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The post Southwest Ireland golf-trip planning guide: Best places to play, stay, eat appeared first on Golf.

The luck of the Irish?

It sure seemed that way this week as Rory McIlroy celebrated St. Patrick’s Day by recording his second Players Championship title.

Meanwhile, far from the grounds of TPC Sawgrass, there was plenty of good fortune to go around. It extended to an episode of the Destination GOLF podcast, where I lucked into a chat with my co-host, Simon Holt, about the glories of golf on the Emerald Isle. 

At roughly the size of South Carolina, Ireland punches well above its weight in the game. Great courses can be found in every corner of the country. To get the most out of trip, though, Holt recommends focusing on a region, which limits travel between tee times and gives you ample opportunity to soak up the experience on and off the course.

In this conversation, we trained our attention on the Southwest, following Holt’s suggestions for best places to play — and top spots to sleep and eat — on a regional getaway. Here’s a distillation of what we discussed for a dream golf trip to Southwest Ireland.

How to fly to Southwest Ireland

The choice pretty much boils down to two commercial airports: Shannon and Dublin. While Shannon is closer to your target courses (it’s about an hour’s drive to your first tee time, compared to roughly three hours from Dublin), Dublin welcomes more nonstop flights from the U.S. As with a lot of travel, the calculus revolves around cost and convenience. Not all travelers prioritize these factors in the same way. Price out the options, and make your decision accordingly. 

Getting around Southwest Ireland

What’s true in golf applies to travel within Ireland. Distances can be deceiving. Given narrow, winding roads and the vicissitudes of weather, drives can take longer than they appear on the map. For golfers unconcerned with costs (and unbothered by the fact that not all local golfers look kindly on whirly birds touching down near the first tee), helicopters are a popular option. But if you’re sticking with ground transport, Holt recommends hiring a driver, which guarantees smooth travel while giving you the freedom to enjoy a pint or two after your round.

The best golf courses in Southwest Ireland

Rates are approximate after conversion.

Trump International Golf Club – Doonbeg Resort ($465-575)

There’s no ignoring the polarizing elephant in the room. But setting politics aside, Holt says that Doonbeg makes a pleasing and pragmatic first stop at the gateway to the region. The amenities here are primo, and the Greg Norman design is a kind of palate-teaser to the more classical links that await.

Lahinch Golf Club ($410)

Don’t be misled by the modern-looking clubhouse. Designed by Alister Mackenzie and a fixture on GOLF’s ranking of Top 100 Courses in the World, Lahinch is throwback golf in the best sense of the word, a pure links replete with formal challenges, charming quirks (behold the crisscrossing fairways) and compelling templates holes like the 5th, the Dell, an iconic par 3 that plays blind over a towering dune.

Adare Manor ($550)

When you picture golf in Ireland, a parkland design by Tom Fazio is probably not the first course that comes to mind. But Holt considers Adare Manor a must-play for both the quality of the architecture and the impeccability of the conditions, which are widely regarded as the finest in the country. Given the five-star accommodations, Holt says the property is a must-stay, too. Availability can be another matter. Starting in August, Adare Manor will start placing limits on resort play as it begins preparations to host the 2027 Ryder Cup.

Ballybunion Old ($440)

Wedged between huge dunes and the Atlantic, this grand links was heralded by the famed golf writer Herbert Warren Wind as “nothing less than the finest seaside course I have ever seen.” Five-time Open Champion Tom Watson probably wouldn’t quibble. He described Ballybunion as “one of the best and most beautiful tests of links golf anywhere.” That test begins with a mid-length par-4 guarded by a cemetery on the right. You won’t forget the graveyard. And yet, Holt says, it’s at the 6th hole, as they layout curls through a heaving coastal dune scape, that Ballybunion really starts to come to life.

Tralee ($410)

Design credit here goes to the King, and though some Tralee members have been known to question how much work Arnold Palmer really put into the place, there’s no denying the regal results. The course starts scenically enough, with a front side stitched beside the sea. But the back is where the drama becomes heart-pounding, with heroic carries and exhilarating holes cut along the bluffs with the Atlantic crashing all around.

