Best Golf Courses in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is, per square mile, one of the best places on earth to play golf. This is not an exaggeration. Within a region the size of a large English county, you’ll find two courses consistently ranked in the world’s top twenty, a course that hosted The Open Championship, and dozens of links and parkland courses that would be headline attractions anywhere else but here exist quietly, charging green fees that would make a golfer in Surrey weep.

The landscape is the reason. Northern Ireland has the coastline for links golf — dune systems, firm turf, Atlantic winds — and the rolling countryside for parkland courses. The climate is the other reason. It rains, yes. But the Gulf Stream keeps winters mild, and links turf drains fast. You can play year-round if you own a waterproof.

Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, and Darren Clarke all learned the game on these courses. That’s not a coincidence.

The Championship Courses

Royal Portrush Golf Club

Royal Portrush is the headline act. Located on the Causeway Coast in County Antrim, it hosted The Open Championship in 2019 — the first time The Open returned to Northern Ireland since 1951 — and will host it again in 2025. Shane Lowry’s victory in 2019 was one of those sporting moments that transcended the event.

The Dunluce Links, the club’s championship course, is a masterpiece. Designed by Harry Colt in 1929 and refined over the decades, it runs along the clifftops and through the dunes with views to the Skerries, Donegal, and Scotland on a clear day. The 5th hole, White Rocks, plays along the cliff edge toward a green perched above a limestone chasm. The 14th, Calamity, is a par 3 over a ravine that has ended more scorecards than any hole in Irish golf.

The Valley Links, Portrush’s second course, is an excellent 18 holes in its own right and significantly easier to get a tee time on.

Green fees: The Dunluce Links charges premium fees — check the club website, but expect £200+ in peak season. The Valley Links is considerably cheaper. Book well in advance for the Dunluce, especially in summer.

Tip: Play the Dunluce in the afternoon if you can. The light on the coast in the evening is extraordinary, and afternoon rounds are sometimes easier to book.

Royal County Down

If Royal Portrush is the most famous course in Northern Ireland, Royal County Down is the one that makes golfers speak in hushed tones. Located in Newcastle, County Down, at the foot of the Mourne Mountains, it has been ranked the number one golf course in the world by Golf Digest and appears on virtually every serious list of the world’s greatest courses.

The setting is incomparable. The course weaves through towering dunes of marram grass with the Mournes rising behind and Dundrum Bay stretching to the south. The Championship Links is a par 71 of extraordinary beauty and equally extraordinary difficulty. The blind tee shots — a feature of the original 1889 Old Tom Morris design — divide opinion. Some golfers find them thrilling. Others find them infuriating. Both reactions are correct.

The Annesley Links, the club’s shorter course, offers a gentler experience with many of the same views.

Green fees: Championship Links fees are in the £200–250 range in peak season. Restricted tee times for visitors — typically weekday mornings and some afternoons. Book months in advance.

Tip: Even if you don’t play, the walk along the coast path adjacent to the course is free and gives you the views. Combine it with a trip to the Mourne Mountains.

Links Courses You Shouldn’t Miss

Portstewart Golf Club

Just along the coast from Royal Portrush, Portstewart’s Strand Course is one of the best links courses in Ireland. The opening hole — a downhill par 4 through massive sand dunes with the Atlantic ahead — is among the finest opening holes anywhere. The course hosted the Irish Open in 2017 and Jon Rahm’s winning score of 24 under par doesn’t reflect how challenging it plays in wind.

Green fees are a fraction of Royal Portrush. This is arguably the best value championship links in Northern Ireland.

Castlerock Golf Club

Further west along the north coast, Castlerock is a links course that has hosted professional events but remains refreshingly unpretentious. The Mussenden Links, the main course, runs through classic duneland with views to Donegal and the Inishowen Peninsula. The 4th hole, Leg o’ Mutton, is a superb par 3 with a railway line on one side and trouble everywhere else.

Ardglass Golf Club

Ardglass, on the County Down coast south of Strangford Lough, claims to have the oldest clubhouse in the world — a 14th-century castle that now houses the pro shop and bar. The course wraps around a headland with sea views from virtually every hole. Six holes play directly along the cliff edge. It’s not long, but it’s dramatic and supremely enjoyable.

Ballycastle Golf Club

At the eastern end of the Causeway Coast, Ballycastle is a links-parkland hybrid that sits between the sea and the hills of Antrim. Rathlin Island and the Scottish coast are visible from several holes. It’s a warm, welcoming club with modest green fees and a course that plays better than its ranking suggests.

Parkland Courses Worth Playing

Galgorm Castle Golf Club

Galgorm, near Ballymena in County Antrim, is the best parkland course in Northern Ireland. Set in the grounds of Galgorm Castle along the banks of the River Maine, it’s a modern design (opened 1997) that has hosted the ISPS Handa World Invitational and multiple Challenge Tour events. The conditioning is immaculate, the layout is fair but demanding, and the castle makes for a memorable backdrop.

Lough Erne Resort

In County Fermanagh, Lough Erne Resort offers two courses on a peninsula jutting into Lower Lough Erne. The Faldo Course, designed by Nick Faldo, hosted the G8 Summit in 2013 — world leaders played golf here between sessions. The course winds through mature woodland with constant water views. It’s beautiful, well maintained, and a good excuse to visit Fermanagh.

Malone Golf Club

Malone is Belfast’s premier parkland club — a mature, tree-lined course set around a 27-acre lake in south Belfast. It’s hosted numerous professional events and is regarded as one of the finest inland courses in Ireland. Getting a visitor tee time requires planning, but it’s worth the effort.

Planning a Golf Trip

When to Go

May through September is the main golf season, with the longest daylight hours and the best (by Northern Irish standards) weather. Links courses are playable year-round, but winter rounds start late and finish early. June is peak — the longest days, the warmest temperatures, and the firmest turf.

Getting Around

A car is essential for a golf trip. The courses are spread across the region, and public transport doesn’t serve most of them. For travel logistics, see our guide on how to get to Northern Ireland.

Green Fee Budget

Green fees range widely:

Championship courses (Royal Portrush Dunluce, Royal County Down Championship): £200–275
Strong links courses (Portstewart Strand, Castlerock, Ardglass): £60–120
Parkland courses (Galgorm, Lough Erne Faldo): £50–100
Club courses (Ballycastle, smaller clubs): £25–50

Suggested Itinerary: 5 Days

Day 1: Arrive Belfast. Play Malone or Belvoir Park in the afternoon. Explore the city — see our Belfast guide.
Day 2: Drive to the Causeway Coast. Play Portstewart Strand.
Day 3: Play Royal Portrush (Dunluce or Valley). Visit the Giant’s Causeway in the afternoon.
Day 4: Drive to Newcastle. Play Royal County Down.
Day 5: Play Ardglass. Return to Belfast.

That gives you five outstanding courses in five days, with time for sightseeing. You could easily extend it — add Castlerock, Galgorm, or head west to Lough Erne.

Final Thoughts

Northern Ireland’s golf courses are world-class, and the word hasn’t fully got out. Compared to Scotland’s famous links, the courses here are less crowded, often cheaper, and — some would argue, in appropriately hushed tones — just as good. The landscape is stunning. The welcome is warm. The Guinness in the clubhouse afterwards is excellent.

Pack a waterproof. Accept the wind. Play the ball as it lies. You’ll want to come back.