Donegal golf courses leave you breathless – in a good way!
It’s the epic trek to this ‘world-class wilderness’ in Ireland’s secluded northwest.
It’s the cinematic landscapes, glistening beaches, white-tipped waves, jagged cliffs, swooping fjords, and sky-scraping peaks.
And it’s the thrilling, spectacular designs by icons of architecture, past and present.
Tempted?
Tee off on our guide to 8 essential links courses in Donegal for your next Irish golf trip.
Sure, Donegal is off the beaten track.
But this uncut gem on the Wild Atlantic Way rewards you for the journey.
Click any course to begin your windswept golfing adventures.
Est : 2021 | Par: 71 | Length: 6,930 yards
Three cheers for Tom Doak.
From two average 18-hole layouts, albeit on prime seaside turf, he forged a new gold standard for Donegal golf courses.
In 2021, St Patrick’s Links debuted at Rosapenna to universal acclaim.
Already, this modern-day blockbuster in Northwest Ireland ranks among the world’s 50 best golf courses.
The hype is real.
St Patrick’s Links has everything you want in a round, from soul-stirring scenery to spine-tingling excitement, and a dazzling mix of holes.
For scale and drama, this is the pinnacle of Irish golf. Yet Doak also made St Patrick’s Links good old-fashioned fun.
It’s a rollercoaster ride across 350 acres of untamed terrain along Sheephaven Bay.
You play inland, above the bay, on the coast, and inland again!
Expect elevated tees, rippling fairways, jaw-dropping dunes, eccentric bunkers, undulating greens, and tricky run-offs.
Along the way, Rosapenna treats you to majestic vistas of the surging Atlantic.
Est: 1995 | Par: 72 | Length: 7,542 yards
Eventually, every great Donegal golf trip leads to the invigorating Inishowen Peninsula.
Here, amid the lush grasslands, crashing waves, endless sands, and rugged cliffs, a golfing Eden awaits you.
Like Rosapenna, Ballyliffin Golf Club is an unmissable multi-links destination. And like Rosapenna, each course uniquely combines riveting routing with savage beauty.
First, the glorious Glashedy Links.
This big, handsome brute will test the best and delight the rest. For all 7,500+ yards!
Designed by Pat Ruddy, whose genius permeates Donegal’s golf landscape, the Glashedy weaves through towering dunes set against magnificent mountain backdrops.
And yet, the fast-flowing fairways are surprisingly smooth.
However, punishing bunkers and crafty greens abound. Bring every shot in your locker.
For standout holes, those on higher ground, particularly the plunging par-3 7th, always astound.
Just how good is the Glashedy Links at Ballyliffin? It’s the only course in the Northwest to host the Irish Open.
Est: 1905 | Par: 70 | Length: 6,269 yards
‘A renovation masterclass.’
That’s how Golf Digest described the world-class makeover Gil Hanse and Jim Warner engineered at Narin & Portnoo Links.
Few would disagree.
Simply put, Narin and Portnoo 2.0 is one of the best golf courses in County Donegal.
If you love your links rugged, remote and romantic, this cracker belongs on your Irish golf tour itinerary.
You’ll journey to the charming village of Narin on Donegal’s southwest shores.
For a moment, the sheer grandeur of the seismic Atlantic surf, ever-changing skies, and unspoiled turf consumes you.
Then Narin & Portnoo Links takes over.
The course whisks you along a rocky coastline, a white-sand beach, and onto an elevated peninsula above enchanting Gweebarra Bay.
So there’s a wonderful variety – direction, distance and difficulty – of exceptional holes.
As such, it tests, teases and delights from 1 to 18.
Visit the lovely Links Restaurant for a post-round recap.
Est: 1973 | Par: 73 | Length: 7,456 yards
The sense of mystery is palpable as you approach.
Finally, once you pass through the avenue cloaked by soaring evergreens, the awe-inspiring Murvagh peninsula greets you.
Welcome to Donegal Golf Club.
Take a moment to drink in the otherworldly setting. Next, brace yourself for a mammoth undertaking.
Like many of Ireland’s best links, Eddie Hackett designed this rugged, rolling championship thriller.
The course measures a staggering 7,456 yards and unrolls between the Atlantic Ocean and Donegal Bay.
Modelled on Muirfield in Scotland, Donegal follows two 9-hole loops.
With the immense Bluestack Mountains as a breathtaking backdrop, you play anticlockwise on the frontend and clockwise after the turn.
Among the signature holes are the perilous Valley of Tears (5th) and the monstrous Bluestacks (12th).
Donegal has remained a work in progress. First, Pat Ruddy refined Hackett’s original layout.
