I’ll start by saying this: if you haven’t been to the island of Ireland, you need to go. And if you haven’t played golf there… well, I feel sorry for you.

Whether it’s in the Republic or Northern Ireland, it is a remarkably special place. Rich in culture, history, spectacular scenery, and a real sense of spirituality in the rural areas, it’s a place that relaxes the soul. Now, I know that might sound a little exaggerated, but I’ve spent a lot of time in Ireland over the years, and I can safely say that combination, plus the warmest hospitality from the locals, makes it one of the best destinations to visit on earth, and all on our doorstep.

So, when Golf Today was kindly invited by Ireland Golf to visit and play three courses that, each in their own way, define the island’s rich golfing history, there was simply no way I could say no.

Holywood Golf Club

Our travels took us first to Belfast, to play Holywood GC, home of five-time major winner and Career Grand Slam champion Rory McIlroy. The island of Ireland has produced some terrific golfers over the years: Padraig Harrington (three-time major winner), Graeme McDowell (major winner), Darren Clarke (major winner), Shane Lowry (major winner), and, if you want to go way back, Fred Daly (major winner). However, no Irish golfer has been more successful than Rory McIlroy.

A child prodigy, McIlroy stormed onto the scene as a teenager, making his first appearance in a professional event at just 16, at the 2005 British Masters. Two years later, at 18, he turned pro, and the very next day teed it up in his first professional tournament, the Quinn Direct British Masters in 2007, finishing in a tie for 42nd.

Two years after that, he secured his first professional win aged 19, taking the Dubai Desert Classic and jumping to 16th in the world rankings. In 2010, he landed his first PGA Tour victory, holding off Phil Mickelson with a course-record 62 in the final round to win the Quail Hollow Championship. A year later came his breakthrough major at the 2011 U.S. Open, followed by PGA Championship titles in 2012 and 2014, and The Open in 2014.

By 25, he was already staring down the Career Grand Slam. And unless you’ve been living under a rock, we all know the toils and tribulations that followed, before he finally ended that 10-year major drought with an emotional 2025 Masters win, in what can only be described as an edge-of-your-seat week of golf. And, like buses, he secured his second green jacket at this year’s 2026 Masters.

In total, McIlroy has 45 professional wins (55 tour-credited wins) and a list of honours longer than he can hit his driver. He is, undoubtedly, one of the greatest the game has ever seen. So to play the course he grew up on wasn’t just a privilege, it was a glimpse into the beginnings of a man who has achieved a feat only five others have managed in the history of golf.

Driving up the entrance, I couldn’t help but put myself in Rory’s shoes. Taking it all in, seeing the same surroundings the six-time major winner would have seen time and time again at the course he called home, and where he honed those world-class skills.

Just five miles from Belfast city centre and two from the airport, Holywood sits elevated above the town below, with an impressive view across Belfast’s historic dock, where Titanic famously began her maiden voyage to Southampton ahead of her Atlantic crossing to New York.

The par 70 isn’t a long one, measuring just 6,009 yards from the tips. And though it’s parkland, I can imagine it playing like a downs course in the summer, with holes largely running side-on across the hills rather than simply up or down them. The layout is clever, utilising the undulating slopes and natural run-offs as bunkers and hazards, making you think carefully about shot shape and club selection.

The standout hole, whether for good or bad reasons, is the 12th. The 433-yard par 4 begins with a downhill drive, OB right and trees to the left. With the run-out before the small water hazards that cut into both sides of the fairway only 269 yards, you’re faced with a decision on the tee: take on the driver and try to gain as much as you can, or make absolutely sure you come up short with a 3-wood or driving iron.

That leaves a long approach into a raised green with tight OB right that pinches in to probably no more than 10–15 yards from the putting surface. The left side drops away drastically into quite literally no man’s land. If your ball goes down there, you’ll need hiking boots and walking sticks to find it.

In all honesty, I’ve never been so confused by a hole in my life. I had no idea how it should be played or where I should be aiming. Even after finishing (I believe the best score in our group was a triple-bogey seven), I stood on the green trying to make sense of it from behind.