Old Head ($520)

It’s not often that you can stand on a tee box and gaze down at seagulls circling below. But so it goes at Old Head, a course that must be seen to be believed (if you haven’t played it, you’ve probably gawked photos of it), set on a peninsula that points its craggy finger into the Atlantic, with holes cut hard along steep bluffs that plunge some 300 feet to the waves.

Waterville ($385-410)

A drive along the Ring of Kerry, Ireland’s mountains-meet-sea counter to California’s Big Sur, takes you to the southwest tip of the country to a club that was born in the late 1800s and has since been tweaked by modern architects. Even with those recent touchups, the layout retains a classic look and feel, wild and rumpled on a seaside path that builds toward a truly rousing finish. Waterville could be the perfect culmination of your trip, but if you finish early and still have an itch to scratch, consider stopping as you backtrack on the Ring of Kerry for a round at Dooks, one of the oldest courses in the country and a sweet cap to a 36-hole day.

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Where to stay in Southwest Ireland

Early in your trip, Holt recommends bedding down at Adare Manor, where five-star appointments complement a pristinely kept parkland course that will host the 2027 Ryder Cup. As you move toward the southwest, Killarney is a storybook seaside town that understandably attracts its share of tourists. Lodging in Killarney isn’t hard to come by. But among Holt’s go too are the Killarney Park Hotel and the Europe Hotel & Resort, both centrally located with spot-on service and accommodations.

What to eat in Southwest Ireland

Among many Irish golf clubs there’s a quiet competition over which whips up the finest fish chowder. Holt awards high marks to the chowder at Tralee, served with crumbly brown bread. But his favorite example isn’t offered at a course. It’s a signature dish at Vaughans Anchor Inn, in Liscannor, just down the road from Lahinch.

As for other meals, Holt calls out to stops in Killarney: The Laurels Pub and Gaby’s Seafood. And in the town of Kinsale, en route to Old Head, don’t forgo a seafood feast at an aptly named eatery named Fishy Fishy.

To hear more about Southwest Ireland and its golf and non-golf points of interest, you can listen to the entire podcast episode on the region above. Listen and subscribe to Destination GOLF wherever you get your podcasts: APPLE | SPOTIFY | IHEART | AMAZON

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The post Planning a golf trip to Ireland? Here are 5 regions you need to visit appeared first on Golf.

The Irish love their golf, of course, and they’ve got a deep connection to the game to prove it. Since the mid-1800s, when the country’s first known golf club — Royal Curragh — was established, the game has spread like springtime clover, giving rise to scores of world-class courses that have turned the Emerald Isle into a marquee destination for avid golfers far and wide.

“Golfers travel to Ireland with high expectations, based on their own experiences and stories from friends,” says Gordon Dalgleish, president of golf travel operator PerryGolf. “Invariably, those expectations are surpassed due to the genuine friendliness of locals, which, combined with the quality of the courses, delivers memories that only grow stronger with each passing day.”

Travel

Given the breadth of options — which range from treasured sleepers to fabled championship links — the question isn’t whether a trip is worth it. It’s how to make the most of a getaway. To help with your planning, we’ve highlighted five golf-rich regions in Ireland and Northern Ireland, along with a sampling of the courses that await in each.

Southwest Ireland

“The jewel in Ireland’s golfing crown,” according to golf travel operator Golfbreaks, the Southwest sparkles with dozens of links gems. Ballybunion. Tralee. Lahinch. Doonbeg. Dingle. The list goes on, as does the coastline. Heaving with dunes and framed by dramatic bluffs, it yields dramatic vistas nearly everywhere you turn, whether you’re driving a ball on the arresting grounds of Old Head of Kinsale, famous for its cliff-edge fairways, or driving a car along the Ring of Kerry, one of the world’s most scenic seaside routes. An easy drive from the Shannon airport, the Southwest is also home to the Blarney Stone, which, when kissed, is said to endow the kisser with the gift of gab. That’s not a bad idea. You’re going to have plenty to gush about.

Dublin/Capital region

As a vibrant cosmopolitan center, Dublin makes an ideal base for a golf extravaganza suited to all interests. The diverse constellation of sought-after courses includes pure links playgrounds (think Portmarnock Old, Royal Dublin, County Louth and the Island), pedigree parkland layouts such as Adare Manor and The K Club (host site of the 2006 Ryder Cup) and epic designs that defy strict definition (see: the European Club). Beyond the clubs and pubs, there is, of course, a major city’s-worth of attractions and diversions, whether it’s a visit to Trinity College or a tasting tour of the Guinness Storehouse, where you can see how all that good stuff you’ve been drinking gets made.

