St Patrick’s Links

Opened in July 2021 and designed by Tom Doak of Renaissance Golf Design, St Patrick’s Links is a par-71, 6,930-yard course ranked among the top 50 courses in the world. Situated on 300+ acres of dramatic duneland roughly three miles south of the main hotel, it was built on the site of two older courses to create one cohesive, minimalist routing.

• Minimalist Architecture. Doak utilized the natural contours of massive dunes to build wide, bouncy fairways that flow seamlessly into large, heavily undulating green complexes.

• Pure Links Experience. The course is strictly walking-only and lacks a permanent clubhouse or driving range on-site, keeping the focus purely on golf and the rugged Atlantic coastline. Constant shifts in hole direction ensure players face changing wind angles throughout the round

Located on the Inishowen Peninsula in County Donegal—the northernmost golf club in Ireland—the Glashedy Links at Ballyliffin Golf Club is a par-72, 7,486-yard modern championship test designed by Pat Ruddy and Tom Craddock. Opened in August 1995 and host to the 2018 Irish Open, it takes its name from Glashedy Rock, the dramatic sea stack sitting just offshore in Pollan Bay.

Course Architecture & Playing Style

Routed across higher, wilder duneland above Ballyliffin’s original Old Links, Glashedy Links is built on a grand scale with few blind shots and panoramic views over the Atlantic Ocean and surrounding mountains.

• Dunes & Sightlines. Elevated tee boxes look out over generous, rippling fairways framed by towering marram-covered sandhills. Unlike many older links courses, most landing zones are clearly visible from the tee.

• Bunkering & Greens. Deep, steep-faced revetted bunkers guard key fairway angles and approach lines. The large, undulating greens feature subtle run-offs and tightly mown aprons that demand crisp short-game control.

• Signature Holes. The 174-yard par-3 7th hole (Loch na nDeor) is one of Ireland's most photographed holes, dropping steeply from a high dune tee toward a green guarded by a rare linksland freshwater pond and bunkers. On the back nine, holes weave closer to the coast with Glashedy Rock in constant view

Located along the golden sands of Ballymastocker Bay on the Fanad Peninsula in County Donegal, Portsalon Golf Club is a historic par-72 (par-73 from the back championship tees), 7,015-yard traditional links course. Founded in 1891 as one of the nine original founding clubs of the Golfing Union of Ireland, it sits directly beneath the Knockalla Mountains and offers one of the most scenic, value-packed rounds in northwest Ireland.

Course Architecture & Playing Style

Originally laid out by Charles Thompson of Portrush, Portsalon underwent a major modernization in 2000 by architect Pat Ruddy, who added nine new holes and stretched the routing through taller dunes, followed by bunker and tee upgrades overseen by Paul McGinley and Jonathan Gaunt.

• Natural Routing & Terrain. The course unfolds across rolling natural duneland where fairways follow the folds of the ground and greens sit tucked into natural hollows. Constant exposure to Atlantic breezes off Lough Swilly rewards creativity and trajectory control over raw power.

• Signature Holes. The 433-yard par-4 2nd hole ("Strand") is widely regarded as one of Ireland’s greatest par-4s, playing from an elevated tee down toward a fairway curving around a tidal river inlet and Ballymastocker Beach. The par-4 3rd hole remains virtually untouched since 1891, playing along the beach toward a green framed by natural rock formations.

• Back Nine Contrast. While the opening stretch hugs the shoreline and estuary, the inward nine climbs onto higher ground with sweeping panoramic views across Ballymastocker Bay and the Inishowen hills

Journey west along the Wild Atlantic Way to Narin & Portnoo Links, a Gil Hanse-redesigned gem hugging Gweebarra Bay.

Set across 260 acres of wild Atlantic coastline overlooking Gweebarra Bay in southwest Donegal, Narin & Portnoo Links is a par-70, 6,904-yard championship links restored by acclaimed architects Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner. Originally established in 1905 and expanded to 18 holes in 1930, the course underwent a major Hanse-led transformation that reopened in 2020, elevating it into the top 100 courses in Great Britain & Ireland.

