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Arrive into Ireland and make your way to your Hotel for the next 3 nights – Portmarnock Resort.
Tucked away in a quiet corner of ‘The Velvet Strand’, one of Ireland’s most stunning stretches of uninterrupted coastline – the historic Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links, once the family home of the Jameson Dynasty awaits. With an award-winning Links Golf Course, Spa and the historic Jameson Bar, Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links is the perfect coastal retreat.
The long association between the Jameson family and Portmarnock begins when John Jameson III, the grandson of the founder of the Jameson Distillery at Bow Street, moved to St. Marnocks in 1847. He and his wife Anne had five children, the youngest of whom, Willie, was born in the house in 1851. He brought with him two magnificent portraits by the Scottish artist Sir Henry Raeburn of his grandparents, John and Margaret Jameson, these portraits are now on display at the National Gallery of Ireland, while reproductions hang in the hotel bar
Portmarnock Links is an 18 hole course spread across 203 acres and is set on the grounds of the old Jameson Estate of St. Marnocks. The course has played host to professional and amateur events including the 2008 and 2009 Ladies Irish Open and the 2021 Irish Challenge.
This is the links that Bernhard Langer designed in conjunction with landscape architect Stan Eby and, in 1996, the Golf Links opened for play. The course borders its illustrious neighbour, Portmarnock Golf Club, but the two courses are separately owned and managed.
For such a new layout, the Links is a very understated course. There is nothing showy about the design; the natural links land is used simply and effectively. The first eight holes play across gently-undulating ground with definition provided by varied grasses and pot bunkers. Then, around the turn, a cluster of shaggy sand dunes provides a much more pronounced aspect. Portmarnock Links makes full use of the dunes and natural terrain to provide a layout that will please the most ardent of links purists. The elevated tees and greens, blind approaches and doglegs, not to mention the typical links sea breeze, will keep you thinking through every round.
Overlooked by the North County Dublin village of Malahide, the links is located in some of the most stunning dunes on the east coast of Ireland. It is also one of the oldest golf courses in Ireland and was ranked 9th in Irish Golfer’s Top 100 Courses in 2021
It enjoys a growing international reputation and currently hosts Regional Qualifying for The Open Championship and has hosted strokeplay qualifying for the British Amateur Championship in 2019 and the 2023 The Irish Amateur Open.
This is a no-frills golf course. There is nothing artificial, it’s simply harmonious and in tune with its surroundings. Some of the most shaggy, rugged and looming sand dunes imaginable provide natural and distinct amphitheatres for many of the holes. In the summer, if you are unfortunate and wayward enough to find the dunes, be careful to avoid trampling on the wild dune flowers. The club is quite rightly proud of its flora. Expect to hear the hypnotic song of the lark – there are plenty to be heard and the skylark is the Island’s club emblem.
After breakfast at Portmarnock Hotel and your check out, its off to Baltray Golf Club.
In 2004 and 2009 County Louth Golf Club hosted the European Tour’s Irish Open. On the latter occasion, the club was etched into Irish golfing history when it famously became the venue where 2019 Open Champion Shane Lowry won the Irish Open as an Amateur.
The village of Baltray is renowned for its golf course but can also be enjoyed for its exhilarating air and panoramic views of the Cooley and Mourne mountains to the north and its six-mile-long beach over the course sand dunes.
Over the years our club restaurant has become highly regarded for its famous local dishes especially the fresh seafood which is sourced locally from the fishing trawlers in nearby Clogherhead.
Your next Hotel for 4 nights is The Fleet which is located in the Heart of Dublin City.
After 3 rounds of Golf in a row, you will take in a full day exploring the City with key stops at the Guinness Factory, Dublin Castle and finally Temple Bar for some of the best Live Music and legendary Irish Banter/Craic. Your hotel is in the Heart of Temple Bar so you wont have long to walk home after sampling first class local food and drinks.
Guinness Factory – The Connoisseur Experience at the Guinness Storehouse, is a journey through the tastes, smells and story of Guinness. Here you’ll sample four of the most popular beers that have ever been brewed at Guinness while your guide talks you through all there is to know about them. Discover the origins of famous Guinness beers, connect with the people around you and gain an understanding of the craft and connection behind the most iconic brand in the world.
Dublin Castle – Constructed in the early thirteenth century on the site of a Viking settlement, Dublin Castle served for centuries as the headquarters of English, and later British, administration in Ireland. In 1922, following Ireland’s independence, Dublin Castle was handed over to the new Irish government. It is now a major government complex and a key tourist attraction.
Temple Bar – Temple Bar is a busy riverside neighbourhood, spread over cobbled pedestrian lanes. Crowded pubs host live folk music and DJ sets, and diners pack restaurants serving Asian, American and Irish cuisine. Quirky boutiques stock clothes and crafts by local designers. The National Photographic Archive highlights Ireland’s past, while the Project Arts Centre and Temple Bar Gallery + Studios shows contemporary art.
Alternatively we can organise another round of golf if you want to keep walking the fairways
The European Club is located in tumbling dunes just south of Dublin and it features sweeping sea views from nineteen of the twenty holes. Yes, there are two extra par-3s here and they are in play most days affording the golfer a 20-hole round which includes five holes running very close to the sea. So close that it is common to find players searching for their golf balls on the beach.
Tiger Woods holds the links record at 67. Rory McIlroy won the Irish Amateur title here. Padraig Harrington has played here as boy and man and prepared for his British Open wins by playing in and winning the Irish PGA at The European Club in the week before both! Of course, care has been taken to allow the normal mortal to enjoy the game. This is a complex but enjoyable examination for every golfer provided they use their brains.
The links is consistently ranked amongst the top golf courses in the world. With a rich history closely aligned to the progression of golf in Ireland, Portmarnock has hosted many major professional and amateur events including multiple Irish Open Championships, the Walker Cup, the Irish Amateur Close Championship and the British Amateur Championship.
From Sam Snead to Seve Ballesteros, some of golf’s best known names have tested their skills here on the north Dublin peninsula. Considered by many as one of the fairest links courses in the world it delivers an incredible challenge and true test of golf. We invite you to experience links golf at its purest.
Portmarnock Golf Club was ranked as the best golf course in Ireland, Golf Digest Magazine, 2004/15 and Tom Watson (Open Champion on 5 occasions) summed up the links during his visits by saying “There are no tricks or nasty surprises, only an honest, albeit searching test of shot making skills.”
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Select from our popular tours or design your own personal tour. We can custom design to meet your requirements. Contact us today and start your journey to the best Links golf in the World.
Limavady, Northern Ireland
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