{"id":261695,"date":"2025-07-13T13:42:26","date_gmt":"2025-07-13T13:42:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/261695\/"},"modified":"2025-07-13T13:42:26","modified_gmt":"2025-07-13T13:42:26","slug":"the-ultimate-golf-trip-guide-to-northern-irelands-best-courses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/261695\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ultimate Golf Trip Guide to Northern Ireland\u2019s Best Courses"},"content":{"rendered":"

Northern Ireland is a golfer\u2019s dream come true. <\/p>\n

Imagine playing on rolling fairways set against rugged coastlines or lush parklands, with some of the world\u2019s best courses just a short drive apart. <\/p>\n

\u201cHosting people and seeing the smile on their face when we create these great memories for them,\u201d says Ann Mabry, a golf-travel industry expert and director at Premier Golf<\/b><\/a>, the official travel partner of the PGA of America, \u201cit\u2019s just beautiful. <\/p>\n

The great news is that it\u2019s never been easier to get from the United States across the pond to enjoy of the world\u2019s top courses, smooth whiskey, an ever-improving food scene, award-winning beaches, and plenty more.<\/p>\n

GETTING THERE<\/p>\n

Most U.S. travelers will fly into London or Dublin before heading onwards to Northern Ireland, or, depending on where you depart from, a direct flight to Belfast. From there, a rental car or private transfer can whisk a group anywhere in just a few hours \u2013 for example, from Dublin to Royal County Down is just over 90 minutes. <\/p>\n

THE GOLF<\/p>\n

Northern Ireland, Mabry says, hasn\u2019t always seen a big number of visitors. But when The Open Championship returned to Royal Portrush in 2019 (for the first time since 1951) it was a statement. The area was very much back. The Open is back again this year at Portrush, a testament to not just its ability to host a major but Northern Ireland itself.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo bring (The Open) back to Portrush was just incredible. It\u2019s such a great golf course. You play all these courses, and you will not be disappointed,\u201d Mabry says. \u201cThat\u2019s why you come to Ireland \u2013 to play links golf.\u201d<\/p>\n

Royal County Down\"\"\/Perched in Murlough Nature Reserve with the Mourne Mountains and Dundrum Bay as its backdrop, this course<\/b><\/a> is regularly ranked among the world\u2019s best. Deep bunkers, rolling fairways, blind shots \u2013 it\u2019s both a beauty and a brute.Royal Portrush\"\"\/The only Irish course to host The Open, Royal Portrush’s Dunluce Links<\/b><\/a> is championship golf at its purest: coastal drama, wind-swept dunes, and the demand for iconic shotmaking. Portstewart\"\"\/Portstewart\u2019s Strand Course<\/b><\/a> is famed for stunning dunes and Atlantic vistas, praised for its opening nine (and especially the first tee shot where you can see the Republic of Ireland on a clear day). Ardglass\"\"\/Ardglass<\/b><\/a>, perched on cliffs, features a mighty first hole and the world\u2019s oldest clubhouse from 1405 and is the definition of a hidden gem. Castlerock \"\"\/Castlerock<\/b><\/a> and others provide additional links tests awaiting discovery with plenty of local courses without global fanfare still very much worth a visit. <\/p>\n

\u201cEven the local golf courses are spectacular,\u201d Mabry confirms. \u201cWhen it\u2019s stunning… it\u2019s absolutely stunning. But people still enjoy it when it\u2019s raining and the wind is blowing 40. The views are mesmerizing. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou just don\u2019t get that kind of golf in America and if you\u2019re a true golfer, playing links courses is just spectacular.\u201d <\/p>\n

OTHER THINGS TO DO<\/p>\n

The golf is the golf \u2013 it barely needs an introduction. But there is so much other great things to see and do whilst across the pond Belfast is a story-rich city where industrial heritage meets modern creativity. Visit Titanic Belfast, walk through the Cathedral Quarter\u2019s maze of old lanes filled with street art, caf\u00e9s, and late-night pubs, while Ox Belfast has held a Michelin star since 2016. <\/p>\n

Northern Ireland Awaits!<\/p>\n

From Royal County Down and Portrush to whiskey tastings and world-class accommodations, Northern Ireland has it all for a golf trip.<\/p>\n

Book Your Trip<\/a><\/p>\n

Then there is, of course, the whiskey (note the spelling!). Located near Portstewart, Old Bushmills Distillery<\/b> is more than 400 years old \u2013 celebrated as the world\u2019s oldest licensed whiskey distillery. There are two kinds of tasting tour options including production insights and more.<\/p>\n

Beyond the tastes and the tipples, Northern Ireland has more than a handful of wonderful sites to see like the Giant\u2019s Causeway (Northern Ireland\u2019s natural wonder), the Cliffs of Antrim and Carrick-a-rede bridge, and the Portstewart Stand, which was just named the United Kingdom\u2019s best beach by The Times & The Sunday Times. <\/p>\n

Northern Ireland packs world-class links golf, historic parkland gems, and a rich cultural experience into a compact travel zone! Whether you’re chasing championship layouts like Royal Portrush and Royal County Down, exploring Belfast\u2019s revival, or soaking in the warmth of Bushmills whiskey you are sure to leave with unforgettable swings, stories, and sips.<\/p>\n

\"Ballyliffin.\"\/<\/p>\n

Ballyliffin.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s all part of the great craic you get in Northern Ireland,\u201d Mabry says. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Northern Ireland is a golfer\u2019s dream come true. Imagine playing on rolling fairways set against rugged coastlines or…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":261696,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5011],"tags":[1144,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-261695","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-northern-ireland","8":"tag-northern-ireland","9":"tag-uk","10":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114846220264608004","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261695","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=261695"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/261695\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/261696"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=261695"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=261695"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=261695"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}