Rosapenna Golf Club

North West IrelandGolf

North West Ireland Golf Regional Picks

Golf has been played in County Donegal and County Sligo for over 100 years. Two of Donegal's main golf clubs, Buncrana and Portsalon, were founding members of the Golfing Union of Ireland in 1891. The courses of Donegal and Sligo are renowned as being challenging in general and cruel on misplaced shots of any sort. This is especially true in the weather for which the Northwest of Ireland is notorious, heavy rain and strong winds. All told, hand-picking your favoured courses of Donegal and Sligo will make for a thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining week of golf.

Ballyliffin Golf Club

Par 72 • 7,220 yards

Ireland's northernmost golf course, the Old Links at Ballyliffin was declared by Nick Faldo to be the most natural links he had ever seen. This may go some way in explaining why the course is affectionately known as 'The Mounds'. Here, the challenging topography includes a litany of moguls, basins, bunkers, boulders, sandhills and thick rough grass which is all but inescapable. Exposed to the capricious North Atlantic, the weather here is windy and unpredictable. When you make it to the greens, your worries are not over: frequently, they are turtlebacked and hard to approach. So, a test awaits any golfer who ventures this far north. However, for those who do make the trip and stay long enough to enjoy the Old Links and its younger sibling, Glashedy Links, a magnificent 36-hole experience awaits.

Ballyliffin Golf Club
HoleParYards
14422
24427
34426
45477
53172
64406
73181
84424
94378
104394
114418
124441
135571
143182
154451
164436
175562
184452
Visitor Info

ballyliffingolfclub.com

Donegal Golf Club

Par 73 • 7,456 yards

At the far-flung tip of Murvagh Peninsula lies the open expanse of dunes and coastal grasses from which Eddie Hackett was commissioned to craft what, since its opening in 1960, has been known as Donegal Golf Club. The gruelling yardage of this expansive links course demands length and accuracy from all visitors who wish to finish close to their handicap. A highlight of the course is the greens, which are consistently fast and true. As you reach for your putter, watch out for subtle borrows and breaks on a surface that holds well.

Donegal Golf Club
HoleParYards
15531
24466
33212
44513
53202
65514
74434
85549
94401
104390
114404
125595
133183
145565
154409
163248
174411
184429
Visitor Info

donegalgolfclub.ie

Rosapenna Golf Club

Par 72 • 7,022 yards

The combination of two top-class links courses, a fantastic clubhouse and a premium hotel position this as perhaps Ireland's best resort for golf and luxury accommodation. The Old Tom Morris Course still bears the fingerprints of its eponymous architect, but the course has been redesigned by Harry Vardon and James Braid, with more recent refinements by Pat Ruddy. On the newer 'Sandy Hills Links' course, the creative credit goes to Ruddy alone. Fusing modern technology with traditional links design, he has produced a course that rivals its older sibling in every respect. A firm fixture on the bucket list of any serious golfer visiting Ireland.

Rosapenna Golf Club
HoleParYards
15525
24455
33177
44339
54451
64415
73196
85532
94435
104400
113177
124400
135540
144370
154465
163174
175486
184485
Visitor Info

rosapenna.ie

County Sligo Golf Club

Par 71 • 7,157 yards

The brooding presence of Ben Bulben mountain on the horizon announces that you are entering Yeats' country. And your recovery play will need to be as creative and poetic as that great wordsmith's own oeuvre if you stray anywhere beyond the short grass. On a course that takes ruthless advantage of a challenging landscape, staying out of the bunkers and the rough is a must for anyone who wants to share in Yeats' love of Sligo. Although relatively short, this course - known to the locals as 'Rosses Point' - is among the most demanding in Ireland.

Ben Bulben Mountain, County Sligo
HoleParYards
14398
24323
35588
43179
55540
64447
74431
84484
93167
104466
114480
125531
133174
144460
154422
163210
174470
184387
Visitor Info

countysligogolfclub.ie

Enniscrone Golf Club

Par 73 • 7,033 yards

Stretching to the distant reaches of the Bartragh Peninsula, Enniscrone (also spelled Inishcrone) is notorious for its dramatic coastal dunes and its treacherous, unforgiving rough. As with most links courses in this part of the world, wind is also a factor on even the calmest of days. So this is a course which rewards cautious, considered play. When contemplating a daring shot, risk-reward players may want to think carefully about the risks before they covet the rewards. This is a deservedly popular course attracting players from across the globe, and summer bookings are advised only well in advance.

Enniscrone Golf Club
HoleParYards
14373
25556
33208
45523
54450
64424
75534
83170
94449
104359
113170
124345
134350
145542
154421
165545
173149
184465
Visitor Info

enniscronegolf.com

The Best of the Rest A directory of North West Ireland Golf Courses

Donegal Golf Club County Donegal

Ballyliffin Golf Club County Donegal

Cruit Island Golf Club County Donegal

Dunfanaghy Golf Club County Donegal

Narin & Portnoo Golf Club County Donegal

County Sligo Golf Club County Sligo

Enniscrone Golf County Sligo

Enniscrone Golf County Sligo