Been to Dublin about 3-4 times. If you want to play Golf I would suggest Portmornock. Great golf course. You must have a reservation. If you want to play an off the track gem. I would suggest The Island. It's not very well known but a lot of fun play. It's probably about 30 minutes from Dublin.

If it were me going there, I would head immediately north and play Royal County Down. About an hours drive. One of the top golf courses in the world! One of my favorites.

Yeah, if you are staying around Dublin, the two suggested above, Portmarnock Golf Club, and The Island Golf Club are both good. There's another one, but a tree lined course just south of Dublin called, Druids Glen, which many have referred to it as the Augusta of Europe is also very nice.

Enjoy your time!

Jameson Distillery, one of my favs when I was there. Like was said above, hit Royal County Down next time, if there is a Heaven on Earth, it was there. Magical place.

If you've been to Ireland, you know that you don't sit down in a pub for more than 5 minutes before someone strikes up a conversation with you.

Well, got talking to golfer at a pub on Saturday night, and he offered to pick me up on Sunday morning at my hotel and take me to a par 3 outside of Dublin. He explained that most courses in town we're full with leagues on Sunday morning, and this would be a good bet. Since I was short on time, playing 9 and with a local was something to be grateful for.

Next morning, we headed out to Liffey Valley, a quaint local course with not much to offer other than an honest round, great conversations, clean air, and only the occasional whiff of the horse corral across the road. After the round, we grabbed lunch in a nearby village before he drove me back into town and dropping me off at the Guinness Storehouse to check off another place on my tourist list.

Royal County Down, Portmarnock, and Druid's Glen will all have to wait until next time - thank you for the recommendations. This time I'm grateful for my day out with my gracious and generous host, Brian, and looking forward to my return.

Agree with the above statements about Portmarnock. The amenities at that hotel are are also top notch. If you ever return, there is a gem in the southwest of Ireland called Killarney Fishing and Golf Club.

It may be a bit late...but The K Club is fanstastic (Ryder Cup Course) designed for Arnie.

Completely agree with the others on Portmarnock but careful with the weather and don’t play it in the afternoon unless you’re really brave

So i’m Late. Agree on courses suggested. As opposed to the K club I’d suggest a Links course a bit further south of Dublin: the European Club. Amazing course. Dunes and sea views, few other golfers in sight. A true links course. One hole had a green 120+ yards long and single color flags.
All the best wishes!

Drew D. I've played the Killarney Golf and Fishing Club. My most vivid memory of that course was when a herd (about 10-14) of elk came charging across the fairway within about 20 feet of me. You talk about tearing up a fairway with their hooves!!! Gorgeous part of the country though.

That’s awesome! Great course with some even better views. It was refreshing to see a tree or two after playing Portmarnock. With the conditions we played in at Portmarnock it was hands down the hardest golf course I’ve ever played. I shot an 81 there and a 69 at Killarney.

More good news (luck of the mainly-Irish?), the client is flying me back to London...and in June. So that means another 3-day weekend in Dublin, and this time I'm going with the intent to play some of the great suggestions in this thread.

Easy pick is Royal County Down, based on the comments above: "if there is a Heaven on Earth, it was there" and "One of the top golf courses in the world! One of my favorites."

Portmarnock is next most recommended, however, "Hardest course I've ever played" sounds a wee bit intimidating.

Other recommendations: The K Club, The European Club, and Druids Glen.

So, if you had 3-days (2.5 but with being so close to the solstice...) and you were flying in and out of Dublin, what is your dream golf itinerary?

Thanks in advance!

Roger

Hey Roger,
My intent wasn’t to scare you away from Portmarnock at all. This is a top 100 course in the World...give it a shot. The course is fair in that you can see all potential problems from tee to green. I played in 35+ mph swirling winds while it was cold and misting.

Drew,

Thanks for the follow up and explanation.

Roger

Roger, please continue this thread with your opinions on the golf courses you played. Hope you have a wonderful time and enjoy every minute of it.

Drew, Those are some tough conditions. The interesting thing about Portmarnock is if there is wind, every hole plays a little different. If you look at an overview of the course you will see what I'm referring to. There is a par 3 that is awesome, right next to the beach. Those are some great scores you posted. Congratulations!!

Based on the advice and availabilities, I've booked the following plan:

Fri - arrive at noon, play Seapoint and stay in Drogheda
Sat - drive west to play Lahinch, stay in Galway
Sun - drive east to play European or Druid's Glen, stay in Dublin
Mon - fly on to London

Thank you all for your help to date - a new snag has come up and I need some advice.

Lahinch sent out notification today that they are preparing for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, and announced today that on the weekend I'll be there, all players are required to use a fairway mat to keep the course in top condition. I totally accept that they need to keep it green - but I've never played on the turf strips.

What's been your experience with fairway mats? Do they impact the experience to the point I should look for an alternative to playing Lahinch?

Thanks in advance!

I love Lahinch, but if you're afraid of the mats, you might go down the coast just a bit to Ballybunion.

Lahinch is really fantastic. I understand the "mat" thing. I would still play it. Just a great golf course with The Dell being one of my favorite holes. Best of luck to you.

Thanks, Jerry and Rick. The reality is that I'm not in the fairway all that often, so it's probably not a big deal. We are a go for Lahinch!

Thanks everyone for the recommendations, grateful for the suggestions.

Played Seapoint on Friday after landing. Nice course, good conditions, and great value - was 75 Euros cheaper than Baltray next door so hard to pass up.

Next was Lahinch on Saturday. Played on fairway mats as they were protecting the course for the TV cameras coming in two weeks. Class operations in the club house, tight conditions on the course. Would definitely go back.

On Sunday, I played the West Course at Powerscourt, another great deal compared to Druids, and the course was in good shape, but can't recall anything special about it. Would opt for European if had to do it over again. And hopefully I will be able to do it over again.

Three days is not long enough, but it's all I had this time, and super grateful for the opportunity to play. Thanks again for the suggestions.

Roger