6 Best Golf Courses in the UK & Ireland: A Luxury Golfer’s Guide

AmerExperience Golf™ | Golf Travel Worldwide

6 Best Golf Courses in the UK & Ireland: A Luxury Golfer’s Guide

You can play golf almost anywhere. These are places you travel to because the golf itself is worth the journey.

The great golf courses of Britain and Ireland are about much more than immaculate fairways. They are about Atlantic wind, historic links land, championship tradition, caddies who understand every contour, exceptional hotels, long dinners, whisky or whiskey after the round and a golf culture that has developed over generations.

This AmerExperience Golf™ selection concentrates on six prestigious courses that can become the centrepiece of a serious golf journey. For every course you will find practical planning tools for the three decisions that matter most: where to play, where to stay and what to experience beyond the fairways.

The 6 Golf Courses

1. Royal County Down Golf Club – Newcastle, Northern Ireland
2. Trump Turnberry – Ailsa Course – Ayrshire, Scotland
3. Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club – Deal, England
4. Portstewart Golf Club – Strand Course – Northern Ireland
5. The Royal Dublin Golf Club – Dublin, Ireland
6. The K Club – Palmer North – County Kildare, Ireland

1. Royal County Down Golf Club – Northern Ireland

Royal County Down is one of the great golf pilgrimages. Established in 1889 beside Dundrum Bay beneath the Mountains of Mourne, it combines world-class links golf with one of the most dramatic settings in the game.

Why should you play it? Royal County Down is an education in links golf. Blind drives, natural dunes, narrow landing areas, deep bunkering and changing wind ask questions that cannot always be answered with power. The golfer who controls trajectory and understands where not to miss has a considerable advantage.

The challenge: Do not attack everything. When the wind rises, club selection and course management become as important as distance. This is one of those courses where a knowledgeable caddie should be considered part of the experience rather than an optional luxury.

When to play: Late spring through early autumn provides long daylight and generally the most attractive playing window. Nevertheless, links weather remains links weather. Quality waterproofs belong in the bag even when Newcastle wakes under blue skies.

Where to stay: Newcastle is the natural base. Slieve Donard is the classic luxury pairing: a grand hotel beside the sea and immediately adjacent to one of golf’s greatest courses.

Dinner and whiskey: Give yourself time after golf. Seafood fits this coastline naturally. Afterwards, a mature Bushmills single malt gives the evening a distinctly Northern Irish conclusion.

2. Trump Turnberry – Ailsa Course, Scotland

Few golf destinations deliver theatre quite like Turnberry. The Ailsa Course occupies the Ayrshire coast looking towards Ailsa Craig and the Isle of Arran, with its lighthouse forming part of one of golf’s most recognizable landscapes.

Why should you play it? The Ailsa has hosted four Open Championships, including the celebrated 1977 Duel in the Sun between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus. Its championship history is matched by one of the most spectacular coastal settings in Britain.

The challenge: The wind is part of the architecture. A generous-looking hole can become an entirely different problem when the Ayrshire weather changes. Around the lighthouse, sea, rocks and scenery compete for attention while the golf still demands complete commitment.

When to play: May through September offers long Scottish days. Around midsummer, exceptionally late evening light is one of the particular pleasures of a Scottish golf journey.

Where to stay: Stay at Turnberry if the budget allows. This is one destination where the hotel, sea views, spa, restaurants and golf form one coherent luxury experience rather than separate travel components.

Dinner and whisky: Take your time over dinner. Afterwards, explore a serious Scotch. An aged Islay malt provides smoke and maritime character; a fine Speyside offers something softer and more elegant.

3. Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club – England

Royal Cinque Ports at Deal represents traditional English links golf at its most serious. Founded in 1892, it has hosted The Open and remains one of the great championship layouts of the Kent coast.

Why should you play it? Because there is very little resort decoration here. Fast-running fairways, firm greens, bunkers and wind provide the character. This is golf for players who enjoy making decisions rather than merely hitting predetermined yardages.

The challenge: Respect the closing stretch. The final seven holes into the prevailing wind can transform an excellent scorecard very quickly. This is links golf in its pure form: the yardage on the card tells only part of the story.

When to play: Late spring through early autumn is the obvious window, although firm links turf gives Deal a broader golf season than many international visitors expect.

Where to stay: Deal itself gives you character and proximity to the golf. For a more elaborate journey, combine the course with a refined Kent country-house stay and time in Canterbury and Dover.

Dinner: Look towards the coast. Dover sole, oysters or excellent local fish with a good white Burgundy is more connected to the destination than an international luxury menu that could be served anywhere.

4. Portstewart Golf Club – Strand Course, Northern Ireland

Portstewart Strand gives golfers something they remember immediately: enormous dunes, Atlantic views and one of the most dramatic opening sequences in Irish links golf. It is an excellent complement to Royal County Down on a serious Northern Ireland golf journey.

Why should you play it? It combines championship pedigree with the raw visual character golfers travel to Ireland to find. The Strand hosted the 2017 Irish Open and provides a very different experience from an inland championship course.

The challenge: Dunes create elevation changes, awkward lies and deceptive sight lines. Add Atlantic wind and a straightforward club choice can suddenly require imagination. Do not allow the spectacular scenery to tempt you into unnecessarily heroic golf.

