Golf in Dublin and the East Coast

Most golfers fly into Dublin and head straight west. It's an understandable instinct — Kerry and the Wild Atlantic Way get all the attention — but it means they drive past some of the finest links golf in Ireland without stopping. The courses around Dublin and down the Wicklow coast are world-class, easier to reach, and often more affordable than the famous names further west.

The east coast also makes practical sense as a base. Dublin Airport gives you direct access to the north Dublin links — Portmarnock, Royal Dublin, The Island — and a ninety-minute drive south puts you on the Wicklow coast. For visitors with limited time, or those combining golf with a few days in the city, the east coast can anchor an entire trip on its own.

North Dublin — the classic links

Three courses within thirty minutes of the airport define north Dublin golf. Portmarnock Golf Club is one of the most celebrated links in the world — host to numerous Irish Opens and a Walker Cup, with no gimmicks and no weakness. It is a flat, exposed links on a peninsula between the sea and an estuary. Wind is everything here. Book direct with the club well in advance; it is popular with international visitors and deservedly so.

Royal Dublin Golf Club sits on Bull Island in Dublin Bay — a sand spit a few kilometres from the city centre, accessible by causeway. The setting is extraordinary: you can see the city skyline from the fairways and the course plays hard along the coast. This is classic links golf on a scale that surprises most visitors. Book direct.

The Island Golf Club in Donabate is the most remote of the three despite being close to the city. Historically accessed by boat before a road was built, it sits on a headland north of Portmarnock with views across the Rogerstown Estuary. One of the finest links in Ireland and almost entirely unknown internationally. Book direct.

St Anne's Golf Club sits on the edge of Bull Island adjacent to Royal Dublin. An honest, well-maintained links that gives you the same terrain as its famous neighbour at a fraction of the price — and you can see the city skyline from the tee. Skerries Golf Club on the north Dublin coast and Corrstown Golf Club north of the airport are solid options for a second or third round.

Wicklow — the Garden of Ireland

Ninety minutes south of Dublin, the Wicklow coast offers a different kind of golf. The European Club near Brittas Bay is Pat Ruddy's masterpiece — a links built into natural duneland on the east coast, with several holes running directly alongside the sea. It is one of the finest courses in Ireland and is almost never mentioned in the same breath as Ballybunion or Royal County Down. That will change. Book direct.

Wicklow Golf Club is a clifftop course with views down the length of the east coast — affordable, genuine, and worth the drive. For parkland, Knightsbrook in Meath and Ballymascanlon in Louth are well-run resort courses with good availability year-round.

Dublin city for flexibility — easy access north to the links and south to Wicklow, plus everything the city offers in the evenings. Malahide or Portmarnock village if you want to be on the doorstep of the main courses with less of the city around you. Wicklow town if your trip is focused on the southern courses and the European Club.

Portmarnock / North Dublin

The Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links is the obvious base for golfers — on the grounds, walking distance to the course, and with its own links layout. The Grand Hotel Malahide in the village is a comfortable alternative with good access to the main courses.

Dublin city

The Shelbourne on St Stephen's Green is the classic Dublin hotel — grand, central, and properly atmospheric. The InterContinental Dublin near Ballsbridge is a strong modern option with easy access north and south.

Wicklow

Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort in the Wicklow foothills is the benchmark — a championship course, good spa, and a setting that makes it easy to forget you're forty minutes from Dublin.

Dublin

The Long Hall on South Great George's Street is one of the finest Victorian pub interiors in Ireland — go for a pint before dinner. Kehoe's on South Anne Street is quieter and equally good. The Brazen Head claims to be Ireland's oldest pub. For food, Glovers Alley and Chapter One are among the most celebrated restaurants in the city.

Portmarnock and Malahide

After a round at Portmarnock or The Island, Gibney's of Malahide is the natural stop — a proper local pub with one of the best beer gardens on the north Dublin coast, five minutes from both courses. The Yacht on the seafront is the other reliable option — good food and views over the estuary.

Wicklow

The Strawberry Tree at Brooklodge in Macreddin is worth the drive for a special dinner — one of Ireland's best restaurants, set in the Wicklow hills. For something more casual, The Bakehouse in Wicklow town is the best daytime option in the area.

The DART coastal railway runs from Howth in the north to Greystones in the south — one of the great commuter train journeys in Europe. Take it from Dublin city to Dalkey or Killiney for views over the bay that will surprise anyone who associates Ireland only with the west coast.

Glendalough in the Wicklow Mountains is a sixth-century monastic settlement in a glacial valley — one of Ireland's most visited sites and genuinely worth it. Allow two hours, go early. The Wicklow Mountains National Park surrounds it and is good walking country on a clear day.

In Dublin city, Trinity College and the Book of Kells is the standard visit and worth doing. The National Museum of Ireland on Kildare Street is excellent and free. For a view of the city, Killiney Hill on a clear day shows you everything from the Wicklow Mountains to the Mourne Mountains in Northern Ireland.