More recently, Paul McGinley has undertaken a multi-phase revamp for your playing pleasure.
Est: 1893 | Par: 71 | Length: 6,867 yards
Rosapenna is an extraordinary place, with an extraordinary story, featuring an extraordinary cast of characters.
None more so than Old Tom Morris.
In 1891, while driving the Donegal coast with Lord Leitrim, Morris spotted some sublime duneland that ignited his creativity.
Before returning to Fife, Old Tom plotted the first Rosapenna links.
It opened two years later and quickly became a must-play course for travelling golfers. Soon, a hotel arrived to accommodate them, and Ireland’s first golf resort was born.
Now, back to the course.
The Old Tom Morris Links offers you a one-of-a-kind experience, even among Donegal golf courses.
You sample the handiwork of five elite architects, from three different centuries, including the ever-present Pat Ruddy.
In 2009, his Strand Nine, through low-lying dunes along Mulroy Bay, became the new front nine.
Meanwhile, Old Tom’s Valley Nine, with those wide-open fairways and supreme greens, sees you home at Rosapenna.
Est: 1986 | Par: 68 | Length: 2,809 yards
Tucked away in the far-flung reaches of northwest Donegal, right on the precipice of the Atlantic Ocean, you’ll find what might be the world’s best 9-hole golf course.
In every possible way, Cruit Island Golf Club is a hidden gem.
But this picture-perfect little layout packs a powerful punch and will go toe-to-toe with any 18-holer on your Northwest Ireland golf tour.
Don’t believe us?
Ask the golfing intelligentsia why they often make the pilgrimage to this jagged headland in The Rosses.
In short, Cruit Island (pronounced Critch) delivers links golf at maximum expression for 2,809 high-octane yards.
It’s exposed, elemental, elevated, and exhilarating. You get seven par 4s, two par 3s, and countless blinds!
The heart-stopping 6th hole, over a rocky chasm, will never leave you.
As for the scenery, imagine yourself on clifftops with the ocean in a full 360° panorama… and the thundering waves in surround sound.
Est: 1973 | Par: 71 | Length: 6,937 yards
As promised, you’re back in mystical Inishowen for the second instalment of an intoxicating 36-hole extravaganza at Ballyliffin.
For two decades, the Old Links remained a secret between insiders and purists.
Then, in 1993, a visit from the world No.1 changed everything.
Nick Faldo, who later revamped this classic layout, was smitten with Ballyliffin.
And the word of a 6-time major winner travels fast.
Yet again, you can thank Eddie Hackett for one of the top golf courses in Donegal.
Plus, with the picturesque Old Links, you get the perfect foil to the Glashedy.
While the latter is a muscular brute, the former swings to a traditional bump-and-run beat.
You golf in the shadow of Malin Head, mainland Ireland’s most northernly point, where the Aurora Borealis occasionally illuminates the fantasy landscapes.
It’s a scintillating round through rumpled fairways and low-lying dunes, especially the unforgettable 3-hole run along the raging Atlantic.
Est: 2003 | Par: 72 | Length: 7,255 yards
Fittingly, you return to Rosapenna for your last tee time in Donegal. And it’s quite the finale.
Sandy Hills Links is an absolute colossus.
Of all the famous Donegal golf courses, Pat Ruddy’s 2003 creation has the fiercest reputation.
Sandy Hills is the classic middle child.
It’s unruly and frustrating. But also bold and endearing.
Whereas Old Tom Morris Links flows along the dunes, Sandy Hills takes you right through those marram-coated monsters above the heavenly Tramore beach.
This is not a course to lose your nerve.
Sandy Hills Links demands decisiveness and precision, particularly from first and second shots.
Otherwise, the abundant freestanding holes – often enclosed by gigantic dunes – will devour your ball, permanently.
Be ready for elevated tees, tight fairways, dramatic undulations, and contoured greens.
Likewise, the daunting design means there’s never a dull moment. Not when you play on this sumptuous moonscape atop the sensational Sheephaven Bay.
Now you know the best courses to play.
Next, let’s look at where to stay on your once-in-a-lifetime golf trip to Donegal.
As a guest of Irish Golf Tours, you can choose from our handpicked selection of first-class hotels and resorts along Ireland’s astonishing Northwest coast.
Here’s a small sample:
You’ll come to Donegal for those mesmerising links courses that make you fall in love with the game all over again.
But you’ll stay for the untouched splendour, old-world pubs, oceanfront restaurants, and award-winning hospitality (ask Lonely Planet).
Simply tell Irish Golf Tours when and where.
Our Travel Planners will create your dream group itinerary, including tee times, private transportation, premium accommodations, and off-course experiences.
Get your trip underway today.
Author: Tom Rooney
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