Eastern Ireland Golf Travel Guide

Links Courses

There are six premier division links courses on Ireland's east coast. Ranking them is a challenge and universal agreement would be impossible. From north to south the links are.

County Louth, also known as Baltray, is 35 miles north of Dublin where the River Boyne flows into the sea near Drogheda. Shane Lowry won the Irish Open here as an amateur in 2009. It is classic links course laid out by Tom Simpson and his partner Molly Gourlay (noted for her par-3 designs).

30 miles down the coast, The Island is another classic links occupying a spit jutting into Malahide Estuary. When originally formed in 1890 members rowed across the estuary from Malahide village. This is a classic links course through the highest dunes on the east coast of Ireland.

Just south of Malahide village, occupying the same stretch of coast, are the independent Portmarnock and Portmarnock Links. Portmarnock Links was designed by Bernhard Langer on the land owned by the Jameson family whose family home was extended to make a luxury hotel. To the south, separated only by a narrow strip that provides public access to magnificent Portmarnock Beach, is the links at Portmarnock Golf Club. Stretching as a finger into the sea, Portmarnock is a course steeped in history and as good a links course as anywhere in the world.

Around Howth Head and approaching Dublin city is Bull Island, formed after Captain Bligh dredged the entrance to Dublin Port and built a retaining wall. There are two golf courses on the resulting island, the southern half being the location of The Royal Dublin Golf Club. A venerable links that has hosted the Irish Open on many occasions, Royal Dublin was the home course of Christy O'Connor Senior.

It is another 45 miles down the east coast before the next links course can be found. Pat Ruddy discovered it from a helicopter looking for a prefect links site in the early 1980s. It took a decade for him to build The European, a hand crafted links of incredible detail that is truly unmissable for any serious golfer.

There are five other links to be mentioned, none of which quite make the premier standard. Seapoint is a modern links adjacent to County Louth. Just south across the mouth of the River Boyne is Laytown & Bettystown and old, traditional out and back links. Next door to The Island is Corballis Links, a seaside links run as a pay & play by the local authority and recommended by Bernhard Langer. St. Annes is an immensely enjoyable links course that occupies the northern half of Bull Island. Finally south of the European is Arklow golf links, an unpretentious clifftop links with stunning sea views.

suffered from both a poor opening and being severly punishing. Happily the opening has been improved and now features a first tee with super

Parkland Golf Courses

As one would expect around a major capital city there are plenty of parkland golf courses to choose from in Eastern Ireland. This site feautures 8 courses - Druids Glen, Killeen Castle, Montgomerie Course at Carton House, North Course at the K-Club, Headfort New, O'Meara Course at Carton House, Concra Wood and the West Course at Powerscourt. There are several others that could and probably should be included including Dun Laoghaire, Luttrelstown Castle, Palmerstown House, Rathsallagh and Tulfarris and then more that could also be played including The Hermitage, Castle and Grange plus the south course at The K-Club and the east course at Powerscourt.

Dublin city centre still offers the cultural, dining and nightlife options that it always has had but there are now visible sores including petty crime, drugs and related anti-social behaviour among others that increases the risk of a less than memorable experience.

Malahide is a wealthy seaside suburb 10 miles north of Dublin city centre (accessible by DART rail service, approx. 30 minutes). Malahide offers a good range of restaurants and bars and a beach that stretches down to Portmarnock. Malahide gives easy access to golf at Portmarnock, Portmarnock Links and The Island and well as to the motorways for the airport and all other courses.

In County Wicklow the town of Wicklow offers the best accommodation options apart from the golf hotels at Druids Glen, Rathsallagh and Powerscourt Estate.

Dublin

This list of site and attractions in Dublin is not exhaustive. There is now even a Leprechaun Museum! The Book of Kells is displayed in the Long Room at Trinity College Dublin. Trinity College is at the bottom of Grafton Street, Dublin's most famous shopping Street that leads up to St. Stephens Green, one of the largest city centre parks in the world. Off Graton Street are the National Gallery, Natural History Museum and Government Buidlings inclusing the Irish parliament. Dublin Castle is a must see while further up Dame Street is Christchurch where Dubin's cathedrals can be found. The Guinness Storehouse is next before crossing the River Liffey where the Old Jameson Distillery is also very popular.

Returning along the north bank of the Liffey to O'Connell Street, another principal throroughfare where The Spire is located near to the General Post Office that was central to the story of the 1916 Easter Rising. Iconic Moore Street is where colourful local Dublin traders sell there wares in time honoured fashion.

Wicklow

County Wicklow is occupied in its centre by the rugged Wicklow Mountains that divides the county more or less in half. On the eastern side is the monastic site at Glendalough. South is a scenic road that takes in many pretty villages including Avoca, famous for its woollen mills and the nearby Meeting of the Waters. Wicklow is known as The Garden County and indeed there are many gardens open to the public, none more famous perhaps than Mount Usher Gardens.

There are two spectacular mountains that traverse the Wicklow Mountains - the Sally Gap and the Wicklow Gap.

On the western side is Russborough House and Park. Russborough is the finest example of a Georgian House in Ireland and the exquisite detail, fine furnishing and fine arts can be explored. Russborough is also home to the Beit Collection, one of Ireland's finest art collections.

Newgrange and The Boyne Valley

The passage tomb at Newgrange predates the pyramids and is a fascinating place with a fascinating story. Newgrange is accessible from the Bru ba Boinne Visitor Centre which is itslf interesting and also provides access to two lesser tombs at Knowth and Dowth.

Newgrange is in the cntre of the Boyne Valley that stretches east to west from Drogheda. There are monastic sites, churches and abbeys incluing Old Mellifont Abbey, Monasterboice, and Trim Castle. The story of the historic Battle of the Boyne in 1690 is told in a visitor centre housed in Oldbine House.

Detailed route information will be loaded soon.