Northwest Ireland

Remote golf is all the rage these days. But in Northwest Ireland, it has never gotten trendy. It is simply the way golf has always been. When you pack your clubs for this rugged, unspoiled region, you are signaling both your interest in adventure and your eagerness to unplug. The far-flung links here are near and dear to the hearts of design aficionados, highlighted by the rustic likes of Ballyliffin, Donegal, Port Salon and Rosapenna, a 36-hole resort that recently cut the ribbon on St. Patrick’s Links, a Tom Doak design that ranks 49th on GOLF’s list of Top 100 Courses in the World. All around the Northwest, the turf runs fast but off the course, the pace of life is as leisurely as the hospitality is warm. Sometimes, getting away from it all is the same as getting exactly what you want.

Northern Ireland

As power couples go, it’s hard to top the pairing of Royal County Down and Royal Portrush. Ranked 6th and 16th, respectively, on GOLF’s list of Top 100 Courses in the World, both also count as tough-to-come by tee times (especially now that Portrush has returned to the Open Championship rota; having hosted the event in 2019, it will do the same again in 2025). And yet golf in Northern Ireland is more than this twin-billing. A dream itinerary to this golf-steeped country would also include stops at Castlerock, Ardglass and Portstewart, along with a detour to any number of understated inland courses, such as Holywood, where home-grown hero Rory McIlroy learned to play the game.

West Ireland

Play enough golf in Ireland and you soon learn that quite a few courses go by more than one name. What you call Connemara, for example, a local might refer to as Ballyconneely, which is also the name of the small coastal town where the course is laid out. By any label, though, what you get is the same: 27-holes of rough and tumble links, on a peninsula buffeted by Atlantic winds, in an unspoiled region that is well worth the effort it takes to reach. Other options in the area are every bit as raw and exhilarating, ranging from Carne to Enniscrone to wonderfully rumpled County Sligo, which is the local way of saying “Rosses Point.”

Book your Irish Golf Getaway Now

Trip 1: Enjoy a scenic tour of the Northwest and play some of the most pure links golf courses in the world.

Offer live dates: April 1-Oct. 15, 2024 (From $2,249/person) / Learn more and book HERE

Trip 2: Visit Ireland’s capital city and play some great golf including Royal Dublin, Island Club and more.

Offer live dates: April 1-Oct. 15, 2024 (From $2,385/person) / Learn more and book HERE

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The post The 6 best golf courses in Ireland | GOLF Top 100 Courses in the World appeared first on Golf.

The post The 6 best golf courses in Ireland | GOLF Top 100 Courses in the World appeared first on Golf.

If you’re looking for a golf destination where you can have access to a solid chunk of courses that can be found on GOLF’s latest list of the Top 100 Courses in the World, Ireland is a great place to venture.

GOLF’s course raters identified a total of six courses on the Emerald Isle as being among the best in the world, with one course making the top 10, three making the top 25 and five in the top 50.

The island of Ireland measures only 302 miles from top to bottom, making it fairly easy — and beautiful — to traverse by car. With 1,990 miles of coastline, Ireland is an ideal locale for links golf, with the vast majority of courses open year-round.

Royal County Down in Newcastle, Northern Ireland, is Ireland’s top-ranked course, coming in at No. 6 on GOLF’s list.

For an in-depth look at County Down — and to see which other Irish courses made the list — scroll below.

The 6 best golf courses in Ireland

(Course profiles written by Ran Morrissett)

6. Royal County Down (Newcastle, Northern Ireland)

The evolution over more than 130 years of this design is fascinating and has yielded what many consider to be the game’s finest front nine. Blind tee shots abound, in brilliant fashion at such holes as 2, 5 and 9. On the back side, one feature that was recently expunged was a natural pond 100 yards shy of the 17th green. Member George Combe deserves much of the credit for RCD as he shepherded the course through the transition to the rubber core Haskell ball 120 years ago. Forty percent of the World top 15 (here, Pine Valley, Oakmont, Royal Dornoch, Pebble Beach and Merion) derived much of their substance from individuals who built few other courses. Such designs enjoy their own unique voices with County Down further blessed with staggeringly handsome long views of the Irish Sea, the Mountains of Mourne and the red-brick steeple of the Slieve Donard Hotel.

