The Causeway Coast and wider Northern Ireland are genuine golfing destinations, with close to 100 courses ranging from championship links to hidden parkland gems.
Royal Portrush Golf Club
Home to the Dunluce and Valley Links courses, Royal Portrush’s Dunluce course was designed by Harry Colt and updated with two new holes by Martin Ebert. Royal Portrush has hosted The Open Championship, most recently in 2025, cementing its status among the world’s top courses.
Portstewart Golf Club
Three 18-hole courses, including the celebrated Strand Course, known for its dune-covered fairways and Atlantic views. Portstewart hosted the Irish Open in 2017.
Castlerock Golf Club
A challenging links course set among towering dunes, with narrow fairways, pot bunkers, and sea views.
Royal County Down
Ranked among the world’s best courses (topping Golf Digest’s “World’s 100 Greatest Golf Courses” list in 2016 and 2018), set against the Mourne Mountains, alongside the more approachable Annesley Links. Book tee times well in advance - up to 12 months ahead is recommended for the Championship course.
Other Notable Courses
Malone Golf Club, Belfast, offers a 27-hole parkland course with a clubhouse built on the ruins of a 13th-century castle. Royal Belfast Golf Club, Ireland’s oldest golf club, was established by Thomas Sinclair and later redesigned by Harry Colt. Ardglass Golf Club features what’s said to be the world’s oldest golf clubhouse, dating to 1405, in a dramatic clifftop setting. Clandeboye Golf Club, near Bangor, offers a championship Dufferin course designed by Peter Alliss. Lough Erne Golf Resort features the Faldo Course, designed by Sir Nick Faldo.
Hidden Gems
Ballycastle Golf Club combines links and parkland holes with views to Rathlin Island and Fair Head. Belvoir Park Golf Club, a Harry Colt-designed parkland course, offers tree-lined fairways and a restaurant with panoramic course views (its exact county - Antrim or Down - wasn’t independently confirmed this pass). Galgorm Castle Golf Club, on a Jacobean-era estate, hosted the Irish Open and the ISPS Handa World Invitational in 2020.
Planning Your Trip
Peak season runs April to October, busiest from May to September. Book accommodation and tee times well ahead for popular courses, particularly Royal County Down. Car rental offers the most flexibility for travelling between courses, though Northern Ireland’s public transport network also connects major golfing destinations.
Notable Northern Irish Golfers
Rory McIlroy has won four major championships (the 2011 US Open, 2012 and 2014 PGA Championships, and the 2014 Open Championship) and counts Royal County Down as his favourite course in the world. Graeme McDowell won the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach and has represented Europe in the Ryder Cup, alongside fellow Northern Irish golfers Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington.
