Best golf courses in Northern Ireland

Often rated #1 golf course in the world by Golf Digest

Location: Newcastle, County Down | Designer: Old Tom Morris, George Combe, Harry Vardon & Harry Colt | Par: 71 | Founded: 1889

Why play it:

Royal County Down is widely considered the pinnacle of links golf. Set against the dramatic Mourne Mountains and Dundrum Bay, this course is famous for its savage blind shots, bunkers, and narrow, undulating fairways - a pure and historic links experience.

This is how golf courses were laid out in the early days. Dunes were left alone and holes were routed around and over them. Royal County Down embraces that willingly and the blind drives on the 2nd, 9th and 11th are truly terrifying. The signature par three 4th on the Championship Links faces the Mourne Mountains. It is one of the most inspiring holes in the world, but the same is true of the entire course.

Key features:

• Consistent #1 rankings in global golf listings such as Golf Digest and Top 100 Golf Courses
• Blind drives on holes 2, 9, and 11
• Historic pedigree, including multiple Irish Opens, Walker & Curtis Cups
• Firm, fast fairways; minimal artificial hazards

Travel tips: Stay nearby at the Slieve Donard Resort & Spa for easy access and Michelin-quality dining.

Host of The Open in 1951, 2019 & 2025; ranked among the world’s top 15 courses

Location: Portrush, County Antrim | Designer: Harry Colt | Par: 71 | Founded: 1888

Why play it:

As the buzz of The 153rd Open continues on at Royal Portrush, the allure of this Harry Colt classic grows by the day. The rhythm of the holes works beautifully, as the opening holes take you steadily out towards the ocean and the par four 5th. Named White Rocks, this is a dogleg masterpiece where everything, including the views, is on show from the raised tee and you are challenged to bite off as much as you can chew.

Royal Portrush presents a steady learning curve of how holes break and slide through natural channels, how the smallish greens sit neatly – often deceptively – into the dunes, and how fairway position means everything if you are to optimise your chances of getting close to the pin.

Key features:

• Championship layout with rugged coastal dunes and deep bunkers
• Host of The Open in 2025
• Rory McIlroy holds the old course record at Royal Portrush with a 61, while Shane Lowry holds the current layout record with a 63.
• Two fantastic courses: the testing Dunluce and the more forgiving Valley

Travel tips: Book your stay at Dunluce Lodge for instant access to the course and stunning sea views. Combine with rounds at nearby Portstewart and Castlerock for a Causeway-Golf tour.

Ranked among Ireland's top courses; host of the 2017 Irish Open

Location: Portstewart, County Derry | Designer: Des Giffin (based on Willie Park Jr) | Par: 72 | Founded: 1894

Why play it:

Locals claim that Portstewart Old Course may well feature the best opening hole in golf, and as you stand looking down over the epic duneland that folds away towards the ocean, it's hard to disagree. The tumultuous landscape that forms the opening few holes at this classic links test is quite simply spectacular and rightly earns this golfing heavyweight a place as one of the best golf courses in Northern Ireland.

The front nine, which opened for play in the 1980s almost a century after the club’s formation, has earned legendary status among golf fans. High tees ensure golfers are afforded fabulous views over the sea to Inishowen and to the Mussenden Temple sat on the clifftop. With the sister courses of the Riverside and Strand also available, it's the prime location for a Northern Ireland golf trip.

Key features:

• The Strand Course hosted the 2017 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, winning acclaim and ranking
• Redesigned in the 1980s to blend historical and modern design
• Front nine ranks among the most scenic and challenging in golf

Travel tips: The nearby Portrush and Castlerock make this a perfect base for a diverse links itinerary.

