Irish Links Courses

[Mike_j_golf]

Hi,
Have already googled this and can't seem to find a actual list of all Irish links courses if anyone at golf monthly could help was sort of thinking of trying to play as many as possible over the next couple of years.
Mike

 

[Junior]

You have a lot to go at ! I can recommend the Antrim coast . . .Port Stewart, Portrush, and bit further round Castle Rock is well worth a visit.

 

[Westerninvader]

Why don't you pick up a copy of fellow forumer Kevin Markhams book " Hooked" An amateur's guide to the golf courses of Ireland' He has played every 18 hole course in Ireland. and has a page on each one in the book. The father in law has a copy of it and I was flicking through it at the weekend and I thought it was very handy It also rates each course as well

 

[janmolby]

Mike, I couldn't find exactly what you are looking for but I found this website which might help:

Irish Golf Courses

Click on a county & it will show flags representing the different golf courses, click on a flag & it will give details & a website if it has one. It doesn't say which courses are links but you can pretty much figure that out from their position on the map.

 

[Mike_j_golf]

Hi,
I have a list of all the golf courses was just being lazy in looking for the links to be on a seperate list looks like i'll have to do a bit of work and do my own list.
Mike

 

[thecraw]

You have a lot to go at ! I can recommend the Antrim coast . . .Port Stewart, Portrush, and bit further round Castle Rock is well worth a visit.

We had a trip a few years back, played Portstewart, Portrush, Castlerock and headed to Ballyliffen as well. I was amazed when Golf Monthly last year rated Castlerock higher than Portstewart.

Ireland is quite like Scotland when it comes to links courses, there are so many and opinions on them vary hugely.

 

[Yerman]

Just work your way round the Donegal coast and you'll play great courses, and cheaper than some of the big names.

 

[matt01]

i think kevin markhams book is a good place to start

but we have many great links courses around north antrim and so

castlerock,portstewart would be among the best i think

 

[kevinmarkham]

Mike,

There are 37 18 hole Links courses - that's the official number, but there are some others that qualify or call themselves links that you can take with a pinch of salt, including some 9 hole courses. Do you want to do a 'Tom Coyne' and play every single one?

 

[Mike_j_golf]

Hi,
I have found more that 50 at the moment according to the descriptions on the GUI web site there are a few 9 hole courses in that it is just an idea i had think there will be around 50 18 hole courses so it is some thing to do over the next 3 or 4 years.
Mike

 

[kevinmarkham]

Hmm,
I would say that 50 is a bit steep. Here's a list of of 43 18 holers (apologies, I didn't include the 36 hole venues in my initial estimate) that I would classify as links courses in some shape or form. Old Head is not a Links course by the way, no matter what they claim. How does this tally with your list?

Rosslare
Waterville
Dooks
Dingle
Tralee
Ballybunion x 2
Doonbeg
Lahinch x 2
Connemara
Carne (Belmullet)
Enniscrone
Strandhill
Rosses Point
Bundoran
Donegal (Murvagh)
Narin & Portnoo
Dunfanaghy
Portsalon
Rosapenna x 2
North West
Ballyliffin x 2
Castlerock
Portstewart x 3
Royal Portrush x 2
Ballycastle
Ardglass
Royal County Down x 2
Seapoint
Co Louth (Baltray)
The Island
Portmarnock Links
Portmarnock
St. Anne's
Royal Dublin
The European

 

[muttleee]

Not sure if I would call Ardglass and Ballycastle true links courses but then I've never played either of them so what do I know?? Ballycastle's half linksy and half parkland at best and Ardglass doesn't seem to have much in the way of true links terrain either (judging by the photos on their website).

