You’ve made the right decision. Now keep telling yourself you really need to have everything nailed down by December to properly plan a 2026 summer golf trip to Ireland.
Fret not. The great thing about Irish golf is that even though the great courses are much more crowded with foreign visitors after the brilliant success of two Open Championships at Royal Portrush (2019, 2025), the vast majority still flock to the Southwest cathedrals of Ballybunion, Lahinch and Waterville, or perhaps Portrush and County Down in Northern Ireland. All worthy pursuits, but you needn’t think you’re missing out if you go elsewhere.
We love elsewhere. And though the life-altering experiences of playing Carne, St. Patrick’s, Ballyliffen, Rosapenna, Enniscrone, The Island, Narin & Portnoo, Baltray, Sligo and a dozen more exhilarating links courses are certainly more expensive than 10 years ago, they are still attainable, if you don’t delay. I’ve just returned from my 28th golf trip to Ireland. Here are a few nuts-and-bolts suggestions for making the mighty journey:
WHEN TO GO: May through September is high season, with the outer weeks having slightly fewer dads with schoolchildren. You take some chances in April and October, but fabulous golf weather can be had in the 50- to 60-degree range. It’s rain that spoils your fun and there’s no planning around Irish rain. Even in summer, plan for a New England fall day.
WHERE TO GO: You essentially have these golf regions from which to choose – The Dublin area, The South/Southwest, The West, The Northwest and the nation of Northern Ireland, plus numerous inland parkland courses (some with castles!) and a few golf resorts that we will deftly sidestep. You cannot screw this up. Each region has stunning links golf, good hotels and restaurants, and tiny gut-clenching roads on which your life will pass before your eyes.
WHY TO GO: Friendly Trump-loathing, golf-worshipping, genuine people everywhere. Invigorating phenomenal links golf with the highest dunes in the golf world. Quirky once-in-a-lifetime shots you’ve neither seen nor contemplated. Great smokeless pubs with music. A book-loving culture. Seafood chowder. The quality of high-latitude sunlight. Long summer days. B&Bs in the countryside with border collies. The Irish still love Americans.
GOLF CLOTHING & WEATHER: You’ll want waterproof pants, jackets, shoes and perhaps bucket hats, because unlike the locals, this may be your only chance to play Ballywowza. You don’t want to quit your round. (I’ve only quit two in 28 trips.) Most Irish rain is brief though more frequent than golfers like. Actually check radar forecasts. If you’re flexible and see guaranteed non-stop rain, call the course and maybe beg to go much earlier or later. Many seasoned vets just play in rainpants rather than struggle with them in gales. Snap on your golf bag’s rain hood before you tee off. Zip-lock baggies will help protect cell phones, cameras, scorecards, wallets. (Years ago, I got a waterproof Sun Mountain golf bag and now I never go without one.) Maybe ninety percent of my 150 Irish rounds have been played in a thermal moisture-wicking underlayer and basic sweater, with waterproofs ready in the bag. And despite all this blather, dry sunny days from 65 to 75 degrees are not at all uncommon.
HOW TO GO: Right now, in October, I was able to find non-stop roundtrip flights in May 2026 from Dallas to Dublin for under $600 (not including bags). But, generally, I think of this as an $800 to $1200 roundtrip from most U.S. cities. Flying into Shannon, 30 minutes west of Limerick, is an interesting, though usually not cheaper, option. (Connections to Boston, New York, Chicago, Houston, Dallas.) Inquire about airline fees for golf travel bags.
SOLO DRIVING VS TOUR BUS: First, know thyself. Are you frightened about driving on the left? (Take a bus tour.) Are you frightened about being stuck on a rigid schedule, dealing with loud frat-boy foursomes? (Drive yourself.) If you like to drink too much, please take a bus. The tiny roads are lethal enough. If you want flexibility, like to do photography, meet new friends, see the country and stay as long as you wish, get a rental car. However, be prepared for roughly $7-a-gallon gas. In September, I had a $94 fill-up of a midsize Hertz. If money is no hurdle, you can also hire a driver for any-size groups. Tour buses completely free you of caring about directions and fatigued driving (especially late), but a trusty GPS works wonders. Remember, driving on the left means the steering wheel is on the right and with a manual transmission you are shifting with your left hand. Though more expensive, I always get an automatic, thus saving countless Irish lives. A final thought, going solo or maybe as a twosome allows you to play with and meet more Irish people and perhaps make lifelong friendships, as opposed to traveling everywhere as the loud Dallas foursome reliving the 1994 Cotton Bowl. I’ve tried both means of travel many times and see real benefits of both.
SLOW PLAY. The Irish rightly do not tolerate it, but are often too polite to say anything to the Americans whose deep pockets keep many Irish courses afloat. One practice swing. Hit the ball in under 25 seconds. Be quick about your yardage ritual. Take plenty of used balls because you will lose them in the dunes and must limit your search to a day or two.
HOW MUCH GOLF TO PLAY. The Irish are dumbfounded by Americans who attempt to play 36 holes a day for a week. By day three, none of them can remember where they’ve played and they haven’t a clue about the towns they’ve rocketed through. Do they even meet Irish people? Be realistic, if you never play back-to-back walking rounds back home, don’t attempt five days of that in Ireland. Watch the weather and maybe schedule a day off when the rain is constant. You’ll play better, your back and feet will thank you. If you get rained out on the coastal links, sometimes the gorgeous Irish parkland courses within a short drive are drier and available.
TOUR OPERATORS AND DISCOUNTS: There are at least a dozen reputable Irish golf tour operators, so I won’t tout one over the other. They all seem to use well-trained certified Irish bus drivers and have solid connections with the course general managers. Pay attention to the online reviews and don’t be afraid to call the GMs for their candid opinions. Ask specifically about rainout policies, sickness – golf reimbursements are rare – rental clubs, lessons, anything. If you’re on your own, you might go online and find various discount cards for multi-course deals or the popular annual events called “challenges,” which allow you to play several great courses at a substantial discount and compete in a spirited team format that draws players from throughout Europe. Here are a few:
Atlantic Coast Challenge https://carnegolflinks.com/events/atlantic-coast-challenge/ West Coast Challenge https://www.strandhillgolfclub.com/west-coast-challenge/
Spring Links Challenge (Enniscrone) https://www.diamondcoast.ie/spring_links_golf_challenge.html
Ring of Kerry Golf Pass https://kerrylinkgolfpass.com/
WHAT TO READ. Find some of the countless podcasts and videos about Irish links golf. They excel at showing the weather and unimaginable challenge. Books: John Garrity’s masterpiece on Carne, “Ancestral Links,” Kevin Markham’s “Hooked,” Tom Coyne’s “A Course Called Ireland,” Michael Atkinson and Craig Morrison “Golfland Ireland,” (2024), James Finegan’s “Emerald Fairways and Foam Flecked Seas,” and the honest, acerbic “Links of Heaven,” Richard Phinney and Scott Whitley (1996).
PLEASE WALK. With American tourist money has come, inevitably, some American customs, and sadly, there are more motorized golf carts carrying chubby Yanks around than there were a decade ago. Irish links golf can be mountainous strenuous hiking, often in wind and rain, but it is best played on foot. If you use a cart back home for 51 weeks of the year, now is the time to get in shape for the best courses in the world.
Bruce Selcraig is a former Sports Illustrated investigative reporter and U.S. Senate investigator. selcraig@swbell.net