Northern Ireland combines world-famous championship golf with some of the most striking coastal scenery in the game. Royal County Down and Royal Portrush lead an outstanding collection of links as they both rank within the top 10 worldwide, alongside excellent parkland and resort courses across the region.
Below you will find our recommended Top 10 courses to play in Northern Ireland. Click on each club for further details.
Royal County Down Golf Club was founded in 1889 after land was provided by the Annesley Estate beside the seaside town of Newcastle. An initial nine-hole course was created before Old Tom Morris visited later that year and advised on an eighteen-hole layout, which was ready by 1890. George Combe ...
Dunluce Royal Portrush Golf Club was founded in 1888 as the County Club, initially using a nine-hole course before expanding to eighteen holes the following year. Old Tom Morris advised on the early layout before Harry Colt was commissioned to design a completely new championship course during t...
Portstewart Golf Club was founded in 1894, with golf initially played on what is now the Old Course. As the club expanded, Willie Park Junior was involved in the early development of the Strand Course, while major improvements were later made by club member Des Giffin using the enormous natural d...
The Valley Links was also largely shaped by Harry Colt during his work at Royal Portrush in the early 1930s. The course has undergone significant changes in recent years after land was used to create the new Dunluce 7th and 8th holes ahead of the 2019 Open. Further redesign work has since introdu...
Castlerock Golf Club was founded in 1901, with the original links opening that year before additional land allowed an eighteen-hole course to be created. Ben Sayers was commissioned to design the expanded layout, which officially opened in 1909, while Harry Colt later advised on improvements arou...
Malone Golf Club was founded in Belfast in 1895 and played at several locations during its early history. In 1960 the club purchased the Ballydrain Estate near Dunmurry and created a new course on the extensive parkland surrounding Ballydrain House. The club moved to its present home in 1962, bef...
Credit: Photography by Kevin Diss
Ardglass Golf Club was founded in 1896, with the original course consisting of only seven holes squeezed into the land that are now the 1st and 18th fairways. The links expanded to nine holes in 1907 and remained largely unchanged for several decades before additional land allowed the course to b...
Credit: Photography by Kevin Diss
The resort was developed in 2007 followed by The Faldo Course at Lough Erne designed by six-time Major Champion Sir Nick Faldo and officially opened in 2009, after three years of construction. At this time, Rory McIlroy was announced as the club’s inaugural touring professional. Durin...
Belvoir Park Golf Club was formed in late 1926 after a group of Belfast golfers secured 163 acres of the historic Deramore Estate. Renowned architect Harry Colt was commissioned to design the course, which officially opened in June 1929. The Colt Design routing has remained fairly unchanged ever ...
The Annesley Links developed alongside the Championship Course as Royal County Down expanded its golfing facilities during the early 20th century. The course takes its name from the Annesley family, whose estate provided the original land on which the club was founded. Donald Steel made adjustmen...
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