Top 100 Golf Courses In Ireland

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BobbyFowler

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This is a list of the top 100 golf courses in Ireland. Golf Digest Ireland put it together. I reckon it's worth sharing........

1 Royal Co Down
2 Portmarnock
3 Adare Manor
4 Ballybunion Old
5 The European Club
6 Waterville
7 Royal Portrush
8 Co Louth
9 The K Club (Palmer Course)
10 Mount Juliet
11 Lahinch
12 Tralee
13 Co Sligo
14 Carton House (Montgomerie Course)
15 The Heritage
16 Killarney (Killeen Course)
17 Portstewart
18 Druids Glen
19 The Island
20 Ballyliffin (Glashedy Links)
21 Carne
22 Fota Island
23 Royal Dublin
24 Doonbeg
25 Old Head of Kinsale
26 Headfort New
27 Carlow
28 PGA National
29 Portmarnock Links
30 Glasson
31 Luttrellstown Castle
32 Mullingar
33 Malone
34 Castlerock
35 Slieve Russell
36 Cork
37 Belvoir Park
38 Dundalk
39 Hermitage
40 Donegal (Murvagh)
41 Dromoland Castle
42 Carton House (O'Meara Course)
43 The K Club (Smurfit Course)
44 Westport
45 Tulfarris
46 Enniscrone
47 Esker Hills
48 Rathsallagh
49 Seapoint
50 Tullamore
51 Clandeboye
52 Mount Wolseley
53 Dundrum House
54 Connemara
55 Dooks
56 St Margaret's
57 Ring of Kerry
58 Powerscourt West
59 Rosslare
60 Rosapenna (Sandy Hills)
61 New Forest
62 Killarney (Mahonys Point)
63 Ballybunion (Cashen Course)
64 Ballyliffin Old
65 Rathcore
66 Skelligs Bay
67 Portsalon
68 Knightsbrook
69 Millicent
70 Grange
71 Killeen
72 Castleknock
73 Bantry Bay
74 Athlone
75 Malahide
76 Woodbrook
77 Royal Belfast
78 Limerick
79 Laytown and Bettystown
80 Roganstown
81 Castletroy
82 Gowran Park
83 Thurles
84 Monkstown
85 Glen of the Downs
86 Seafield
87 Woodstock
88 Waterford
89 Galway GC
90 Co Meath
91 Portumna
92 Tramore
93 Headfort Old
94 Ballycastle
95 Charleville
96 Royal Tara
97 Dungarvan
98 Blainroe
99 Woodenbridge
100 Castlebar
 
How Thurles makes it in there I dont know. In North Tipp alone there are much nicer courses such as Roscrea and Nenagh.
 
Interesting & I would love to know what criteria was used in these rankings. e.g. were they based solely on the courses themselves or were issues such as clubhouse facilities, setting & scenery taken on board.
I have played more than half of those listed. I fail to see how underated Woodenbridge (99), Portmarnock Links (29) & Old Head of Kinsale (25) could be. On the other side I cannot understand how Slieve Russell (35), St. Margaret'a (56) & Tulfarris (45) figure where they are.
Anyway I guess people see different things on different days on different courses & we all are entitled to our views.
 
St Margarets being anywhere near the list is farcical...I wouldn't agree with the Monty course at Carton being so high either.
You can understand the Old Head being slightly outside the top echelon...yes it's a great experience and the par 3's are awesome but it's a bit short and the par 5's are weak.
How the Grange gets on the list is beyond me...the worst greens in Ireland yet delusions of grandeur abound in that place!
And where's the Castle?! I just noticed it's nowhere to be seen! The best parkland course in Dublin now...superb greens, so true.
 
Haven't played that many of them myself - thought it was strange though that Faithlegg didn't make it into the top 100. Played it recently & it was excellent. Tulfarris seems to be a lot higher than it deserves - it obviously hadn't rained in the days leading up to the review - I hear Gore-Tex use it as a testing ground for any of their new release waterproof shoes. It can turn into a swamp after any kind of a shower.
 
BobbyFowler said:
Haven't played that many of them myself - thought it was strange though that Faithlegg didn't make it into the top 100. Played it recently & it was excellent. Tulfarris seems to be a lot higher than it deserves - it obviously hadn't rained in the days leading up to the review - I hear Gore-Tex use it as a testing ground for any of their new release waterproof shoes. It can turn into a swamp after any kind of a shower.
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Tulfarris is nice though...two very good finishing holes for example.
Drainage and maintenence have been problems there but I've heard it's better of late.
These lists don't mean a whole lot really
 
The O'Meara course is a joke. Apart from 3 stunning holes at the turn, the rest was like a field the last time I played. Haven't played Adare...is it really that good? From the people I talk to The Heritage is currently the best parkland in the country.
 
Firefly said:
The O'Meara course is a joke. Apart from 3 stunning holes at the turn, the rest was like a field the last time I played. Haven't played Adare...is it really that good? From the people I talk to The Heritage is currently the best parkland in the country.
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I agree completely...we call Carton House "Cartoon House".
The O'Meara is average and the Montgomerie is the most bland featureless abomination I've ever had the misfortune to play. As I said before, these lists are a farce as money talks.
 
I'm not a golfer at this moment in time but plan to take it up. Its just amazed me how many golf courses there are in Ireland.I didnt think there would even be 100:eek: shows what I know about golfing in Ireland.

It must be a golfers dream, such a small country so many courses.

With that sort of supply, fees and the like must be in decline?

Jaid
 
I agree that the O'Meara course is poor, but the Montgomery is a stunning course. Its not made for 24 handicappers, but for those of us that like a challenge, its incredible....I'd have put it in the top 5 for sure. I'm not a member either (I play out of no.68).
 
dieter1 said:
I agree that the O'Meara course is poor, but the Montgomery is a stunning course. Its not made for 24 handicappers, but for those of us that like a challenge, its incredible....I'd have put it in the top 5 for sure. I'm not a member either (I play out of no.68).
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I disagree...the definition of a truly great golf course is that players of all abilities will enjoy it. Take Mount Juliet for example-Tiger Woods loves that golf course, I love it and my mother loves it. So the world's best, a 5 handicapper and a 30 handicapper all really enjoy it. It is a truly great golf course.
The same cannot be said for the Monty at Cartoon House...it's just not a fair or enjoyable golf course. The pros said the same during the Irish Open as did the amateurs at the Irish Championship.
 
Fair point, if you remember the irish amateur championship, you might remember the conditions they were playing in. they were hitting 4 irons into the Par 3 17th, which is normally an 8 iron......The montgomery is a fascinating challenge, the reason me and my friends love it so much is that we don't have to sit waiting for you and your mother to play!
 
dieter1 said:
Fair point, if you remember the irish amateur championship, you might remember the conditions they were playing in. they were hitting 4 irons into the Par 3 17th, which is normally an 8 iron......The montgomery is a fascinating challenge, the reason me and my friends love it so much is that we don't have to sit waiting for you and your mother to play!
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Well, you'd only be waiting on her to be fair but I take your point...the beauty of Portmarnock!
 
KalEl said:
Was just going to say that!

€1200 for a fourball now.
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And many of the tourists from over the pond that I have seen playing the Old Head, Ballybunion or the like would be losing a sleeve or two of Prov1's during the round too :D.
 
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