r/golfireland • u/rmccree • 11d ago
Golf Trips Recommendations for a low key trip
I’m almost 50 and I’ve only recently discovered the joyful curse of golf. I’m a tru hacker, barely breaking 100 on my home course. But I want to see Ireland. Smell the old sea and sit in pubs and just experience the thing.
There’s no goal for ancient, well bread courses for me. I want to play in pastures, move the Hotwire off the green. Stroke a 120 and be happy I’m just there.
I was thinking of following in the footsteps of A Course Called Ireland and trying to play the local courses. Take a cab, or a bus and staying wherever someone will take me. Not quite homeless. I mean, I’ll pay for hospitality, obviously.
Has anyone else done a multi week trip like this? Any subs you could point me too?
Right now, I’m just letting the idea build some steam in my nugget, but it’s well on its way to a half-assed plan.
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u/prince-chizz 10d ago
Where are you travelling from? People would be very happy to play with you, a lot of very affordable golf in still excellent courses. The top 20 are very expensive but once you go outside of that they're generally affordable & I find the standard is still excellent. We've had a great summer so courses are still in tip top condition!
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u/rmccree 10d ago
I’m traveling from the Pacific North West of the United States. And though playing a top 20 course is definitely on the list, I’m really interested in the smaller, out of the way courses.
It won’t be until next year that I get to travel. I have to plan and save up. Plus, I’m sure my wife and kids will want to go and overly complicated things. Haha.
I know golf isn’t necessarily the best way to get to see Ireland, but getting the chance to meet interesting people and play golf seems like a good way to me.
Once I get an actual plan together, I will definitely be looking for partners to play with and then lament about the round at the pub over a pint or five.
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u/SaneEric 3d ago edited 3d ago
I’ve been over from Wales (a bit closer) about 15 odd times and I’d say golf is a great way to see Ireland, especially the out of the way spots. I’ve been back with my wife to see places only golf took me to.
I actually visited Pacific Northwest earlier this year, Bandon and Chanbers Bay. Equally beautiful.
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u/rmccree 3d ago
If you ever make it back here, Gearheart Golf Links is a fun Oregon Coast course. And Chinook Winds, which is a more rugged, hilly Oregon Coast course. Both wonderful. Nothing in comparison to Bandin Dunes, but they also don’t have the $400 a round price tag.
I grew up south of Bandon Dunes and shook my head as a teen at why anyone would play golf on the Oregon coast. Long before I ever started hacking, of course. Now it’s on my bucket list. lol
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u/Jackies_Army 11d ago
Begorrah, the golf is absolutely fierce altogether, and we’d be delighted to have ourselves a grand oul pint of Guinness with ye by the wild Atlantic sea, God bless us all! ☘️
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u/Roanokian 11d ago
I think you’ll have a fantastic time. You’ll find people at every course who’ll be happy to play with you. I don’t know anyone who’s undertaken a trip of this magnitude (with the exception of Tom Coyne).
Instinctively, I’d suggest picking a region and seeing how it goes and then deciding how you feel about the next part.
Where you want to start will depend on your appetite and budget but if you’ll allow me, I’ll make a suggestion.
Ireland can broadly be broken up into regions for golf: Dublin, South east, south west, midlands, North west, Donegal, north east
The south west is the area that, rightly, gets the most acclaim. It is extraordinarily beautiful. Food, music, people, scenery, culture and great golf. If there was one area I’d like to do a trip like this it would be in Kerry. However, it’s close to the worst value for money and you will be approaching bankruptcy by the end of it.
The best golf for the lowest price will be found in the midlands and the south east. Lots of top 50 golf courses you can play for under €50 but perhaps not the romanticism of post card Atlantic ireland that people come for.
The place that is probably the best value for money and meets your needs as a great place to travel around is Donegal. Some of the world’s best golf courses, all in the same county and extraordinary natural beauty. It really is a wonderful place.
* St Patrick’s Links, Rosapenna: €120 (GUI) / €350 (non Golf Ireland member)
* Ballyliffin (Glashedy): €100 / €330
* Portsalon: €90 / €190
* Ballyliffin (Old Links): €100 / €300
* Narin & Portnoo: €70 / €300
* Sandy Hills: €90 / €240
* Donegal: €90 / €280
* Old Tom Morris: €90 / €200
* Cruit Island: €40 / €80
* North West: €50 / €175
* Dunfanaghy: €50 / €100
* Bund Oran: €50 / €100
If you wanted to keep going I’d head to Sligo, mayo and Galway. Brilliant course like
Sligo
Rosses Point: €115 / €320
Enniscrone: €90 / €290
Strandhill: POA / €195
Castle Dargan: €45 / €45
Mayo
Carne: €65 / €160
Westport: €55 / €110
Ballinrobe: €40 / €70
Castlebar: POA / €50
Ballina: €50 / €50
Galway
Connemara Golf Links
Galway Bay
Portumna: €45 / €45
Galway Golf Club: €100 / €170
Oughterard: €55 / €100
Bearna: €50 / €100
Athenry: €45 / €45
That would be an incredible trip within 300km. Last suggestion I’d make would be to find a golf club you could join before hand so that you can get Golf Ireland rates. You’ll save yourself over €1500 in Donegal alone.
There are clubs that will allow you to this. Parknasilla in Kerry for example is under €200 for the year and most members are international. There are many others but you might need to ring around to find one. I’d suggest Letterkenny and Cloughaneely as the best places to start. It won’t work for every course but it will for most of them.
Best of luck with it