Rory’s pro tip in the course guide says, “A par here is a great score.” If I were playing a medal, I’d happily take a five and move on. It’s a beast.

Inside the clubhouse, Rory is everywhere, and rightly so, but there are also nods to LIV Golf’s Tom McKibbin and Rory’s best mate and caddie, Harry Diamond.

Before entering the upstairs lounge, you walk through a mini museum filled with Rory memorabilia, photos, replica trophies and tournament flags. Down below, you’ll find the recently finished, state-of-the-art gym beside the indoor simulator set up and bar, all funded by Rory. The pride Holywood has in their star man is a real tribute to the club’s community, and it speaks volumes about the kind of person he is.

Our base for the night after our round at Holywood was the Culloden Estate & Spa. Set just outside Belfast on the wooded slopes above Belfast Lough, it’s the sort of place that leans heavily into its past without feeling stuck in it. Originally built in the 19th century and once used as a bishop’s palace, it now spreads across 12 acres of manicured grounds with big-sky views and a quiet, removed feel that’s at odds with how close you are to the city.

Inside, it’s classic country-house grandeur, grand staircases, antiques and plush rooms, balanced with a modern, well-equipped spa complete with pool, thermal areas and ESPA treatments. It’s polished but not stiff, and works just as well for a slow, spa-heavy weekend as it does as a base for dipping in and out of Belfast on a golf trip.

Titanic Belfast

While we were staying in Belfast, we had the chance to visit Titanic Belfast. As someone who was weirdly obsessed with the White Star liner as a kid, I was very excited.

The depth the museum goes into is remarkable, from personal stories of those who worked on the ship, to first-, second-, and third-class passengers who travelled on its maiden (and ultimately final) voyage.

It also gives a fascinating glimpse into Belfast at the time and the circumstances surrounding the ship’s remarkable construction.

I can’t recommend it enough if you’re staying in or around Belfast.

Castlerock Golf Club

The next course on our trip was Castlerock Golf Club. A beautifully rugged yet fantastically well-kept par 73, stretching to a healthy 6,780 yards from the discs. Just down the road from its more famous neighbours, Portstewart Golf Club and Royal Portrush Golf Club, and separated from them by the River Bann as it flows into the North Atlantic Ocean, it more than holds its own as a terrific links test.

Founded in April 1901, Castlerock was originally a nine-hole course before being expanded to 18 by Ben Sayers in 1908, with later renovations consulted on by Harry Colt in 1930. Since then, it’s built a solid reputation in an area famous for world-class courses.

The layout feels raw and in harmony with the natural landscape, but it’s clear that detailed thought and planning went into shaping the course so it never drifts too far from its roots.

Looming dunes with knee-high, wispy grass run parallel to fairways or create obstacles you have to go around (or over) from the tee. Placement and accuracy are key (as you’d expect on a links), constantly asking the questions: where do I need to be for my second shot? And should I really be taking driver here?

It’s my favourite kind of golf. The kind that tests your nerve and ability on every hole, never allowing you to switch off or get complacent. Pair that with greens running true and fast, spongy fairways, and all-round immaculate conditioning, and you’ve got a truly impressive course.

Royal Portrush and Dunluce Lodge

The final stop of the trip, and the one I was most excited for, understandably, was Royal Portrush. Having been at the 153rd Open Championship in July that same year, to play it just three months later felt like an immense treat.

But before I get into the course, I need to tell you about my digs.

We were fortunate enough to be staying at Dunluce Lodge, the region’s only 5-star resort, which sits alongside the 4th hole of the Dunluce Course, with views across Royal Portrush Golf Club and out to the Atlantic. My room, luckily, faced that way, which meant I woke up, opened the curtains, and looked straight out over the three-time Open Championship venue.