Course Architecture & Playing Style

Hanse and Wagner stripped back modern additions to restore the raw, natural rhythm of the linksland, creating wide, firm fairways and heavily contoured greens that reward creativity.

• Natural Terrain & Variety. The routing weaves through towering coastal dunes on a narrow peninsula jutting into the ocean. The layout features five distinct par-3s under 150 yards alongside dramatic coastal par-4s and par-5s.

• Ground Game & Green Complexes. Generous off the tee, the course places its primary defense around subtle, heavily sloped green complexes and run-off areas. Firm turf encourages low-running approach shots rather than aerial target golf.

• Signature Stretch. Holes 6 through 15 sit directly along the rugged shoreline and white sands of Narin Strand. The 143-yard par-3 7th hole plays over a deep chasm to a two-tiered green perched on a sandhill, while the par-4 9th and par-5 15th offer sweeping views across Gweebarra Bay toward Aranmore Island

Set on a secluded 182-acre peninsula jutting into Donegal Bay just south of Donegal Town, Donegal Golf Club (Murvagh) is a par-73, 7,453-yard championship links renowned as one of the longest and grandest courses in Europe. Originally laid out by Eddie Hackett in 1973, enhanced by Pat Ruddy in the 1990s, and recently refined under a masterplan by Paul McGinley, it is famously nicknamed the "Muirfield of Ireland" for its concentric two-loop routing.

Course Architecture & Playing Style

Isolated from the mainland by a dense evergreen forest and framed by the Bluestack Mountains, Murvagh pairs massive scale with classic links strategy.

• Two-Loop Routing. Modeled directly on Scotland's Muirfield, the outer front nine runs clockwise along the shoreline and coastal dunes, while the inner back nine plays counter-clockwise through towering interior sandhills. This figure-eight layout ensures golfers face shifting Atlantic winds from every compass direction.

• Unusual Par-73 Setup. The championship scorecard features five par-5s, four par-3s, and nine par-4s, offering big hitters plenty of scoring opportunities alongside brutal wind-exposed tests. Recent McGinley renovations have widened strategic ground-game approaches around the greens.

• Signature Holes. The 205-yard par-3 5th hole ("Valley of Tears") plays over a deep, intimidating hollow into a dune-framed green. On the outward loop, the par-5 8th ("Moyne Hill") hugs the water's edge along the entire right flank toward a well-protected green

Cross into neighbouring County Sligo for a grand finale at County Sligo Golf Club (Rosses Point), playing beneath the brooding silhouette of Benbulben Mountain.

Located on a rugged peninsula in the village of Rosses Point beneath the flat-topped silhouette of Benbulben Mountain, County Sligo Golf Club—universally known as Rosses Point—is a par-71, 6,751-yard (stretching over 7,200 yards from championship back tees) classic links course. Founded in 1894 and famously redesigned by Harry S. Colt in 1927, it is the long-standing home of the prestigious West of Ireland Amateur Championship and ranks among the top 100 courses in the world.

Course Architecture & Playing Style

Unlike modern dune-canyon layouts, Colt routed Rosses Point across sweeping, natural coastal ridges and valleys with panoramic views of Drumcliff Bay, Sligo Harbour, and the Atlantic Ocean.

• Elevation & Wind Exposure. The terrain features dramatic elevation shifts—climbing nearly 50 meters from sea level to high ridge tees—that leave approach shots fully exposed to swirling Atlantic winds.

• Signature Hazards & Greens. A system of meandering natural burns cuts across fairways and guards elevated, plateau-style green complexes. Crisp iron play and precise distance control are essential to hold Colt's firm, subtle putting surfaces.

• Memorable Stretch. The opening holes climb toward Benbulben before dropping down to the sea. Holes 12 through 17 skirt the shoreline along Drumcliff Bay, led by the par-4 17th, which plays to a plateau green perched right beside the beach.

• Bomore 9-Hole Course. Alongside the main 18-hole Colt Championship Links, the club features the par-35, 3,046-yard Bomore Course, a flatter nine-hole links designed by Jonathan Tucker on an ancient sea inlet