GROUND-ONLY LINKS, TAILOR-MADE SINCE 1981

A Tom Doak links in the world's top fifty, and Ireland's oldest club.

Northern Ireland golf holidays

At Rosapenna the wind comes in off Sheephaven Bay across Old Tom Morris turf, Pat Ruddy's Sandy Hills and Tom Doak's St Patrick's, now ranked inside the world's top fifty. Down the coast at Holywood, Royal Belfast has taken members since 1881, the oldest club in Ireland. We arrange the rounds and the rooms, you bring the four-ball.

4.9 from real golfers · 12 courses · from £325pp (≈ €365) (≈ $425) (≈ CA$605) (≈ AU$605) (≈ NZ$745) (≈ CHF 345) · ATOL-protected where flights are added

Northern Ireland packs more world-class links into a small, easily-driven corner than almost anywhere on earth. In a single short trip you can play Royal County Down — regularly ranked the finest course on the planet — and Royal Portrush, host of The Open in 2019 and again in 2025, with the Causeway Coast classics and a string of Belfast courses in between. Add genuinely warm hospitality, dramatic coastline and short flights from across the UK, and it becomes one of the great golf weeks.

We have arranged golf in Ireland and Northern Ireland since 1981. Every itinerary on this page is hand-built and hand-priced around your dates, your group and the courses you want to play.

Why play golf in Northern Ireland

Two of the world's top links, an hour apart, and a coastline made for golf.

  • Royal County Down and Royal Portrush — bucket-list links most golfers only dream of pairing in one trip
  • The Causeway Coast cluster: Portstewart and Castlerock round out a north-coast week
  • Belfast as a comfortable city base — courses, restaurants and the Titanic Quarter on the doorstep
  • Compact and walkable as a tour: short drives between the headline courses
  • Easy access — Belfast's two airports, plus the ferry for a drive-and-play group

The courses you’ll play

The golf splits into two clusters. On the Causeway Coast, Royal Portrush (Dunluce) is the Open venue, with Portstewart (Strand) and Castlerock completing a north-coast trio of championship links, and The Bushmills Inn nearby for the whiskey. To the south, in County Down, Royal County Down at Newcastle is the headline — mountains-to-sea links of rare beauty — supported by The Royal Belfast (the oldest club in Ireland), Holywood (Rory McIlroy's home club), Bangor, Knock and Fort William around Belfast. West, at Enniskillen, the Nick Faldo-designed Lough Erne offers lakeland parkland and a five-star resort stay.

You are never locked into one course — tell us how many rounds you want and we will build the rota around your base.

Where you’ll stay

We group Northern Ireland into three easy bases. For the Causeway Coast links, the Bushmills Inn sits between Portrush, Portstewart and Castlerock. For the County Down and Belfast courses, the five-star Culloden Estate & Spa on the shore at Holywood is the flagship, with Belfast city hotels for those who want restaurants and nightlife on the doorstep. For a quieter, resort-style stay, Lough Erne Resort at Enniskillen pairs its own course with a spa and lakeland setting.

Tell us your group size and budget and we will match the hotel to the golf.

Best time to play golf in Northern Ireland

The links season runs from April to October, with May, June and September the pick — long evenings, firmer turf and the best chance of settled weather. The Causeway Coast is exposed, so pack for wind whatever the month; the reward is links golf at its most thrilling. Tee times at Royal County Down and Royal Portrush are limited and book up early, so plan a peak-season trip well ahead.

A sense of Northern Ireland

History & heritage

Northern Ireland wears its story well. Belfast has reinvented itself around the Titanic Quarter, the cathedral district and a genuinely good food-and-bar scene; the Causeway Coast delivers the Giant's Causeway, the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and the Old Bushmills Distillery; and Game of Thrones filming sites dot the glens. The welcome in the clubhouse is the constant — visiting golfers are treated as guests.

Food & wine

Belfast's dining has come a long way — from the covered St George's Market to a clutch of serious restaurants — and the coast does fresh seafood and proper pub food in equal measure. The signature, of course, is whiskey: a tour of Old Bushmills, the oldest licensed distillery in the world, sits a short drive from the Causeway links and makes a perfect rest-day or 19th-hole.

Beyond the fairways

Non-golfers are well served. The Giant's Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede, the Glens of Antrim and the Causeway Coastal Route are among the UK's finest scenery; Belfast offers the Titanic experience, markets and city culture; and the lakes of Fermanagh surround Lough Erne. A golf group and its non-golfers share a base happily here.

