Don’t think you’ll make the team? That’s okay. You can still enjoy some of the greatest Walker Cup venues on your next golf trip.
It’s no mystery why our magnificent seven were chosen to host the most prestigious international match in the amateur game.
After all, we’re talking about the championship links courses of Ireland and Scotland. The turf is majestic, the scenery is exquisite, the history is iconic, and the design is sublime.
Now, let’s explore these legendary layouts.
Welcome to the Emerald Isle, where you’ll find wild, windswept, rip-roaring fun links golf unlike anywhere else.
Its three Walker Cup venues – living monuments to the enduring allure of Ireland golf trips – encapsulate this extraordinary experience.
Take a look.
Hosted: 1991
It took 69 years. But the Walker Cup finally came to Ireland for the first time in 1991.
Portmarnock Golf Club, located on a scenic stretch of linksland just outside the capital city, was a fitting setting for the occasion.
The venue had just hosted five consecutive Irish Opens, with Seve Ballesteros and Bernhard Langer among the winners, and it presented a Major-calibre challenge.
Both teams featured future greats, including Phil Mickelson, Padraig Harrington, David Duval, and Paul McGinley.
However, despite raucous support for Great Britain and Ireland (GB&I), a Mickelson-inspired United States claimed a decisive 14-10 victory.
As for you, there’s never been a better time to play Portmarnock.
The centrepiece of your Dublin golf trip will soon become the first course in the Republic of Ireland to stage The Open.
By any definition, that’s a bucket-list tee time.
Hosted: 2007
From Portstewart to Castlerock, Ardglass, and the hallowed Royal Portrush, your golf trip across Northern Ireland showcases a remarkable mix of glorious links delights.
Royal County Down, universally ranked as the world’s greatest course, headlines this outstanding lineup.
The Championship Links is everything you imagine.
In 2007, America won the 41st Walker Cup by a razor-thin margin (12½ to 11½) on the big, beautiful beast beneath the Mountains of Mourne.
Described as ‘wonderful theatre’, the titanic battle starred soon-to-be Major winners such as Rory McIlroy, Danny Willett, Dustin Johnson, and Webb Simpson.
Of course, Royal County Down invariably inspires high-octane drama. There’s nothing quite like it.
Immersed in endless untouched splendour, with breathtaking vistas of Dundrum Bay and the Irish Sea at every turn, this timeless classic takes you through the most exhilarating terrain on a truly magical golfing adventure.
Hosted: 2026
Next, we visit an enchanting links paradise, the sensational Southwest.
Along the jaw-dropping County Clare coastline, where the Wild Atlantic Way is on full display, sits Ireland’s latest contribution to the pantheon of Walker Cup venues.
Lahinch Golf Club delivers a round of pure bliss.
Combining the joyful quirkiness of traditional links play with the shot-making demands of the modern championship era, the Old Course reflects its acclaimed creators.
Old Tom Morris, Alister MacKenzie and Martin Hawtree each left their own unique imprint on this rugged masterpiece.
Amid the heaving dunes beside lovely Liscannor Bay, the effortless routing reveals a course of uncommon challenge, charm and variety.
Like Royal County Down, Lahinch hosted the Irish Open and Arnold Palmer Cup. Meanwhile, since 1895, it has welcomed the storied South of Ireland Amateur Championship.
Buckle up for the 2026 Walker Cup.
It all started here.
Scotland golf tours connect you to the very roots of the game – centuries of links heritage meet celebrated championship courses surrounded by unimaginable grandeur.
Discover four Walker Cup venues for your journey to this golfer’s playground.
Hosted: 1963
Before entering Major folklore, this beloved links survived the ravages of both World Wars.
The Ailsa at Turnberry, which served as an RAF airbase, was restored and reopened for the second time in 1951.
Today, it’s considered the best golf course in Ayrshire. Your blockbuster Open Championship trilogy across its awe-inspiring Atlantic coastline also features Prestwick and Royal Troon.
The 1963 Walker Cup helped bring about the great Turnberry revival.
Despite a promising start by the hosts, the Match concluded with a ninth consecutive American victory.
But Turnberry was the real winner.
Clearly, with its sensational ocean vistas, firm, fast-running turf, and unmistakable landmarks, the showstopping Ailsa Course belonged on the biggest stage of all.
The Open in 1977 (the first of four at the resort) will forever be remembered as the Duel in the Sun. Talk about a debut!
Hosted: 2011
From southwest Scotland to the northeast. Here, in Aberdeenshire, your golfing getaway spans city, countryside and coast.
At the 2011 Walker Cup, GB&I recorded a rare triumph on what might be its purest piece of linksland.
Even a US team with the world’s top four amateurs, including Jordan Spieth, could not deny the underdogs at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club.
You can retrace their footsteps on the pulsating Balgownie Links.
A traditional out-and-back track along the North Sea, the Balgownie course provides a relentless, all-encompassing test of power, precision and patience.
Its front nine, widely regarded as the best in golf, rollicks through ginormous dunes parallel to the shore. After the turn, you scale elevated, wind-whipped terrain with sweeping picture-postcard scenery.
Royal Aberdeen, an ancient layout made for contemporary times, also hosted the 2005 Senior Open and the 2014 Scottish Open.
Hosted: 1999
Only nine venues across the United Kingdom have hosted all four major amateur tournaments.
Nairn Golf Club, 92 miles north of Aberdeen in the cinematic Scottish Highlands, is on that list.
Nestled along the Moray Firth, it held the last Walker Cup of the 20th century, when GB&I produced an unforgettable comeback victory.
Its outstanding Championship Course provided the canvas for their masterpiece performance.
Shaped by five generations of leading architects, Nairn offers you a truly authentic links experience.
Located in Scotland’s sunniest spot, the layout unfurls over lush, rippling turf and boasts dreamy North Sea views from every hole.
You play beside the beach, then loop inland, amid a fabulous kaleidoscope of yellow gorse, sapphire waters, and golden sand.
Stay focused. Abundant bunkers, tricky burns, and devious greens await.
Next stop? Cabot Highlands for Castle Stuart and Old Petty.
Hosted: 1923, 1926, 1934, 1938, 1947, 1955, 1971, 1975, & 2023
The last of your Walker Cup venues is much more than a golf course.
It’s a shrine. It’s an epic 600-year-old story. And it’s the life-changing pilgrimage that every golfer should make.
Greatness permeates every blade of grass, ounce of soil, and grain of sand on the incomparable Old Course at St Andrews Links.
But you already knew that about the Home of Golf.
When it comes to championship pedigree, the ground zero for all links golf is simply unmatched.
To date, the Old Course has staged The Open more than any other venue.
Immortals like Nicklaus, Woods, Faldo, Jones, Ballesteros, and Daly posed with their newly won Claret Jug on the legendary Swilcan Bridge.
Likewise, a record nine Walker Cups – between 1923 and 2023 – have been decided in Fife.
Consider this your royal invitation to the Ancient Kingdom.
Speak to the IGT Travel Planners about turning your dreams into the luxury links adventure of a lifetime.
We’ve been taking guests to the greatest golf destinations across Ireland and Scotland, including world-renowned Walker Cup venues, since 1993.
Just tell our experts where you want to play, stay and explore. Then we’ll deliver every detail of your ideal group itinerary.
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Author: Tom Rooney
