Best golf courses in Ireland

Welcome to the NCG Top 100s list of the very best golf courses in Ireland.

Golf dates back to the 15th Century, originating in the eastern part of Scotland. It was almost three centuries later by the time golf reached Ireland.

It is believed that golf was played near Bray in the 1760s, but the game developed throughout the country in the mid-19th Century. Royal Curragh - the first golf club to be founded in the country - dates to 1858.

1892 saw the inaugural Irish Amateur Championship, which was played on the Dunluce Course at Royal Portrush. The same layout is the only Irish venue to have hosted the Open Championship, first doing so in 1951.

The K Club became the first Irish venue to host the Ryder Cup, with the Palmer North Course playing host as Team Europe won an emotional edition of the tournament in 2006. Adare Manor will become the second to do so, scheduled to host the Ryder Cup in 2027. 

Our list of the best golf courses in Ireland features a mix of both coastline links layouts and inland moorland venues. This is the gold standard of lists when it comes to Irish golf. 

 

The NCG Top 100s: Ireland list stars plenty of 'Royals'... Royal County Down, Royal Dublin and Royal Belfast, along with the aforementioned Curragh and Portrush, all make appearances. There are also DP World Tour venues on there as well, including Ballyliffin, Carton House, Lahinch, Fota Island, Mount Juliet and more... 

How did we get our top 60?
We compiled a shortlist of 100 courses from across the length and breadth of Ireland, aiming to include all courses that we felt had a realistic chance of making the final top 60.

Our panellists spent the entirety of the 2022 season playing courses around Ireland, with their thoughts and feelings being brought together to create the NCG Top 100s: Ireland list. In this list, both the Republic and Northern Ireland are together, as we bring you the best golf courses from the island of Ireland.