Welcome to the 2025 edition of Destination Golf Ireland.
Read Destination Golf Ireland 2025 here: https://joom.ag/617d
Another year passes and as we close in on ten years of Destination Golf Ireland, we can reflect on one more successful year for golf in Ireland. Our summer was not the best but it takes a lot more than inclement weather to keep golfers off the fairways of almost 420 courses.
Royal County Down, often regarded as the greatest golf course in the world, hosted a thrilling Irish Open, where Rory McIlroy came so close to claiming a second title… perhaps he’ll succeed next year when the championship returns to the K Club. Carton House’s O’Meara course hosted Europe’s elite competing for the Women’s Irish Open, won in a play-off by Annabel Dimmock, and Ballyliffin hosted the Open Amateur.
The arrival of the Open Championship in Royal Portrush, in July, will shine a spotlight on all that is great and good in Irish golf.
The arrival of the Open Championship in Royal Portrush, in July, will shine a spotlight on all that is great and good in Irish golf. The links courses will be inundated but Northern Ireland, as a whole, will also be the focus of golfers from the world over. It will put some less well known courses on the map.
It is no surprise that 2024 was another busy year for course developments with Jameson Links completing upgrades that saw the introduction of six new holes and a re-routing of the course. Galgorm Castle continues to improve its championship course and 2024 saw the 1st and 8th holes being upgraded. Co. Sligo has kicked off a series of renovations with Martin Ebert at the helm, and Ebert has also been immersed in major changes to Royal Portrush’s Valley course. Donegal has Paul McGinley making changes and the ongoing upgrades to the back nine at Portstewart are impressive. Monkstown’s total rebunkering programme will be completed in 2025. The list goes on and on.
This year sees Ring of Kerry breaking into our top 150. It is a hillside adventure and the course has improved greatly after languishing unloved for some years.
Kevin Markham
Editor
Destination Golf Media Ltd.
EDITORS CHOICE / RECOMMENDED COURSES 2025:
LEINSTER (Ex-Dublin): K-Club, Co. Louth, Carlow, Mount Juliet, Palmerstown House, Powerscourt, Rosslare Links, Bunclody, Macreddin, Birr, Arklow, Woodenbridge, Glasson.
DUBLIN: Royal Dublin, Jameson Links, The Island, Dun Laoghaire, Luttrellstown, St.Annes, Howth, Rathfarnham.
MUNSTER: Tralee, Ballybunion, Waterville, Trump Doonbeg, Castlemartyr, Fermoy, Dingle, Waterford, Faithlegg, Ring of Kerry.
CONNACHT: Carne, Enniscrone, Connemara.
ULSTER: Slive Russell, Donegal, Concra Wood, Portstewart, Castlerock, Galgorm Castle, Farnham Estate.