The location is pretty much perfect for a golf trip. As mentioned, Royal Portrush is quite literally on the doorstep, but you’re also within easy reach of Portstewart, Castlerock and Ballycastle, while the Giant’s Causeway and Bushmills Distillery are only a few miles away. Alongside an on-site spa offering a range of relaxing treatments, Dunluce Lodge also embraces the wider Causeway Coast experience beyond golf, with hiking, cycling, fishing and beach walks all part of the appeal. After a long day on the course or exploring the surrounding area, the restaurant and bar came into their own, serving locally sourced food, a serious whisky selection and plenty of spots to unwind, whether that was the main restaurant, the library or the atmospheric vault.

Now, onto the golf. There isn’t much I can add to Royal Portrush’s already stellar reputation. It’s hardly an under-the-radar track that needs me to fill you in with exclusive insight. What I can talk about, though, is the almost magical nature of the place.

As mentioned, I was there for the 153rd Open. Grandstands behind tees, fan village, and that addictive buzz from the 250,000-plus patrons from around the world who came to watch golf’s oldest championship.

So when you come back, and the stands are gone, the pop-up buildings have disappeared, and it’s returned to what it crucially is, a golf course, it suddenly feels intimate.

Much like at Holywood with Rory, you immediately start picturing the likes of Scheffler, Matsuyama, Lowry, Schauffele, Fleetwood and the rest of the current greats, all standing on the same hallowed turf as you. All had stood on that first tee, looked down the same fairway, and pulled the trigger to start their round. Granted, I wasn’t exactly under the same pressure as they were (other than managing a hangover from Harbour Bar the night before), but it still feels special to play where they have on the biggest stage.

I think that’s what makes a place like Royal Portrush, or any major championship venue, so special. As someone who grew up watching golf probably before kids’ programmes like Teletubbies or Pingu, to have the shared experience of playing a world-class course makes you feel oddly connected to the elites. It reminds you that, at its core, we’re all the same: people who love the game, lucky enough to walk the same fairways, take on the same holes and enjoy the same views.

As expected, the Dunluce Course was in immaculate condition. On top of being privileged enough to play it, we were incredibly lucky with the weather, too, no wind, no rain. The caddies were not only extremely helpful but super friendly and personable, and the same goes for the staff in the bar, the pro shop and on the first tee. You can tell how proud they are to work at a place like Royal Portrush.

So, how does it play as an amateur? Probably just as you’d expect. A very stern test that can be made even tougher if the weather turns, but with enough variation in the tee boxes to make sure golfers of all levels can enjoy it without feeling completely beaten up.

It’s not somewhere you’d frequent like your local pay-and-play, but if you’ve been umming and ahhing about visiting this three-time Open Championship venue, just do it. It’s an experience that stays with you.

Harbour Bar

If you know, you know. And if you don’t, get to know.

The Harbour Bar in Portrush is, without doubt, one of the most memorable bars I’ve ever visited anywhere in the world. Steeped in history and with deep ties to Royal Portrush and The Open, it’s a must-visit on any golf trip.

The downstairs bar is peppered with pictures of golfing greats from the past five decades with a Guinness in hand, alongside Open memorabilia. There are three floors, a bar on each, and regular live music. I’ve seldom been in when it hasn’t been packed. During The Open, it becomes the post-round hub for fans and pros alike.

If you’re playing Royal Portrush or staying nearby, make sure it’s on your list.

Verdict

As mentioned at the start of this feature, the island of Ireland is a special place, almost spiritual. And playing golf there, especially links golf, is hard to beat.

The raw, rugged nature paired with the Grade A conditioning of Castlerock and Royal Portrush is what golf is all about: unpredictable, challenging and thoroughly enjoyable. While Holywood, on the other hand, shows the community spirit the sport has to offer, alongside a glimpse into the early life of one of the greatest golfers ever to play the game.

You can contemplate a trip like this until the cows come home, but sometimes it’s best to just go all in. Golf in this region is nothing short of spectacular; the views are breathtaking, and the people are beyond friendly. If you love golf and you’re looking to travel, make sure the Emerald Isle is firmly on your list.