s even more golfing greatness to savour. Lough Erne Resort is a five-star showstopper; a jewel in the shimmering crown of the Fermanagh Lakelands. Another luxurious golf retreat is Galgorm Castle Golf Club, a championship parkland set on a lush 400-acre estate only 30-minutes drive from the bright lights of Belfast.
Castlerock Golf Club, County Londonderry
A golf trip in Northern Ireland
Tee off at epic coastal links and pristine parklands on this four-day golfing adventure.
The Open in Northern Ireland
Royal Portrush Golf Club in County Antrim wowed course visitors and TV viewers alike when it hosted The Open in 2019, the first time the world’s oldest major had returned to Northern Ireland in 68 years! Such was the success of the event, the tournament will be back here again in 2025.
A quarter of a million golf fans thronged the Dunluce Links during the 2019 Open, when local star Shane Lowry lifted the Claret Jug. Here’s hoping for another winner from the island of Ireland in 2025! Will you be there to cheer them on?
Royal Portrush Golf Club, County Antrim
The 153rd Open in Northern Ireland
One of golf's most prestigious events The Open returns to Northern Ireland in 2025. And for a third time, Royal Portrush will play host.
The 19th hole
As any golf enthusiast knows, golf is only one side of a golfing holiday; the other is the fun you can have OFF the course. It’s the like-minded golfers you meet in the clubhouse after a round. It’s the locals you mingle with in the pub down the road from the course. It’s meeting up with old friends and making new ones along the way. The golf is great, but the people and the craic (fun) are even better.
Then you have star attractions that are not to be missed. Embarking on a golf road trip along the Causeway Coastal Route? The Giant’s Causeway is a must-visit UNESCO World Heritage Site. At the other end of the route, Derry~Londonderry is a walled city wonder full of lively bars, tasty eateries and historic landmarks.
Like your whiskey? Tour the Old Bushmills Distillery, the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. A fan of Game of Thrones®? Visit filming locations from the real-world Westeros! Want to get off the beaten track? Head for breathtaking walks and hikes in the untouched beauty of the Sperrins Mountains. Love history? Follow in the footsteps of St Patrick in the ecclesiastical city of Armagh, where not one but two towering cathedrals stand tall in his name.
We said that golf in Northern Ireland is having a moment. But as you can see, the whole region is buzzing! We’ll see you on the fairways...
Royal County Down Golf Club, County Down