16. Royal Portrush (Portrush, Northern Ireland)

The only course outside of England and Scotland to host the Open is perennially ranked in the world’s top-20 courses, thanks to a superior 1929 H.S. Colt design that maximizes its setting in the high dunes along the Irish Sea. The golf world saw two new holes in action at the 2019 Open: the 7th and 8th, which replaced the old, comparatively dull 17th and 18th holes. Both nines touch the cliff line, with the course’s most spectacular moment coming at the 5th as it doglegs right to a two-tiered green flush against the cliff. Indeed, plenty of the holes elbow one direction or the other, so driver is not an automatic decision as hitting the twisting fairways and approaching Colt’s angled greens from the correct side of the fairway are of paramount importance.

24. Ballybunion (Old) (Ballybunion, Ireland)

This Southwest Irish gem is wedged between huge sandhills and the Atlantic Ocean. “Nothing less than the finest seaside course I have ever seen,” said Hall of Fame writer Herbert Warren Wind. Echoed five-time Open champion Tom Watson, “It is one of the best and most beautiful tests of links golf anywhere.” Greenkeeper John Bambury embarked seven years ago to convert the poa greens to fine fescue and to re-establish the running game. His hard work has reached fruition. World-class holes abound, such as the 470-yard 11th, which cascades downhill to a green between two dunes, and the picture-perfect 210-yard 15th with an Atlantic backdrop.

37. Lahinch (Old) (Lahinch, Ireland)

Old Tom Morris’ 1893 design, coupled with Alister MacKenzie’s 1927 enhancements, including the 9th green, and Martin Hawtree’s 2003 push into the big dunes, delivers an irresistible combination of beauty, challenge and fun. The course is a poster child for Irish tourism, what with its tumbling dunes and the Cliffs of Mohr just to the north. Amazingly, the golf is every bit as good as its setting, headlined by a sterling set of two-shot holes that fall across the land in every conceivable manner.

49. St. Patrick’s Links (Rosapenna, Ireland)

Ireland’s dunes have benefited from sand deposits over the millennia along its west coast as exemplified by its fabled links in the southwest including Ballybunion, Lahinch and Waterville. Each enjoys some of the game’s most impressive landforms. Set in the northwest county of Donegal, St. Patrick’s too will soon become a household name with golfers flocking here to experience the unbridled joy that comes from playing in and among big dunes as one battles the wind. The course looks like it has been there for a century, instead of having opened in 2021, which speaks volumes of the routing and the talented shapers that worked the project. Some of the interior green contours like those found on 5, 10, 11, and 17 are as dazzling as the overall environment. Both casual golfers and architecture buffs alike should take note of the features that make the three longest par-4s (9, 11 and 16) so much fun to play.

59. Portmarnock (Old) (Portmarnock, Ireland)

On approach to the Dublin airport, keep your eyes peeled out the window for a glimpse of the most romantic location for a golf course imaginable. Yes, that would be Portmarnock, set among low dunes at the end of a peninsula. The sense of seclusion is palpable, even though you are only 7 miles as the crow flies from a bustling capital city. Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer and Ian Woosnam are among those who won Irish Opens here. Arnold Palmer once tabbed the 15th as one of golf’s best par-3s and yet the other par-3 on that side (the shorter 12th) is just as good. Be prepared for some of the fastest, purest running conditions that the game offers. Also, don’t miss its third nine, the Yellow Nine.

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The post The secret to making the perfect whiskey sour, according to an Irish whiskey expert appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to Clubhouse Eats, where we celebrate the game’s most delectable food and drink. Hope you brought your appetites.

***

For golf fans, this coming Thursday is circled on the calendar as the start of the Valspar Championship, in Palm Harbor, Fla. But for a larger swath of the human population, the date is significant for a different reason: it’s March 17, St. Patrick’s Day, an occasion marked in many parts of the world by parades, festivals, and the symbolic wearing of green attire.

