Golf in Ireland: tradition, legendary links, and a shared history with Scotland.

Few experiences can compare to playing golf in Ireland. For those who know the true spirit of the game, walking its courses is more than just competing against par: it is a journey to the origin, an immersion in the purest and most authentic golf that exists.

The origins of golf on the Emerald Isle

Although Scotland holds the undisputed title of the cradle of golf, Ireland adopted it very early on. The country's first club, The Royal Curragh Golf Club, was founded in 1858, and since then the game has grown rapidly, with a strong Scottish influence in course design and the spirit of the sport.

With architects like Old Tom Morris and James Braid leaving their mark on various Irish coasts, golf in Ireland developed its own identity, but always linked to the original links style: natural, without artifice, shaped by the terrain and the wind.

Scotland and Ireland: two nations, the same golf

The bond between Scotland and Ireland goes beyond the sea that separates them. They share much more than geography: a Celtic legacy, a challenging climate, and a golf approach that prioritizes strategy, sensitivity, and connection with nature. Both countries are guardians of "true links golf"—the kind played among dunes, with the wind as a rival, and where an 80-stroke round can be worth more than a round under par anywhere else in the world.

The identity of Irish golf

Playing in Ireland is discovering a less commercial, more authentic golf. It is feeling welcome in every clubhouse, sharing a Guinness with locals, and understanding that "craic" (that contagious Irish joy) is also part of the round.

The wind, rain, and firm ground demand creativity: low shots, sensitive approaches, putts from off the green, and decisions that change with every gust. It is a golf where experience matters more than the scorecard.

A group of Wegolfers at Royal Portrush, June 2022.

Courses every golfer must know

Ireland is full of gems. Some of the world's most prestigious courses are on this island:

• Royal Portrush (Northern Ireland): host of the 2019 and 2025 Open Championships. The Dunluce Links, redesigned by Harry Colt, is challenging, elegant, and brutal when the wind blows.
• Royal County Down (Northern Ireland): for many, the best course on the planet. Narrow fairways, views of the Mourne Mountains, and unpredictable greens.
• Lahinch (Republic of Ireland): a wild links on the Atlantic coast, with iconic holes like the "Dell," designed by Old Tom Morris in 1894.
• Ballybunion, Waterville, The European Club, Portmarnock, and Tralee are other mandatory stops on a trip for demanding golfers.

Royal County Down, Northern Ireland. Considered one of the top 3 golf courses in the world. Fun fact: It has never hosted The Open.

Irish golf today

With more than 400 golf courses across the country, Ireland is one of the most important destinations in international golf tourism. With only 5 million inhabitants, Ireland is the country with the highest number of golf courses per inhabitant in the world.

The quality of its infrastructure, the professionalism in service, and the warmth of its people make every trip memorable.

Old Head Golf Links, one of the MUST clubs to visit on a golf trip to Ireland.

Additionally, it is the birthplace of top-tier figures like Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Pádraig Harrington, Darren Clarke, and Graeme McDowell, all raised on tough links and molded by extreme conditions.

An experience for players seeking real golf

Ireland is not for everyone. It is for those who enjoy playing in the rain without complaining, for those who feel pride when saving a bogey against the wind, for those who know that no green is perfect if it wasn't sculpted by nature.

At Wegolf, we design golf programs in Ireland to live that experience to the fullest: regional itineraries, selected courses, organized logistics, and the backing of having played and walked those fairways.

To see packages to Ireland, click here.