Getting around & exploring

Northern Ireland is a drive-and-play destination and a small one — Belfast to the Causeway Coast is around an hour. Hire a car at the airport (four to a car keeps costs sensible) and the touring loop between the County Down and north-coast clusters is comfortable. We set the order so you are never doubling back, and the coastal drives between courses are part of the holiday.

Getting there

Access is quick and cheap from Great Britain. Belfast International and George Best Belfast City airports serve flights from across the UK in around an hour; the ferry (Cairnryan to Larne/Belfast) suits a drive-and-play group bringing their own car and clubs. Flights are an ATOL-protected add-on to any package, or bring your own arrangements and we will handle the golf and hotels.

Good to know

  • Book Royal County Down and Royal Portrush as early as possible — visitor tee times are limited, especially in peak season
  • Both championship clubs may request a handicap certificate — we confirm requirements when we build your itinerary
  • Pack for coastal wind year-round; layers and waterproofs even in summer
  • The Causeway Coast trio (Portrush, Portstewart, Castlerock) plays beautifully as consecutive days from one base
  • Caddies and buggies vary by club — we confirm availability per course

The courses you’ll play in Northern Ireland

Bangor Golf Club, County Down — Northern Ireland golfBangor Golf Club, County DownDesigned by James BraidPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover this course →Ballyliffin Golf Club — Northern Ireland golfBallyliffin Golf ClubPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover this course →Castlerock Golf Club, County Londonderry — Northern Ireland golfCastlerock Golf Club, County LondonderryPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover this course →Fort William Golf Club, North Belfast — Northern Ireland golfFort William Golf Club, North BelfastPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover this course →Holywood Golf Course, County Down — Northern Ireland golfHolywood Golf Course, County DownPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover this course →Knock Golf Club, East Belfast — Northern Ireland golfKnock Golf Club, East BelfastDesigned by Colt, Mackenzie and AllisonPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover this course →

Hotels — play the area’s courses

Culloden Estate and Spa, Belfast — Northern Ireland golfCulloden Estate and Spa, BelfastThe Royal Belfast Golf Club, County Down · Holywood Golf Course, County DownPlayed on tailored stay & play breaksDiscover this hotel →Lough Erne Resort, Enniskillen — Northern Ireland golfLough Erne Resort, EnniskillenLough Erne Golf Course, Enniskillen · Rosapenna Golf Coursefrom£325 (≈ €365) (≈ $425) (≈ CA$605) (≈ AU$605) (≈ NZ$745) (≈ CHF 345)per personDiscover this hotel →The Bushmills Inn, County Antrim — Northern Ireland golfThe Bushmills Inn, County AntrimRoyal Portrush Golf Course, Portrush · Portstewart Golf Club, County Londonderryfrom£535 (≈ €615) (≈ $705) (≈ CA$995) (≈ AU$1,005) (≈ NZ$1,225) (≈ CHF 565)per personDiscover this hotel →

Ready to play Northern Ireland?

Tell us your dates and group — we’ll build a tailored itinerary and hand-priced quote, usually within 15 minutes.

Plan my Northern Ireland trip →Talk to a specialist · 01277 284284

ATOL & PTS protected · Tailor-made since 1981

Frequently asked questions

Golf holidays in Northern Ireland — answers to the questions our golfers ask most.

Where should I play in the United Kingdom?

From challenging links to impressive parkland courses, the UK has it all. Tell us your dream golf holiday scenario.

It is easy to get around the United Kingdom?

Yes, getting around the UK for golf is very straightforward. Self-driving is the most popular choice — the motorway network connects major cities and virtually all golf courses have excellent road access. For Scotland, flights from London to Edinburgh or Glasgow take around 90 minutes, or take the scenic East Coast Main Line overnight. In England, most golf regions — Surrey heathland, Kent links, Yorkshire moorland — are within 2-3 hours of London. We include all transfers in our UK packages and can advise on the best travel approach for your group.

Is the United Kingdom good for groups?

Yes. There are plenty of great options if you are going away with your golfing friends.

What about if I am looking for somewhere special in the United Kingdom?

We offer superb hotels all around the United Kingdom, ideal if you wish to combine high levels of comfort with great golf courses.

Are flights included?

Our golf holidays are arranged ground-only — hotel, golf and transfers. You can add flights through us, and those flights are ATOL protected as part of your booking.

How do golf holidays with Golf Planet Holidays work?

Every trip is tailor-made. Tell us your group, dates and the destinations you fancy, and we build a personal itinerary — hotel, golf and transfers — around them. There are no fixed packages to squeeze into; we shape the whole break to suit how your group likes to play.

Still have a question? Ask our golf travel team — a free, no-obligation quote, no call centre.

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