Every now and then, cocktails are also enjoyed.

Tommie Doyle knows something about that last part. He’s the whiskey ambassador at Adare Manor, a luxury resort in County Limerick, Ireland, that is home to a rollicking Tom Fazio course and a refined redoubt called The Tack Room, where Doyle holds forth behind the bar.

Among the favorites on his menu is the whiskey sour, a classical cocktail that he prepares with bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg whites. That’s one way to do it. But given the vastness of the spirit university, and the great variety of whiskeys out there, Doyle says the possibilities are boundless. Just find the whiskey that suits your palate, follow a few guidelines and you’ll have no trouble whipping up your own version at home.

How Sweet it Is

A whiskey sour gets its name for a reason. But there’s still sugar in it. At the Tack Room, Doyle relies on a 2-to-1 water to sugar syrup, which he says helps create a silky body, but he says that any sugar is fair game. Where lighter sugars allow the spirit to shine through more clearly, darker sugars add more depth and complexity. Play around and find the profile that fits your taste.

Lifestyle

The Proper Acidity

Sailors in bygone days mixed citrus with whiskey as a safeguard against scurvy. Nowadays, we do the same because it tastes good. What citrus flavor should you use? Lemon is the “golden standard,” Doyle says. But lime and grapefruit work nicely, too.

Eggs-acting Details

Egg whites add wondrous frothy texture. Just make sure the eggs are exceedingly fresh, and that you separate them cleanly. Don’t let any yolk into the mix.

Getting in the Spirit

In keeping with classic whiskey sour tradition, Doyle uses bourbon, which he appreciates for its oaky character. But there are no set rules.  Different whiskeys have different profiles. Go with whatever spirit moves you.

Whip It Good

In a proper whiskey sour, a silken foaminess is essential. But, Doyle says, you don’t want to spend “the whole night shaking.” Save yourself the effort and use either a standard blender or an immersion blender.  Blitz for ten seconds, or just until the drink has become airy and light, Doyle says. “Then add ice and shake and amaze your guests with beautiful whiskey sours.”

And for the Garnish?

Once again, it’s dealer’s choice. But an orange wheel and a maraschino cherry make up the traditional finishing touch.

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The post Planning a European golf trip? Aer Lingus runs huge Black Friday sale appeared first on Golf.

The post Planning a European golf trip? Aer Lingus runs huge Black Friday sale appeared first on Golf.

The world has done a lot of sitting at home over the last two years. In that same vein, the travel industry has taken a new form. Some people have neglected travel altogether, choosing to invest their time and resources into their day-to-day life. Others have chosen to travel locally, avoiding foreign lands and (in most cases) exhaustive travel restrictions in favor of some of the flavors of home.

A third group, though, has been tied down (mostly) against its will. This group of movers and shakers is willing to do whatever it takes to get out and see the world. And, with restrictions beginning to lift, this group has its sights set upon making it abroad in 2022.

For this group, we bring very good news.

In the spirit of the holiday season, Aer Lingus is offering one of its biggest deals of the year. The Irish airline is offering $100 off round trip economy flights and $200 off business class flights to Ireland and select cities in Europe. The deal, which runs for flights between January 1 and May 31, 2022, helps to bring the cost of a trip close to that of many round-trip domestic flights in the U.S.

For golfers looking to make a pre-Masters trip back to golf’s homeland, a direct flight between New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport and Dublin in April comes out to $531 round trip. For those willing to brave colder temperatures in the early winter months, round trip flights run as low as $400, round-trip, depending upon dates.

There is, however, a hook. The deal comes as part of Aer Lingus’ “Black Flyday” sale, which ends on Monday, November 29. So act fast, and get that golf trip of your dreams back on track!

**Browse flights here**

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The post How Top 100 newcomer St. Patrick’s Links quickly impressed our course raters appeared first on Golf.

The post How Top 100 newcomer St. Patrick’s Links quickly impressed our course raters appeared first on Golf.

Tom Doak’s newest addition to GOLF’s Top 100 Courses list, St. Patrick’s Links, made an incredible debut at No. 55. Ran Morrissett, Thomas Brown and Simon Holt discuss why with GOLF Senior Editor Sean Zak.

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