Aerial view of Portmarnock Golf Club on its peninsula north of Dublin

Unofficial golf trip guide · Dublin

Where to stay for a Dublin golf trip

Independent guide · Last checked: 6 Nov 2026

In short

For a Dublin links trip, stay on the north side of the city near the airport: Portmarnock or Malahide puts Portmarnock Golf Club, the Jameson Golf Links and The Island about 5 to 25 minutes away, and Clontarf or Howth suit Royal Dublin and St Anne's on Bull Island. Book Portmarnock Golf Club first, since visitors play only on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday in set windows from 1 April to 30 September 2027, at 530 EUR with lunch, paid in full when you book. May to September is the season, and June gives the longest days.

Where to stay around Dublin

Pick an area to see hotels and rentals there at live prices.

Live map · Portmarnock ResortHotels and rentals at live prices, Sat 12 Jun to Fri 18 Jun

Open the live map for Portmarnock Resort ↗

Prices and availability come from booking sites through Stay22. Change the dates on the map to match your trip.

ABCDE Portmarnock Resort1 Portmarnock2 Malahide3 Howth4 Clontarf5 Dublin city centre6

ACourse to play

Plan ahead Book Portmarnock Golf Club and Royal Dublin as soon as their 2027 visitor dates suit you, then book rooms around those days, because the clubs take most or all of the fee up front.

Courses you can play around Dublin

  1. Aerial view of the 14th, 15th and 16th holes at Portmarnock Golf Club Limited visitor times

    Portmarnock Golf Club

    A 27 hole links founded in 1894 on a peninsula north of the city, and the trip's headline round. Visitors play four days a week from April to September, on foot (no buggies), groups of three or more must take a forecaddie, and the 2027 fee includes lunch.

    2027 visitor times: Monday 10:00 to 14:00, Tuesday 08:30 to 14:00, Thursday 08:30 to 12:00 and 13:30 to 16:00, and Sunday 12:00 to 15:00 from May to September (13:00 to 16:00 in April). Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and bank holidays are for members only. Book online or by email. The club's visitor guide asks for full payment when you book, with no refunds, though a time can move to another date in the same calendar year if one is free. Groups of three or four must take a forecaddie, and smaller groups may be paired into a fourball.

    Green fee: €530 (2027) · Course site ↗

  2. Links fairways and a pond at Portmarnock Resort Open to the public

    Jameson Golf Links

    The resort links at Portmarnock Resort, opened in 1995 and reworked with five new greens before it was renamed in 2023. Fees are the same every day, and hotel residents paid less in 2026.

    Book through the resort's online tee time page or ask the golf team; stay and play packages are sold with rooms. Visitor fees are the same every day of the week. Payment and cancellation terms for golf are not published on the resort's site.

    Green fee: €320 (2026) · Course site ↗

  3. Open to the public

    The Island Golf Club

    Founded in 1890 among tall dunes on the Donabate peninsula, across the estuary from Malahide. Visitors can book any day of the week in the 2027 season, and the club's four bedroom Golf Lodge on the grounds sleeps eight.

    The 2027 tee sheets are open: book online through the club's visitor booking page or by email. Full payment is taken when you book. Cancel in writing 90 days or more ahead for a refund; inside 90 days the whole fee is lost, though the club may move your booking to another date, or to the next year at that year's rate, if a time is free.

    Green fee: €375 (2027) · Course site ↗

  4. The clubhouse of the Royal Dublin Golf Club Limited visitor times

    The Royal Dublin Golf Club

    On North Bull Island since 1889, reached by the wooden bridge from Clontarf. Visitor times are set each day, with the most on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

    Visitor times on the club's page (no year shown): Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 07:40 to 08:50, 10:40 to 12:20 and from 14:00; Friday 10:40 to 11:50 and from 14:00; Saturday from 15:30; Sunday from 10:30. Book online. A deposit of 100 per golfer is due within 14 days of booking and the balance 60 days before play. Cancelling up to 60 days ahead is refunded in full; after that, or for a no show, the full fee is charged.

