Ireland · Links
Ireland Golf Circuit
Ireland's southwest links circuit is one of the great golf journeys on earth. Pubs after every round, small-town hospitality, and courses that have no equivalent anywhere else. A minimum 7-night trip.
BEST TIME TO GO
May–September
EST. COST / PERSON
$7,000–$14,000 CAD
BOOK IN ADVANCE
20–52 weeks
TRAVEL TIME
7–8h flight from Toronto
MUST-PLAY COURSES
Ballybunion Golf Club (Old)
Top 10 in the World
Wild Atlantic links. Tom Watson called it his favourite course. A must.
Lahinch Golf Club
Top 100 in the World
South West Ireland. Classic links, town setting, great craic after.
Old Head Golf Links
Clifftop peninsula jutting into the Atlantic. Most dramatic views in Irish golf.
Tralee Golf Club
Dingle Peninsula backdrop. Links character, friendly pace.
Waterville Golf Links
Top 100 in the World
Remote Kerry links by Eddie Hackett. Butch Harmon's favourite. Sunset 18th unforgettable.
Trump International Doonbeg
Top 100 in Europe
Atlantic-facing Clare dunes. One of Greg Norman's finest designs. The name changed, the golf didn't.
WHAT A TRIP LOOKS LIKE
Arrive Dublin or Shannon
Fly into Dublin or Shannon and drive west into County Clare or Kerry. The landscape changes dramatically once you cross the Shannon and enter Munster — flatter land gives way to mountains, stone walls, and the first glimpse of the Atlantic. Pub dinner tonight in a small town.
Lahinch Golf Club
Lahinch is your opening statement in Irish links golf — the Old Tom Morris and Alister MacKenzie layout perched above the village of Lahinch on the Clare coast, with the town beach a five-minute walk from the 18th green. The club's famous goats predict the weather; if they're sheltering at the clubhouse, pack extra layers.
Trump International Doonbeg
A short drive up the Clare coast brings you to Doonbeg, Greg Norman's Atlantic links carved through towering Clare dunes — ranked in the top 100 in Europe. The hotel attached to the course handles groups well and the post-round dinner here is as good as any on the circuit.
Drive to Kerry — Ballybunion Old Course
Ballybunion Old Course is the centrepiece of the entire Irish golf pilgrimage — top 10 in the world, caddies that have been here for decades, and links terrain that has no equivalent. Tom Watson's favourite. Allow four and a half hours for a round; rushing Ballybunion is a mistake.
Waterville Golf Links
Drive to the Iveragh Peninsula for Waterville — Eddie Hackett's remote, wild links that consistently ranks in the world's top 100. The back nine curves along the Atlantic with no buildings visible in any direction. Butch Harmon's favourite course on earth.
Tralee Golf Club
Arnold Palmer's only Irish design, with the Dingle Mountains framing every hole on this exposed Barrow Peninsula links. A more forgiving round after back-to-back world-class tests, and a beautiful way to spend your final full day in Kerry.
Old Head Golf Links
The most dramatic golf setting in Ireland — a clifftop promontory jutting into the Celtic Sea, Old Head is built on a headland surrounded by water on three sides. The green fee is steep but so are the cliffs. Caddie required, and the views are the best in Irish golf.
Depart Shannon or Cork
Drive to Shannon or Cork Airport. No Irish golf circuit is ever truly finished — you'll be back for the courses you missed.
GROUPS 12+ — This circuit covers County Clare and County Kerry — about 90 minutes apart. A private coach or two vans with drivers is essential. Book caddies at Ballybunion and Old Head simultaneously with tee times; both clubs have limited caddie availability on peak summer days and groups of 12 will need advance coordination.
BEST MONTHS
Ready to plan Ireland Golf Circuit?
Tell us your dates and group size — we'll take it from there.