Royal Dublin

Royal Dublin Golf Club is one of Ireland’s oldest golf clubs. Founded in 1885, the club relocated to Bull Island in 1889. However, the course really took off after the 1920’s when it was rebuilt by Harry Colt after the course was damaged during the First World War. It underwent further redevelopment between 2004 and 2006 as Martin Hawtree aimed to add more length to the course as equipment developments saw the average golfer hitting the ball further and past any danger on the fairways. 

Read the full profile of the Royal Dublin Golf Course. 

European Club

If you are staying an extra night in Dublin City or maybe you have set up camp in Wicklow, the European Club is a real treat for golfers who are spending some time on the east coast. Just an hour south of Dublin City, the European Club provides one of the toughest links tests in all of Ireland. The course, by links standards, is quite new yet it feels as though golfers have been walking this track for over a century as the 18-hole course is carefully carved out of some of the best land in Brittas Bay. 

The European Club has hosted the Irish Open 19 times since the competition’s inauguration in 1927. The last time the course held the event was in 2003. Each time the event was played, Portmarnock boasted a field of at least 34 competitors who were either major winners in prospect or had already held a major championship.  

Read the full profile of the European Club

The Island

The Island Golf Club is one of Ireland’s most underrated courses. Facing ocean views on 3 sides of the course, The Island was once, well, an island! It is now attached to the mainland though still an isolated peninsula-like spur of links land sandwiched between the Irish Sea, the beach of Donabate, and the Broadmeadow estuary. It is, as a result, quite easy on the eye! Its history dates back, like many Irish links courses, to the late 1800s. In recent years, course designers, like Eddie Hackett, have helped to redesign elements of the course to bring it into the new era of golf while still keeping its natural surroundings intact. 

Read the full profile of the Island Golf Club 

Portstewart Golf Club

Portstewart Golf Club is one of Northern Ireland’s bucket list golf destinations. Like its neighbor, Royal Portrush, Portstewart has welcomed some of the best golfers in the world throughout its decorated history.

Most recently it held the Irish Open in 2017 which was won by Spanish sensation Jon Rahm. Though the history of Portstewart dates back to the late 1800s, the Strand course is a mix of the old and new.

After undergoing a major redevelopment, the course reopened in 1992 and features on pretty much every golf itinerary in Northern Ireland.  

Read the full profile of Portstewart Golf Club here. 

Royal Portrush Golf Club

Not many golf courses in the world can boast about the status of their regular guests quite like Royal Portrush. Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy, and Darren Clarke are all regulars at Portrush and have all won major championships. They were joined in 2019 by fellow Irishman, Shane Lowry, who won his first major championship on this very course at the 148th Open Championship. 

Read the full profile of Royal Portrush Golf Club here. 

Merrion Hotel, Dublin

5 Star Hotels Ireland

Many of the 142 bedrooms and suites overlook period landscaped gardens. Guests can dine in the 2-star Michelin Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud or The Cellar Restaurant and Bar. The intimate No 23 cocktail bar waits as does the Tethra Spa which boasts an 18m pool, steam room, fully equipped gymnasium and two private treatment rooms. The Merrion offers six private dining and meeting rooms. Visit Website

Westbury Hotel, Dublin

5 Star Hotels Ireland

Voted Number 1 Hotel in Ireland by Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards US, 2018, The Westbury Hotel in Dublin is a sophisticated five-star hotel and is one of The Leading Hotels of the World.  You can walk to any number of theatres, clubs, restaurants, bars and Dublin’s premier shopping street, Grafton Street. The interior of the hotel is spacious and enjoys a large foyer, meeting areas and a buzz of people on the move in one of Europe’s most vibrant shopping and socializing hubs. Visit Website.

The Bushmills Inn

Bushmills Inn Hotel in the village of Bushmills (famous for the whiskey) is one of Ireland’s oldest and most charming hotels. Dating from the sixteenth century the hotel resembles a museum in parts and bar and restaurant provides a beautiful ambiance after a hike over the Giants Causeway. The rooms are simple in design and there are many common areas with open fires and libraries to pass the evening with a glass of local whiskey.

The Alex Hotel, Dublin 

Brooks Hotel, Dublin

4 Star Hotels Ireland

Brooks Hotel is a boutique hotel located just behind Dublin’s main shopping district of Grafton Street.  Brooks has earned the reputation of one of Dublin’s most fashionable boutique hotels in a fine location for all activities and sightseeing. There is often live piano music in the bar in the evening where guests gather to relive the day’s activities. There is also excellent food served in the restaurant and also good bar food for the hungry travelers. Visit Website.