Cruit Island Golf Club is located on Cruit Island itself, and it is, without doubt, one of the most remote golf courses that you will find on any of the NCG Top 100s lists.  

 

In the 2022 population census of Ireland, only 92 people were living on Cruit Island. And yet, there is a stunning golf course on the island! 

 

The history of the club is lesser known, but it remains a must-play despite its remoteness. 

 

  

Visit the Cruit Island website here.  

Go Back To NCG's Top 100s Homepage. 

Cruit Island Golf Club is certainly one of the lesser-known golf courses on the NCG Top 100s: Ireland, when you put it up against Open Championship venues and other courses that have played host to the Irish Open. 

 

Michael Doherty, the Head Professional at the City of Derry Golf Club, was the man to design this beautiful 9-hole layout. 

 

Cruit Island opened in 1985, and has remained under the radar ever since, with only a few taking the long trip west to the venue. 

Thanks to its location, on one of the smallest pieces of land that Ireland has to offer, Cruit Island is only a 9-holer. However, it remains the best 9-hole course that you will find on the NCG Top 100s: Ireland list. Play it twice to make up your 18 holes, and you will certainly find the second nine easier, thanks to knowing where to place your ball to stay out of trouble. Seven par 4s and two par 3s see the course add up to a Par 34, measuring just more than 2,500 yards. 

 

The first two holes of the course are both par 4s of around 400 yards in length. The opener sees you tee off away from the clubhouse in an easterly direction, with the 2nd then running north, meaning you get a taste of the wind in both directions. The 3rd is a short par 4 at just 320 yards, and you play downhill towards the ocean. The longer hitters, depending on the wind, may attempt to drive the 3rd green. 

 

4 starts alongside the eastern coastline of Cruit Island, before turning left and inland. The 5th is well within range of the tee at less than 270 yards. Anything that goes past the green is in trouble, and you will be reaching for another ball out of your golf bag. The 6th is, without doubt, the signature hole on the property. Played from one edge to another over the rocks, it is only a short iron on a calm day, but it really could call for any club in the bag. 

 

The 7th sees you make the turn south and back towards the clubhouse. It involves a blind pitch if you find the fairway, which is one of the hardest shots in golf! The 8th is a long par 3, measuring around 200 yards in length, while the closing hole at Cruit Island provides you with another choice to make. The green is within reach if you fancy taking it on. The smart play would be to play down the fairway before turning left towards the green, where you will only have a wedge in hand! 

Where is Cruit Island located?  
Travel as far northwest as you can in Ireland, and you will find Cruit Island. The island, which is connected to the mainland via a road bridge, sits off the coast of Kincasslagh and Belcruit. Cruit Island Golf Club sits at the very northern tip of Cruit Island itself. There is only one road to take you to the golf club, that is how remote and secluded the course is. 

 

With Donegal Airport closed to passenger flights, the nearest international airport to Cruit Island is the City of Derry Airport, but that is still 70 miles away, Belfast Airport provides a larger selection of flights and destinations, with the airport servicing the Northern Irish capital situated 115 miles to the east of Cruit Island. 

What golf facilities does Cruit Island offer?  
Despite the tight nature of the land the venue sits on, Cruit Island Golf Club has a driving range on the island's eastern side. There is also a short game area and a putting green for golfers to hone their skills on before taking to the course.  

What are the green fees at Cruit Island?  
The price of a green fee at Cruit Island changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend.  

 

For more information on current green fees at Cruit Island, visit their website here. 

 

  

Visit the Cruit Island website here. 

Go Back To NCG's Top 100s Homepage.