If you have ever dreamed of teeing off against a backdrop of rolling green hills, showstopping coastlines while surrounded by picturesque landscapes, then the Wild Atlantic Way is a must visit destination for keen golfers.
With the Ryder Cup 2027 returning to Ireland for the first time since 2006, now is the perfect time to sharpen your skills, and hone your knowledge of the sport, and there is no better place to do so than in the coastal counties of Galway, Mayo and Clare. Renowned for offering a variety of scenery and terrain, often resulting in an unforgettable sporting experience, the links courses along the Wild Atlantic Way guarantee an unforgettable golfing experience.
Links courses
One of the west of Ireland's greatest draws for international golfers, is the availability and quality of its links courses. The most famous types of golf courses, true links courses must be located along the coast, with sandy soil underneath.
With the sport being invented on the beaches of Scotland, a similar climate is required for a course to be considered a 'true links' course. Ireland is home to one third of the world's true links courses, with many Irish link courses regularly rating in the world's top 100 rankings.
Galway
Connemara Golf Links
For those looking to tee off to the sound of waves crashing into rocks, then Connemara Golf Links in Ballyconneely, is a must visit location. Named 'Best Links Course in Connaught' in 2013, 2016, 2018 and 2023 by Golfers Guide to Ireland, the 27 hole championship links course boasts majestic views of the west coast of Connemara, overlooking Dunlaughin Beach and Connemara Bay Beach.
Connemara Golf Link's A&B Championship Course is 7055 yards off the blue tees, and a slightly less daunting 6739 yards at the white tees. With a 'predominate westerly wind' sweeping in off the Atlantic Ocean, playing at the links has been described as 'challenge to all'.
Mayo
Carne Golf Links
Located on the 'remote and rugged Mullet Peninsula, in the north west of Co Mayo, the wild and ancient landscape surrounding Carne Golf Links, give it an almost mystical feel. Set in magnificent, unspoilt sand dunes stretching 150 metres above sea level, the links has breathtaking views of the Atlantic across Blacksod Bay, and the legendary islands of Inis Glóire and Inis Géidhe.
Designed by the late Eddie Hackett, the 18 hole course is an example of his philosophy for respecting the 'natural landscape, the trees and greens' which occur naturally, and as a consequence 'very little earth' was moved during the course construction.
Described as being as 'wild and as untouched as you can get', Carne Golf Links provides an experience unlike any other.
Clare
Lahinch Golf Club
Lahinch Golf Club is one of the most respected links courses in the world. With its towering sand dunes, undulating fairways, rolling greens and fair share of blind shots, it is a true links in the traditional meaning of the word. For purists of the links game, playing Lahinch is certainly an experience to treasure and should rank high on your list of courses to experience.
A vast wilderness of dune land located near the spectacular Cliffs of Moher, Lahinch Golf Club was founded in 1892, and has been described as 'the most enchanting place to play golf', and 'one of the world's classic links.
Featuring a pair of 'notorious blind holes, a ruined castle and free roaming goats, Lahinch Golf Club has two courses; The Old Course, which lies beyond the road and the sea and has gained a reputation for being one of golf's superior sites, and The Castle Course, which is a flatter links named after the structure which overlooks the north of the links.
Home to two of 'the most famous holes in Irish golf', the 5th hole par 5 Klondyke and the 6th hole par 3 Dell, Lahinch combines a challenging terrain with stunning scenery, with the Dell being one of the most controversial, yet photographed short holes in golf.
Golf in its purest form
As counties along the Wild Atlantic Way prepare to host some of the biggest events in the sport, with Lahinch Golf Club preparing to host The Walker Cup in 2026, and Adare Manor, in County Limerick named as the hosts of the 2027 The Ryder Cup, now is the perfect time to visit the courses of Mayo, Galway and Clare and work on your handicap.
“Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening – and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented," - Arnold Palmer