Ranked one of Northern Ireland’s top hidden gem links; consistently featured in Ireland’s Top 100 Courses

Location: Castlerock, County Derry | Designer: Ben Sayers & Harry Colt | Par: 73 | Founded: 1901

Why play it:

Tucked away on the Causeway Coast near the mouth of the River Bann, Castlerock is an authentic links experience that rivals its more famous neighbours, yet offers a quieter, more serene round. The Mussenden Course is its championship layout - a rugged, natural links carved through towering dunes with panoramic views across Donegal and the Atlantic Ocean.

With holes like the iconic par-3 4th, called “Leg o’ Mutton,” requiring a tee shot over both a railway line and a stream, Castlerock combines charm and challenge in equal measure. The course’s elevation changes and exposed setting mean you’ll need to be inventive and resilient - particularly when the coastal wind picks up.

Key features:

• Designed and later refined by Harry Colt, with classic links routing and natural undulations
• Mussenden Course is a true championship test with a mix of strategic bunkering and dramatic dunes
• Home to the famous 4th hole, “Leg o’ Mutton” — a par-3 with railway and water hazards
• A quieter alternative to nearby Royal Portrush and Portstewart, offering exceptional value and fewer crowds
• Set amid a wildlife-rich dune system with stunning sea and countryside views

Travel tips: Castlerock pairs perfectly with rounds at Portstewart and Royal Portrush, all within 20 minutes’ drive. Stay in the nearby towns of Coleraine or Portstewart for access to the entire Causeway Coast golf trail. Don’t miss the Mussenden Temple or Giant’s Causeway for some of Ireland’s most iconic coastal scenery off the course.

Historic parkland host of 1933 Irish Open

Location: Dunmurry, County Antrim | Designer: Robert Trent Jones | Par: 70 (Drumbridge/Ballydrain) | Founded: 1895

Why play it:

Malone Golf Club is located just 15 minutes outside Belfast city centre in a beautiful 19th century estate. The club’s 27-holes are situated around a magnificent lake which forms a stunning centrepiece for what is one of Northern Ireland’s best parkland courses.

Played against the backdrop of the 1840’s Tudor Revival, the course is located in glorious parkland, with the holes carving their way through funnels of mature trees. The highlight of the round is the short par-3 15th, where the golfer must hold their nerve and play directly over the lake’s edge. If you’re visiting Northern Ireland this is a course not to be missed.

Key features:

• Hosted the 1933 Irish Open - a testament to its historic stature
• Expansive course layout with varied hole designs
• A popular choice for locals and visitors seeking parkland variety

Travel tips: A great complement to a links-heavy trip; enjoy a relaxed round mid-week, followed by dinner in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter.

Ranked top 10 in Northern Ireland; ranked #6 in Ireland by Golf Digest

Location: Ardglass, County Down | Designer: David Jones | Par: 70 | Founded: 1896

Why play it:

Ardglass, just 20 miles east of Royal County Down, offers a startling contrast to its world-famous neighbour. There is still sea and stunning scenery, but Ardglass throws in cliff-top holes, links holes and more gentle seaside holes. It’s a heady mix and Ardglass is famous for its starting salvo of five holes, rippling across the cliff-tops and over chasms. The 1st is magnificent, its tee set right on the water’s edge, its green up high in a rocky turret.

When you reach the links holes by Coney Island, all your wits will be stretched. Two par-threes on either side of an elegant par-five sets temperatures soaring and it rarely lets up. To finish, the 18th leads you back down to a clubhouse built on the ruins of a 13th-century castle.

Key features:

• Stunning 1st & 2nd holes surge uphill with craggy cliffs as backdrops
• Short but potent: wild greens, pot bunkers, and unpredictable turbulence
• Clubhouse set in a 14th-century castle with award‑winning cuisine

Travel tips: Combine with Royal County Down and Royal Belfast. Great as a mid-trip highlight for those seeking variety and dramatic coastal play.