    Green fee: €375 (2027) · Course site ↗

  5. Limited visitor times

    St Anne's Golf Club

    Royal Dublin's neighbour on Bull Island, about 8 km (5 miles) from the city centre, open all year and the best value round on the trip. Visitors get full days on Monday, Thursday and Friday and late afternoon times at weekends.

    Visitors can book all day on Monday, Thursday and Friday, and from 15:30 at weekends and on bank holidays in high season. Book online with a card to hold the time and pay at the clubhouse by cash or card; failing to cancel costs the full fee. Handicap limit 28 for men and 36 for women. Open all year.

    Green fee: €150 (2026) · Course site ↗

  6. Open to the public

    County Louth Golf Club (Baltray)

    A championship links near Drogheda that hosted the Irish Open in 2004 and 2009, about 45 minutes north of the airport. A forecaddie comes with every visitor booking.

    Book online or by contacting the club; the visitors page says play is subject to availability from April to October. The club adds a forecaddie to every visitor booking unless you ask for a single caddie instead. About 45 minutes north of Dublin Airport, so plan it as a day out from a Malahide or Portmarnock base.

    Course site ↗

How tee times work

Build the week around Portmarnock Golf Club, which takes visitors only on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday in set windows, never on bank holidays, and books up early (when checked in November 2026, every 2026 visitor date to the end of September was taken, with a few left in October). Royal Dublin has visitor times every day but most on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, St Anne's on Monday, Thursday and Friday, while The Island and the Jameson Golf Links publish one fee for every day. Portmarnock and The Island take the full fee when you book and Royal Dublin a deposit, so refunds are limited and travel insurance is worth having. Book caddies when you book the round: Portmarnock and Royal Dublin require a forecaddie for groups of three or more without single caddies, and County Louth adds one to every booking.

Closures to know about

Portmarnock Golf Club takes visitors from 1 April to 30 September 2027 and is closed to them from 1 October 2027 to 31 March 2028. The Island's 2027 visitor season is 1 April to 31 October. Royal Dublin's 2027 season rate starts on 18 March, with winter play on 12 or 14 holes before that. The Jameson Golf Links summer rate runs from 1 April to 31 October. Brittas Bay Club in County Wicklow (the former European Club) is closed for a redesign and says it will reopen in 2027 and is taking tee time requests for dates from 1 July 2027.

A sensible plan

Six nights from a Saturday, based in Malahide or Portmarnock: The Island on Sunday, Portmarnock Golf Club on Monday, and Royal Dublin on Tuesday morning. Drive north to County Louth on Wednesday, play the Jameson Golf Links on Thursday, then St Anne's on Friday if you fly out late or add a night.

Getting there

Fly into Dublin (DUB): the north side links are about 20 minutes away by car, and County Louth about 45. Drive times on this page are for outside rush hour; Dublin traffic on weekday mornings and evenings adds a lot. The DART links the city centre with Clontarf, Howth, Portmarnock and Malahide, but no course is next to a station, so hire a car or use taxis on golf days. Brittas Bay Club in County Wicklow (the former European Club) is closed for a redesign, says it will reopen in 2027 and is taking tee time requests for dates from 1 July 2027; it is about an hour south of the city centre, 65 km (40 miles), so it is a separate day out rather than part of a north side base.

