Northern Ireland fits two of the world's most highly regarded links into a small territory. On the Causeway Coast in the north, the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush hosted The Open in 1951, 2019 and 2025, the only venue outside Great Britain to have staged it; it climbs and dips through the dunes facing the Atlantic. A quarter of an hour away, Portstewart plays its front nine through towering dunes, and Castlerock completes the coast. In the south-east, in County Down, Royal County Down stretches out at Newcastle beneath the Mountains of Mourne, among heather and gorse. Belfast, in between, suits a few days in town and a round at Holywood, the club where Rory McIlroy learned the game.
The best season runs from May to September, with very long days around June. April and October are quieter, but cooler and windier. Visitor tee times on the great courses, very limited at Royal County Down, are booked well in advance. We arrange tailor-made chauffeured trips there, happily combining both coasts, and often the links of the Republic of Ireland.
Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, has four fine parkland courses within half an hour of the centre: Holywood, the club where Rory McIlroy learned the game, Royal Belfast, founded in 1881, and two layouts by Harry Colt and by Hawtree at Belvoir Park and Malone. Golfers come for tree-lined golf above Belfast Lough, a Michelin-starred table, Carlingford oysters and a city on a human scale. The best season runs from May to September.
Newcastle, a small seaside resort in County Down about an hour south of Belfast, is home to Royal County Down, whose Championship Links, founded in 1889, ranks among the very best courses in the world. You can also play the Annesley Links, the club's second course, and, half an hour away, the clifftop links at Ardglass. The best season runs from May to September.
Portrush, a seaside resort on the north coast of Northern Ireland, is the base for a golf trip on the Causeway Coast: Royal Portrush's Dunluce Links, the only course outside Great Britain to have hosted the Open (1951, 2019, 2025), the neighbouring Valley Links, Portstewart's Strand Course a quarter of an hour away and Castlerock's Mussenden Links about twenty minutes away. Golfers come for four great dune links less than half an hour apart, the Giant's Causeway and Bushmills whiskey. The best season runs from May to September.
