Photo: Wikimedia CommonsBundoran Golf Club
Bundoran, Co. Donegal · Designed by G.L. Baillie (1894) / Harry Vardon (1927) · Est. 1894
Bundoran Golf Club was founded in 1894, built by the Great Northern Railway Company to attract guests to their adjacent Great Northern Hotel — golf and railway travel as a single Victorian package. The original nine holes were laid out by G.L. Baillie of Musselburgh (the same designer who would later build Greenore); the course was extended to 18 around 1903. Then at Easter 1927, the club and the GNR invited Harry Vardon — six-time Open Champion — to bring the layout up to championship standard. Vardon relocated tees, resited greens, and cut new bunkers, stating his intention "to give pleasure to golfers of all degrees." The first hole is still named "Vardon" in his honour, and the silver cup he presented to the club in 1930 remains an active club competition. Christy O'Connor Sr. served as club professional from 1951 to 1957, winning the Ulster Championship twice during that spell, before going on to become one of Ireland's greatest-ever golfers.
The clifftop setting above Donegal Bay is the course's defining quality. Holes 7 to 12 run along the headland with the Atlantic below; from the 11th tee — "Tullan," the signature hole — you look out over Donegal Bay, the Dartry Mountains, and Tullan Strand beach, and you can watch surfers at The Peak breaking directly below. The Peak has been a protected surf break since 2004 and is one of the most famous waves in Europe.
Bundoran is the southernmost town in Donegal and the natural entry point to the county from the Wild Atlantic Way. Ballyshannon, six kilometres south, is where Rory Gallagher was born — there's a full-size statue and an annual international tribute festival held over the late May bank holiday.
Holes worth knowing
- 111th "Tullan" (par-4) — runs along the headland above Donegal Bay with the Dartry Mountains behind and The Peak surf break visible below. The finest view from any tee on the course.
- 21st "Vardon" (par-4) — named after the six-time Open Champion who redesigned the course. Sets the tone: clifftop, wind-exposed, and honest.
Highlights
- Harry Vardon 1927 redesign
- Clifftop Donegal Bay views
- Christy O'Connor Sr. played here
Good to know
- →Bundoran is part of the West Coast Challenge — a four-course amateur competition played over Bundoran, Donegal (Murvagh), Enniscrone, and Strandhill. One of the great Wild Atlantic Way golf rotations.
- →Drive 6km south to Ballyshannon: Rory Gallagher was born here and the town holds a major tribute festival over the late May bank holiday every year.
- →The Great Northern Hotel, adjacent to the club, is the original Victorian railway hotel that the golf course was built to serve.
- →The Salty Fox near Tullan Strand is the best café in town — breakfast and coffee before golf.
- →The Peak surf break (protected since 2004) is visible from the clifftop holes. In September 2025 it hosted Ireland's first WSL Pro Junior event.
Visitor Information
Getting There
Common questions
Who designed Bundoran Golf Club and when was it built?
Bundoran was originally laid out in 1894 by G.L. Baillie, a prominent Victorian course designer from Musselburgh. Harry Vardon — six-time Open Champion — came to Bundoran at Easter 1927 to redesign it to championship standard, relocating tees, resiting greens and placing strategic bunkers that remain largely intact today. The club was so delighted with his work that they gave Vardon honorary membership — one of the first times an Irish club had extended that honour to an English professional. Vardon was touched, and in 1930 he presented the club with a sterling silver trophy that is still known as the Vardon Cup.
What is the setting like at Bundoran?
Bundoran is a clifftop links above Donegal Bay in the seaside resort town of the same name. The Atlantic views are strong throughout the round and the exposed ground means wind is always a factor. It plays alongside the cliffs on several holes — the combination of sea views and a Harry Vardon design at an affordable price makes it one of the better-value links experiences in the northwest.
How do I book Bundoran Golf Club?
Bundoran books through GolfNow with reliable online availability. Tee times are generally easy to secure even at short notice outside the summer peak.
What else can I do in Bundoran?
Bundoran is a surf town as well as a golf town — the beach break off the headland is one of the best in Ireland and there is a surf school in the town. Donegal town is thirty minutes north and worth an afternoon — Donegal Castle and the Diamond are the main draws. For another round of golf, Enniscrone in Sligo is about forty-five minutes south, and Ballyliffin in Donegal is ninety minutes north.
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