 

[Mike_j_golf]

Hi,
Have 55 but didn't include any with 2 courses also got 18 9 holers.Thanks for the help.
Mike
Arklow
Ballyliffin
Belmullet
Bundoran
Co. Louth
Co. Sligo
Connemara
Corballis Links
Doonbeg Links
Down Royal
European
Greenore
Lahinch
Larne
Laytown & Bettystown
Narin & Portnoo
Old Conna
Portmarnock
Rosapenna
Royal Co. Down
Royal Portrush
Seapoint
St. Anne's
The Island
The Links Portmarnock
The Royal Dublin
Warrenpoint
Ballybunion
Waterville
Ballycastle
Carnalea
Castlemartyr
Castlerock
Ceann Sibeal
Donaghadee
Donegal
Dooks
Dunfanaghy
Enniscrone
Fermoy
Galway Bay
Greencastle
Kilkee
Kirkistown Castle
Lee Valley
Mourne
North West
Portsalon
Portstewart
Rathmore
Rosslare
Skellig Bay
Strandhill
Tralee

 

[brendy]

Donaghadee isnt really a links course, it it seperated from teh sea by a main road and a load of houses, some of its fairways are fairly sandy but Id call it parkland.
Ardglass is isnt mentioned there also.
Carnalea does brush belfast lough more than once also.

 

[Mike_j_golf]

Hi,
Have it at 49 now not including any that have more than 1 18 also included any that have regular open events along with the average green fee have only played 10 of them so far so a few left to go.

Co. Louth 1 Played
Corballis Links 2 Played
European 3 Played
Greenore 4 Played
Royal Co. Down 5 Played
Seapoint 6 Played
St. Anne's 7 Played
The Island 8 Played
The Royal Dublin 9 Played
Galway Bay 10 Played
Ardglass 11 £40 Opens
Arklow 12 €40 opens
Ballyliffin 13 €80 Opens
Belmullet 14 €65 opens
Bundoran 15 €45
Co. Sligo 16 €70 Opens
Connemara 17 €65 Opens
Doonbeg Links 18 €185
Lahinch 19 €100 Opens
Laytown & Bettystown 20 €50 Opens
Narin & Portnoo 21 €30 Opens
Portmarnock 22 €180
Rosapenna 23 €60
Royal Portrush 24 £125
The Links Portmarnock 25 €100
Ballybunion 26 €180
Waterville 27 N/A
Ballycastle 28 £25 Opens
Carnalea 29 £17.50
Castlerock 30 €65.00
Ceann Sibeal 31 €65.00
Donaghadee 32 £23
Donegal 33 €50.00 Opens
Dooks 34 €85.00 Opens
Dunfanaghy 35 €30.00
Enniscrone 36 €60.00 Opens
Fermoy 37 €20.00 opens
Greencastle 38 €20.00
Kilkee 39 €30.00
Kirkistown Castle 40 £25 Opens
Mourne 41 N/A
North West 42 €30.00
Portsalon 43 €40.00 Opens
Portstewart 44 £80
Rathmore 45 £35
Rosslare 46 €40.00 Opens
Skellig Bay 47 €70.00
Strandhill 48 €40.00
Tralee 49 €180.00

 

[kevinmarkham]

A good list Mike, and I missed a few of these on my own list, namely these 4:

Arklow
Corballis Links
Laytown & Bettystown
Kirkistown Castle

The following, from your list, are not what I'd describe as links - next to the sea alright, but not links in the true sense of the word which is based on the sand base

Greenore
Warrenpoint
Carnalea
Donaghadee
Galway Bay
Greencastle
Kilkee
Skellig Bay

And these are inland courses:
Lee Valley
Fermoy
Castlemartyr
Old Conna
Down Royal

I'm guessing these are 9 hole courses:
Larne
Rathmore
... in which case you can add Cruit Island and Spanish Point to these

 

[JARS]

Three books you might find useful. Golfing in Ireland by Rob Armstrong, Links of Heaven by Richard Phinney and Scott Whitley and Golf Days (www.golfdays.com).

 

[WGC2]

Since you're from Wexford aswell you might be able to help me. Is St. Helens regarded as a links course?

 

[kevinmarkham]

Since you're from Wexford aswell you might be able to help me. Is St. Helens regarded as a links course?

People talk about the last three holes being 'links' holes, and they certainly look that way in their shape - but they're cliff-top holes rather than 'dune' holes. It's the same reason why Old Head is not a true links course.
Hope that helps.

As for the three recommended books - I highly agree with Links of Heaven, which is excellent, but does miss a few courses.
K

 

[matt01]

how can you say greencastle is not i links course
maybe you missed the beach and the light house on the back of the 10th green (i think)