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Ireland |
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During the nineteenth century the Republic of Ireland, or Éire, was part of the United Kingdom and records state that British troops brought golf to the Emerald Isle in the 1850s. The oldest golf course in the Republic of Ireland is owned by the Department of Defence and is set on the heathland of the Curragh in County Kildare and there are records of a match being played there in 1852. The Curragh Golf Club however, was not founded until 1883, two years after the formation of Royal Belfast (1881) and two years prior to the formation of Royal Dublin (1885).
Undoubtedly golf in Ireland dates back way beyond the nineteenth century but records are scant. However, there is no doubt whatsoever that Ireland possesses many of the finest golf courses in the world and is quite rightly one of the world’s premier golf destinations thanks to household names such as Ballybunion, Lahinch and Portmarnock.
Top 100 Golf Courses created an inaugural Ireland Top 100 in 2007 and so far no other publication has assembled a Top 100 for Éire, although a number of golf magazines have produced Top 100 lists for the Republic and Northern Ireland combined.
To review our latest Republic of Ireland Top 100, simply scroll down the page. You are bound to find many unsung Irish golfing gems. |
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 |  | | Ballybunion (Old) | | As you drive from the historic town of Ballybunion, along the winding road to the golf club, your eyes feast upon the most spectacular links land imaginable. |
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|  | | Lahinch (Old) | | Lahinch Golf Club is an enchanting place to play golf. It’s rugged, distinctive, unusually varied and immensely entertaining. |
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|  | | Portmarnock (Championship) | | ”I know of no greater finish in the world than that of the last five holes at Portmarnock Golf Club”, said Bernard Darwin |
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|  | | Waterville | | Waterville plays on a promontory surrounded by the sea. It’s a stunning, remote location... |
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|  | | European Club | | The European Club is located in the garden of Ireland, between the coastal towns of Wicklow and Arklow, about 30 miles south of Dublin. |
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|  | | County Sligo (Championship) | | County Sligo Golf Club – or Rosses Point, as it is better known – is an exhilarating west coast links, situated in the heart of Yeats country. |
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|  | | Tralee | | At Tralee Golf Club, Palmer has designed a golf course that will stimulate the senses every bit as much as the enchanting and breathtaking scenery. |
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|  | | County Louth | | The approach road to the links of County Louth Golf Club, or Baltray as it is better known, named after the local fishing village, is especially uplifting. |
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|  | | Ballyliffin (Glashedy) | | Ballyliffin Golf Club is often described as “the Ballybunion of the North” or “the Dornoch of Ireland” and the reason is simple; all the aforementioned are set amidst towering natural sand dunes. |
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|  | | Rosapenna (Sandy Hills) | | Rosapenna's fabulous new Sandy Hills golf course was designed by Pat Ruddy and opened for play in July 2003.
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