Practical notes

Walking
Portmarnock Golf Club is a walking course with no buggies for visitors; electric trolleys (20), pull trolleys (5) and hire clubs (60) must be booked ahead. The Island hires buggies (50) only with a medical certificate. St Anne's has 10 buggies (45), booking needed. The Jameson Golf Links does not offer carts in winter except with a medical certificate.
Caddies
Portmarnock Golf Club (2026 rates): single 100, forecaddie 140, paid in cash to the caddie (no cash machine at the club), and a forecaddie is required for groups of three or more; reserve by email. The Island: single 90, double bag 160, forecaddie 45 per golfer (at least three), book ahead. Royal Dublin (2026): senior 90, standard 75, forecaddie 130 per group, which is required for three and four balls without single caddies; ask at least 48 hours ahead. Jameson Golf Links (2026): single 80, forecaddie 120. St Anne's: 65, booked through the pro shop. County Louth: single 80, double bag or forecaddie 160, and a forecaddie is added to every booking. Tips are extra. Caddies at Royal Dublin and County Louth are independent contractors and cannot be guaranteed, so book early everywhere.
Dress code
Portmarnock Golf Club bars sports jerseys, jeans, tracksuits, beach shorts and collarless or sleeveless T shirts on the course and in the clubhouse; tailored shorts with socks are fine. St Anne's bars denim, shorts, tracksuits, sports jerseys and hoodies. County Louth allows neat plain jeans but bars round neck T shirts, sleeveless shirts for men, hoodies, vests, team jerseys and beach or football shorts. Royal Dublin, St Anne's and Portmarnock want soft spikes only.
Handicap
St Anne's sets a limit of 28 for men and 36 for women. Portmarnock Golf Club, The Island, Royal Dublin, County Louth and the Jameson Golf Links publish no limit on their visitor pages, but bring a handicap certificate in case a starter asks.
Stay rules
Portmarnock Golf Club and The Island take the full green fee when you book. Royal Dublin takes a 100 deposit per golfer within 14 days and the balance 60 days before play. Refunds: Royal Dublin in full up to 60 days ahead, The Island 90 days or more ahead, Portmarnock none (a date change in the same year is possible). Travel insurance is worth having.
Trains
The DART runs from the city centre to Clontarf Road, then splits at Howth Junction: one branch to Portmarnock and Malahide, the other to Sutton and Howth. None of the courses is beside a station, so plan on a car or taxi for golf days.
Winter
Royal Dublin plays 12 or 14 holes at 220 from 1 November 2026 to 17 March 2027. Portmarnock Golf Club is closed to visitors from 1 November 2026 to 31 March 2027. St Anne's is open all year.

When to book

  1. NowBook a room with free cancellation as close to the course as you can.
  2. Your cancellation dateKeep or cancel before it passes.
  3. 12 to 18 June 2027Your trip.

Free guide

The Unofficial Dublin Golf Trip Guide

Every area, every course, how tee times work and the booking dates in one place, updated every year.

Dublin golf trip questions

Can visitors play Portmarnock Golf Club?

Yes, from 1 April to 30 September 2027, on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday in set time windows. Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and bank holidays are for members. Book online or by email and expect to pay in full when you book.

How much does it cost to play Portmarnock?

In 2027 Portmarnock Golf Club charges 530 EUR for 18 holes on the Championship course, 635 for 27 holes and 720 for 36, each with lunch. Caddies are extra (100 EUR single and 140 forecaddie in 2026, paid in cash). The Jameson Golf Links next door charged visitors 320 EUR in summer 2026.

Where should I stay for a golf trip to Dublin?

On the north side, near the airport. Portmarnock or Malahide are about 5 to 25 minutes from Portmarnock, the Jameson Golf Links and The Island, and Clontarf or Howth are closest to Royal Dublin and St Anne's. The city centre works too, but allow 30 minutes or more to Portmarnock outside rush hour.

How far is Portmarnock from Dublin Airport?

About 20 minutes by car outside rush hour; Portmarnock Golf Club says 15. The Island and Royal Dublin are also about 20 minutes from the airport, and County Louth at Baltray about 45.

Do I need a caddie at Portmarnock or Royal Dublin?

Groups of three or four need a forecaddie at both clubs unless each player takes a single caddie at Royal Dublin. Reserve ahead: Portmarnock by email, Royal Dublin at least 48 hours before. Caddie fees are paid to the caddie, in cash at Portmarnock.

When is the best time for a golf trip to Dublin?

May to September. Portmarnock takes visitors from April to September and The Island from April to October, June has the longest days, and Met Eireann says February to June are the driest months.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25

Photo credits