When to play: May through September is the natural window. Bring layers and proper waterproofs. On this coast, sunshine over breakfast is never a contractual promise for the back nine.

Where to stay: Portstewart and nearby Portrush make excellent bases. Stay several nights and allow the Causeway Coast to become part of the trip rather than moving hotel after every round.

Dinner and whiskey: Order seafood from the north coast and explore Irish whiskey. Bushmills is particularly appropriate here: its famous distillery belongs culturally and geographically to this same stretch of coastline.

5. The Royal Dublin Golf Club – Ireland

Royal Dublin offers a rare combination: a genuine historic links remarkably close to one of Europe’s most enjoyable capitals. Established in 1885, it is Ireland’s second-oldest golf club and occupies North Bull Island in Dublin Bay.

Why should you play it? This is traditional links golf with championship history and genuine Irish golf culture, yet after the round you can return to a five-star Dublin hotel, an outstanding restaurant and one of Europe’s great whiskey cities.

The challenge: Wind from Dublin Bay changes the course considerably. The correct line from the tee matters, and the golfer who automatically reaches for driver soon discovers why traditional links golf rewards positioning, trajectory and imagination.

When to play: May through September offers long daylight and generally the most attractive playing conditions. Dublin also makes Royal Dublin particularly easy to combine with a sophisticated city break.

Where to stay: Central Dublin provides the most interesting contrast to the links. The Shelbourne and The Merrion are among the established luxury names to consider, while staying in the city gives you access to Dublin’s restaurants, culture and evening life.

Dinner and whiskey: Give Dublin a proper evening. Modern Irish cooking or a serious steak followed by Redbreast, Midleton or another mature Irish pot still whiskey is considerably more memorable than simply ordering whatever bottle is most expensive.

6. The K Club – Palmer North, Ireland

The K Club changes the rhythm of the journey. After wind, dunes and firm links turf, Arnold Palmer’s Palmer North Course provides a polished inland championship experience in the Irish countryside.

Why should you play it? This is Ryder Cup territory. Palmer North hosted Europe’s memorable victory in the 2006 Ryder Cup and gives visiting golfers the opportunity to experience a course associated with one of the most important team competitions in golf.

The challenge: From the championship tees there is all the length a strong golfer could ask for, but water and positioning matter considerably. Choose sensible tees. There is little prestige in paying for a great golf experience and then selecting a tee box that removes the enjoyment from it.

When to play: Late spring through early autumn is ideal. Unlike the coastal links, the test here is less about surviving Atlantic wind and more about executing good shots through a manicured championship landscape.

Where to stay: Stay at The K Club itself if you want the complete country-estate experience. Golf, spa, dining and hotel belong naturally together. Alternatively, combine it with Dublin and make Palmer North the final round before departure.

Dinner: This is an evening for Irish beef or lamb, a serious bottle of wine and an aged Irish whiskey afterwards. There is no reason to rush.

The Rituals of a Great British & Irish Golf Journey

The historic clubs of Britain and Ireland should not be approached like anonymous resort courses. Part of their attraction is entering a golf culture that existed long before international golf tourism.

Arrive early. Check the club’s current dress requirements before travelling. Remove your cap when appropriate inside traditional clubhouses. Repair pitch marks, rake bunkers, respect the pace of play and treat staff, caddies and members with the same courtesy you would expect at your own club.

A caddie can be one of the best investments of the trip, particularly on an unfamiliar links course. The value is not merely knowing a yardage. A good local caddie understands wind, bounces, invisible landing areas, which side of the fairway opens the green and when the sensible target is twenty yards away from the flag.

And accept the weather. Links golf was never intended to provide identical conditions every day. The wind that destroys your carefully calculated yardages is not interfering with the experience. It is part of the experience.

How I Would Build the Luxury Golf Journey

Do not attempt to collect all six courses in a frantic sequence simply to say you played them. The better journey leaves space between important rounds.

Combine Royal County Down and Portstewart with several nights in Northern Ireland and time for the Causeway Coast. Give Scotland its own stay around Turnberry. Combine Royal Cinque Ports with Kent rather than racing immediately back to London. Then enjoy Ireland with Royal Dublin, several nights in the capital and a country-estate stay around The K Club.

One exceptional round, a knowledgeable caddie, an excellent hotel, a long dinner and enough time to understand the destination can produce a better golf journey than racing through eighteen holes every day.

You Don’t Need to Be a Scratch Golfer

You do not need to be a scratch golfer to belong on Royal County Down, Turnberry or another great championship course. Choose the right tees, understand the game you have that day and manage it intelligently.

A famous course is not an examination you have travelled thousands of kilometres to pass. It is an experience you have travelled to enjoy. On a difficult links course, the golfer who accepts the wind, chooses sensible targets and enjoys the challenge may leave with far better memories than the golfer who spends four hours fighting both the course and himself.

About Lassi Pensikkala

Lassi Pensikkala is an economist, international business developer, leader and avid golfer.

I’m a Finnish economist, international travel professional, and avid golfer with decades of experience in international tourism and destination management. Having lived and worked across Europe and South America, I look at golf travel from both sides of the journey: as a golfer choosing where I genuinely want to play, and as a travel professional who understands what makes a destination work beyond the course.

Through AmerExperience™, I combine that experience with independent research to help golfers discover great courses, destinations, and travel experiences around the world.

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