Discover the best golf and sightseeing destinations in Ireland

There is no place on earth where you will find a warmer welcome than in Ireland. Once you touch down you are made to feel at home. There are so many things to see and experience throughout the country. Take a stroll through the streets of Dublin, and follow in the footsteps of Yeats, Shaw, Joyce, and Oscar Wilde. Visit Grafton Street, for some shopping or to hear one of the many buskers usually playing. You could go to the Temple bar area and take in a pint. Visit one of the many amazing castles scattered throughout the country. Drive the Wild Atlantic Way, a coastal road of immense beauty. Spend time in one of the many lovely small towns full of vibrant nightlife and partake in what the locals call “craic”. For the foodies, visit Cork for its vibrant culinary scene. Get lost on the winding roads through mountains that inspired so many through the years. 

Concerning golf, everyone has heard of legends like Ballybunion, Lahinch, and Portmarnock. Along with these amazing courses are so many great links and exciting parkland courses, big to small, you’ll find a course that inspires you. Ireland is home to some of the most dramatic golf courses on the planet. 

Dublin is a city that needs no introduction. It is unlike any other major city that we know of, as far as welcomes are concerned. You will be greeted by a smile wherever you turn. Walk along the quay’s that inspired James Joyce to reach the literary heights he achieved. Find a nice pub for a bite and a pint. Tour the Jameson Distillery and sample a wee dram, or the legendary Guinness Brewery. Trinity College is steeped in history that can be seen and felt, do not miss the old library to see the Book of Kells. If you want a scenic drive not far from Dublin, make your way down to the Wicklow Mountains where you’ll find hikes abound and a natural beauty unchanged by man.   

The golf around Dublin is equally exciting, with multiple top 100 golf courses. Portmarnock and it’s 27 holes is the gold standard and more reminiscent of a Scottish links in that it sits among low dunes on a spit of land set off of the mainland. Further north, you’ll find The Island, an under-the-radar links playing into some dramatic dunes. County Louth is home to one of the finest Irish links, designed by Tom Simpson. To the south sits The European Club, the dream realized by Irish architect, Pat Ruddy. Near Dublin also sits The K Club, host to the 2006 Ryder Cup won by the Europeans.

• Day 1: Fly US – Dublin 
• Day 2: Private Dublin City Highlights Tour 
• Day 3: Play Portmarnock 
• Day 4: Play The Island 
• Day 5: Private New Grange Tour 
• Day 6: Play County Lough 
• Day 7: Private Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough Tour 
• Day 8: Play The European Club 
• Day 9: Explore the world-class property estate and gardens 
• Day 10: Fly Dublin – US

The southwest Irish coast is one of raw beauty. Cork is a bustling city with a thriving culinary scene, as well as a great art scene. Just outside of Cork lies the remains of the Blarney Castle; legend has it that if you kiss the Blarney Stone you will be bestowed with “the gift of gab”. Killarney is a wonderful small town filled with pubs and shopping. It has a great location to reach the Ring of Kerry, one of the more dramatic drives in all of Ireland. Adare is a lovely little town adorned with many ancient thatched-roof houses and the spectacular Adare Manor, a breathtaking estate and soon-to-be host of the 2027 Ryder Cup. Visit Limerick and King John’s Castle, one of the most imposing in all of Ireland. On your way north, you should make time to visit the Cliffs of Moher, 400-foot-high cliffs diving into the Atlantic Ocean. 

The golf in this region is among the finest in the world. Old Head sits on a narrow headland that is impossible to forget. Waterville Links sits at, what seems to be, the end of the world, near the tip of the Ring of Kerry. It is a wonderful test in the big dunescape. Ballybunion has 36 holes in some of the biggest dunesland you’ll ever play. Adare Manor is a lovely parkland course that recently received a major renovation by the Fazio group. Lahinch is a course of legendary status playing in and over massive dunes, yes, over some of them! It has been worked on by legends Old Tom Morris and Alister Mackenzie over the years.

• Day 1: Fly US – Shannon
• Day 2: Private Cork and Kinsale Highlights Tour
• Day 3: Play Old Head Links
• Day 4: Transfer to Waterville and Kerry Cliffs  Tour
• Day 5: Play Waterville Links
• Day 6: Play Dooks Golf
• Day 7: Private Killarney Highlights Tour
• Day 8: Play Adare Manor
• Day 9: Play Ballybunion
• Day 10: Play Lahinch and Private Cliffs of Moher Tour
• Day 11: Fly Shannon – US

Galway is a legendary city for many. With colorful and charming streets, It is considered to be the cultural capital of Ireland. Visit the many pubs and take in the wonderful “craic” of Ireland. Have a seat and wait for the music to start and the dancing to kick off. A lovely town for shopping as well as taking in one of the many festivals. The northwest coast of Ireland is one of wild beauty. Counties Mayo, Sligo, and Donegal make you feel like you’ve taken a step back in time. There are many things to see and do in this area off of the links, including taking a hike in Glenveagh National Park or exploring one of the many castles and neolithic remains scattered throughout the countryside. 

The North West region of Ireland is the perfect place to play some of the greatest off-the-beaten-path adventures through the dunes. Carne Golf Links and Enniscrone are played through the biggest dunes in Ireland in a rambunctious fashion. The newly re-envisioned St. Patricks Links at Rosapenna, by Tom Doak, is a must-play in this remote part of the island. Along with the other two links at Rosapenna is Ballyliffin Golf Club, home to the brawny Glashedy links, designed by Pat Ruddy, and the old course on much more subtile yet lovely terrain. Many lesser-known gems will challenge your game as well as your imagination, each worthy of a round at places like Narin and Portnoo.

• Day 1: Fly US – Belfast
• Day 2: Private Belfast City Highlights Tour
• Day 3: Play Rosapenna (St Patrick’s)
• Day 4: Play Rosapenna (Sandy Hills)
• Day 5: Play Ballyliffin
• Day 6: Private Donegal County Day Trip
• Day 7: Play County Sligo Golf
• Day 8: Play Enniscrone Links
• Day 9: Play Carne Golf Links
• Day 10: Play Connemara Links
• Day 11: Explore Galway
• Day 12: Fly Knock – US