Westport Golf Club
Westport, Co. Mayo · Designed by Fred Hawtree
Westport Golf Club has one of the most arresting settings in Irish golf. Croagh Patrick — the quartzite mountain that some 25,000 pilgrims climb every last Sunday of July, a number of them barefoot — rises to 764 metres immediately behind the course. In front of you, Clew Bay stretches out with its 365 islands, one for every day of the year according to local tradition. The course was originally founded in 1908, but the present layout at Carrowholly was designed by Fred Hawtree and opened in 1973 — now stretching to just under 7,000 yards from the back tees.
The 15th is the signature moment. A par-5 requiring a carry of around 200 yards across an inlet of Clew Bay, it is one of the most theatrical holes in Connacht — the bay shimmers below you, Croagh Patrick fills the sky behind, and the fairway on the far side looks impossibly narrow when there is any wind. The rest of the round is set through mature woodland and along the Carrowbeg River, and the combination of parkland calm and those open panoramas is unusual even by Irish standards.
Westport is the natural hub for a west of Ireland golf trip. Carne is an hour north, Enniscrone ninety minutes, and the Rosses Point links at County Sligo ninety minutes in the other direction. The town itself — with its octagonal square and tree-lined mall river — is one of the most genuinely pleasant places to base yourself anywhere on the island.
Holes worth knowing
- 115th (par-5) — the carry across Clew Bay inlet is the most dramatic hole in Connacht. Pick your line carefully when the wind is off the Atlantic; being short means being wet.
- 217th (par-4) — plays along the Carrowbeg River with the mountain filling the background. The approach is tighter than it looks.
Highlights
- Croagh Patrick backdrop
- Clew Bay water carry 15th
- Mayo golf hub
Good to know
- →Cronin's Sheebeen at Westport Harbour serves excellent seafood and has a proper traditional Irish atmosphere — worth the 10-minute drive from the course.
- →MJ Hoban's Bar on Bridge Street is the pick for trad music sessions on weekend evenings.
- →Westport House and its grounds are worth an hour if you have non-golfers in the group — the estate runs down to Clew Bay.
- →Base yourself in Westport town rather than outside it — the walk from accommodation to pubs along the mall river is one of the nicest post-golf strolls in Ireland.
Visitor Information
Getting There
Common questions
Who designed Westport Golf Club?
Westport Golf Club was designed by Fred Hawtree and moved to its current location in 1973. The course sits in 260 acres of rolling parkland on the shores of Clew Bay, with Croagh Patrick — Ireland's holy mountain — providing one of the most distinctive backdrops of any golf course in the west of Ireland. Paul McGinley won the Irish PGA Championship here in 2002, beating the field by three strokes in a weather-shortened 54-hole event.
What makes Westport Golf Club worth visiting?
Westport is the best parkland course in the west of Ireland — a genuine championship layout at an accessible price, with the Croagh Patrick backdrop and Clew Bay views giving it a quality of setting that rivals far more expensive venues. It is the natural anchor course for a Mayo golf trip and works well as a base for reaching Carne and Enniscrone.
How do I book Westport Golf Club?
Westport books through GolfNow with reliable online availability.
What should I do in Westport town?
Westport is one of the most pleasant towns in Connacht — a planned Georgian town on the Carrowbeg River with a genuinely good food scene. Matt Molloy's on Bridge Street is the pub to aim for in the evening: owned by the Chieftains flautist of the same name, there's traditional music most nights and you might find Molloy himself joining in. The Westport House estate is five minutes from the centre. The climb of Croagh Patrick from Murrisk takes two to three hours and gives views across Clew Bay and its 365 islands. The Greenway cycling trail to Achill Island is one of the finest leisure routes in Ireland.
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