Located on the north west coast of County Kerry, on a beautiful stretch of sand dunes overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, you will find two wonderfully challenging and unique links golf courses at Ballybunion: the Old Course and the Trent Jones Cashen Course.

The Old Course exudes a majestic feel that simply cannot be compared to any other course on earth. With beautifully contoured fairways that tumble down through a blanket of grassy dunes, it is no wonder these challenging holes have been consistently rated among the top courses in the world so make sure you play here on your golf holidays in Ireland.

The Trent Jones Cashen Course, located along the sweeping, undisturbed shoreline, offers breathtaking views throughout. Long grass covers the dunes that pitch and roll throughout the course. The Cashen Course requires acute precision especially off the tee as fairways frequently disappear around corners. The careless can easily run out of fairway and find their golf ball buried in marram. It is a wonderful challenge from start to finish.

It has been described as ‘The St Andrews of Ireland’ and many other complimentary titles. Those who know and love the place firmly believe that Lahinch Golf Club doesn’t need comparison with any of the game’s other world class venues.

From the infant days back in 1892 up to its 125th anniversary, the Club has stood out on its own merits as a golfing institution for golf holidays in Ireland.

Lahinch Golf Club is renowned for the way the links has retained all of its old virtues. It has benefited from the willingness, over the decades, to move with the times and is now regarded as one of the best and most enjoyable challenges to be found anywhere in the golfing world.

The legendary Old Tom Morris set the highest standards for golf holidays in Ireland. He was followed by equally celebrated architects Charles ‘Mo’ Gibson and Dr Alister MacKenzie. In more recent times, the expertise of Dr Martin Hawtree ensures its place in the higher echelons of all golf rankings.

Lahinch is a remarkable club whose growth, vibrancy and spirit are charted in the pages of its centenary publication – 125 Years of Golf at Lahinch.

Anyone who has been to these lands, who has felt the impressive power of the Atlantic Ocean forcing its way along the rugged Clare coastline knows why this land at Doonbeg is so unique for golf holidays in Ireland.

Spanning 1.5 miles of crescent shaped beach and sand dunes, the Dr Martin Hawtree newly re-designed course at Trump International Golf Links Ireland is a stunning sight to behold and offers views of the Atlantic from 16 of 18 holes. The average time taken for a round of golf is four hours and thirty minutes.

The par-72 layout features a single loop of nine holes out and nine back, playing 7,026 yards from the back tees. In line with Norman’s philosophy of ‘least disturbance’, the most natural route was taken in laying the course out through the sand dunes. As a result, the course has a unique combination of five par 3s and five par 5s.

Golf Experience Award (Ireland)

Old Head Golf Links is built on a 220-acre diamond of land jutting out over two miles into the Atlantic Ocean. The promontory is almost an island with numerous caves running beneath your feet as you play the course. The links and practice area occupy 180 acres and the remaining 40 acres of unspoilt cliff frame the course. It is a piece of golf real estate like no other, unique for golf holidays in Ireland.

Old Head, par 72, comprises five Par 5s, five Par 3s and eight Par 4s – stretches from the ladies’ tees at 5,413 yards to over 7,100 yards from the tips, with a minimum of six tees per hole making it suitable for golfers of all handicap abilities.

Nine holes play along the cliff tops with all eighteen holes providing unsurpassed ocean views. With the ever-changing sea breezes, the course provides a stern but fair test to the touring pro and the high handicapper alike.

Golf at Waterville is a mystical experience – the beauty of classic links land, surrounded by the sea, yet forever challenged and shaped by the elements. Over 100 years old, Waterville is rated among the top 5 courses in Ireland and the top 20 links courses in the world. For this reason, it can be definitely considered one of the best locations for golf holidays in Ireland.

Links golf combines sand dunes gorse and native grasses, firm fairways, sod faced bunkers and subtle putting surfaces all intertwined by the ever changing weather. Forget the lob wedge. Think bump and run and creative shot making. Are you ready to walk in the footsteps of Irelands earliest golfers?

Designed and built by Arnold Palmer, this stunning setting represents a true paradise for those willing to challenge what is widely acclaimed as one of the finest links courses in the world.

Smitten at first sight, Palmer would later go on record with this memorable quote: “I may have designed the first nine, but surely God designed the back nine”. It comes as no surprise to learn that, due to the majestic beauty of this setting, Palmer choose it to be his first and, arguably, his finest golf course in Europe.

Tralee, in addition to boasting a clear view of the Atlantic Ocean from every hole, has a fully qualified resident professional, fully stocked Pro Shop, a spacious and comfortable restaurant and bar and it has earned a reputation for having a most friendly and relaxed atmosphere for members and visitors alike, perfect for a golf holiday in Ireland. A trip to the South West of Ireland could not be complete without playing this most precious and unpretentious of golfing jewels.