Top-ranked inland course in Northern Ireland; ranked among Ireland’s best modern courses

Location: Enniskillen, County Fermanagh | Designer: Sir Nick Faldo | Par: 72 | Founded: 2007

Why play it:

Lough Erne’s Faldo Course is a modern masterpiece set in the tranquil lakelands of County Fermanagh. Designed by six-time major champion Sir Nick Faldo, the course is sculpted along the shores of Lough Erne and Castle Hume Lough, offering panoramic water views on 11 of its 18 holes.

With generous fairways, challenging green complexes, and dramatic risk-reward holes, it delivers a luxurious and thought-provoking golfing experience. The layout demands precision off the tee and creativity around the greens, particularly with the ever-present threat of water. As a former host of the G8 Summit Pro-Am and Irish Open qualifying, it has the pedigree to match its visual grandeur.

Key features:

• Signature design by Sir Nick Faldo with championship-level strategy and playability
• Water comes into play on over half the holes, especially the memorable par-4 10th and closing stretch
• Stunning scenery across two lakes and the Fermanagh countryside
• Home to world-class practice facilities, including a state-of-the-art academy
• On-site luxury resort with spa, fine dining, and five-star lodges

Travel tips: Lough Erne Golf Resort is perfect for a luxury weekend escape - stay in the resort’s lakeside lodges and enjoy fine dining, spa treatments, and boating. Easily combined with nearby courses like Enniskillen or a scenic drive north to Rosapenna or Donegal for a cross-border golf tour with a mix of lakeside and coastal styles.

Ireland’s oldest golf club; a timeless parkland overlooking Belfast Lough

Location: Holywood, County Down | Designer: Harry Colt | Par: 70 | Founded: 1881

Why play it:

Stepping onto Royal Belfast is to walk into golfing history. Founded in 1881, it holds the title of Ireland’s oldest golf club, with its Harry Colt design flowing elegantly across rolling parkland and along the edge of Belfast Lough. The course starts with welcoming holes to ease you in before its character builds with testing doglegs and small, well-protected greens.

The views across the lough and to the Antrim hills beyond are spectacular, especially from the elevated tee at the par three 9th. Colt’s routing ensures variety at every turn – some holes demand strategic shaping off the tee, others place the emphasis firmly on precision approaches to fast greens that subtly repel the careless shot.

Key features:

• Classic Harry Colt parkland with panoramic coastal views
• Ireland’s oldest golf club, established 1881
• Elegant, historic clubhouse with renowned hospitality
• Only minutes from Belfast city centre yet feels deeply secluded

Travel tips: Combine your round at Royal Belfast with a stay in Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter for the full heritage-golf experience, and add rounds at nearby Holywood (Rory McIlroy’s home club) and Clandeboye for a perfect County Down golf tour.

Regular host of the DP World Tour; ranked among the top parkland courses in Northern Ireland

Location: Ballymena, County Antrim | Designer: Simon Gidman | Par: 72 | Founded: 1995

Why play it:

Galgorm Castle is one of Northern Ireland’s premier parkland courses and a modern championship venue. Set within a 220-acre historic estate, this beautifully manicured course combines mature woodland, natural water features, and strategic bunkering to offer a polished, tournament-grade golfing experience.

Host of the ISPS HANDA World Invitational and former home to the Northern Ireland Open, Galgorm has earned a reputation as a serious championship test - yet remains welcoming to amateurs. With the 17th-century Galgorm Castle providing a dramatic backdrop and the River Maine weaving through multiple holes, the course blends visual elegance with demanding shot-making.

Key features:

• Regular DP World Tour venue, co-sanctioned with the LPGA & LET
• Strategically designed layout with water hazards on 9 holes, particularly challenging down the final stretch
• Immaculate parkland setting with tree-lined fairways and strong finishing holes
• Part of a luxury resort that includes a spa, fine dining, and riverside lodges

Travel tips: Stay at the Galgorm Resort & Spa, one of Northern Ireland’s top luxury hotels - perfect for a post-round soak in the Thermal Village, which is located just 30 minutes from Belfast International Airport.