11 BEAUTIFUL GOLF COURSES ON IRELAND’S SOUTH COAST

Last updated on May 15, 2024

Many travellers get into a rental car in Dublin and drive directly west to the Wild Atlantic Way. This is certainly a good idea, because the WAW is beautiful.

If you want to see something different, you can also visit the south coast of Ireland. The cliffs are a bit lower here, but the south also has many places worth seeing.

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Intro

For example, the Viking towns (founded by Vikings in the early Middle Ages) Wexford and Waterford, Hook Lighthouse and the Coppercoast with its beautiful cliffs, or beautiful harbour towns such as Dungarvan, Youghal, or Kinsale. Cobh, the harbour suburb of Cork, is also worth seeing. From here, many ships once set off across the Atlantic to North America – including the Titanic on its last voyage.

The port of Baltimore on the southwest coast is also very beautiful. Once a small fishing port, it is now a popular holiday resort – no wonder with its spectacular location with a long bay and offshore islands!

If you like bigger cities, you can’t miss Cork.

And to make sure you don’t get tired of sightseeing and driving, you can also do some sporting activities, for example a round of golf – or several rounds?

Below, I’ll show you some nice golf courses on the beautiful south coast. I try to list mainly golf courses directly on the water in order to put together a nice tour for you. Course rankings interest me less (or not at all).

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We start in the southeast and golf our way along the coast to the southwest. You can easily spend a week’s holiday on the south coast alone, and with 11 golf courses you have a bit of choice.

By the way, I know the south coast very well because we have lived in Ireland for several years (second home) and have travelled the island several times in all directions – including golfing.
In summer we run our motorbike rental business here, south of Dublin (www.easycruiser.tours) and also have nice guest rooms for travellers – also for golfers! If you’re driving south from Dublin, you’re practically passing us by.

So, let`s tee off:

1 The Burrow Links

Rosslare is situated a little bit south of Wexford. It is an important ferry port for Ireland. From here you can cross to England, France or even Spain. Rosslare also has a beautiful long sandy beach on a long headland south of the harbour. In the dunes you will find a very nice golf links course. See: https://rosslaregolf.com/the-burrow-links/.

2 Dunmore East Golf Club

Dunmore East is located in the south of Waterford, right on the water. There are beautiful cliffs here and also a nice cliff walk southwest of the harbour. There is also a golf course above the cliffs. See: https://www.dunmoreholiday.ie/.

3 Dungarvan Golf Club

Dungarvan is a very nice place with a nice little marina and restaurants right on the water. The golf club is situated just above the sandy bay. See: www.dungarvangolfclub.com.

4 Gold Coast Golf Club

The Gold Coast Golf Resort is also near Dungarvan. The golf course is beautifully situated directly on the coast and extends to a small lighthouse. See: www.goldcoastgolfclub.com.

5 Youghal Golf Club

Do you know the old black and white movie “Moby Dick” from 1954 with Gregory Peck? It was filmed here! Youghal is proud of it and today there is a white metal whale swimming in the bay by the harbour and a Moby Dick’s bar in the village. The golf course is practically between the harbour and the beach. See: www.youghalgolfclub.com.

6 Cobh Golf Club

Cobh has long been an important seaport with links to the USA and Canada. The harbour town is situated on a small island off Cork. It is easily accessible via a bridge. Cobh Golf Club is situated on the banks of the River Lee, not far from the harbour. See: www.cobhgolfclub.ie.

7 Kinsale Golf Club

Kinsale is the southern start/end point of the Wild Atlantic Way. Apart from that, it is a beautiful harbour town with many pleasure boats, a large bay and a hstorical fort overlooking the bay. A bit busy in summer, but nice. A little inland is the Kinsale Golf Club. See: www.kinsalegolf.ie.

8 Old Head Golf Links

Here comes a cracker!!! Off Kinsale is a peninsula accessible by a small road. This is the Old Head. High above the rugged cliffs is the old lighthouse that marks the way into Kinsale harbour, the Old Head Lighthouse. Besides, there is actually only one golf course here – one of the most spectacular golf courses in Ireland! Be sure to check out Old Head Golf Links: See: www.oldhead.com.

9 Rosscarbery Pitch and Putt

Pitch and Putt? Don’t be so disdainful – the location is beautiful and right on the water! This Pitch and Putt has two 18-hole links courses. Nearby is the Drombeg Stone Circle, a very beautiful Celtic stone circle – also worth a visit! See: www.rosscarberypitchandputt.com.

10 Skibbereen Golf Club

This golf course is not by the sea, but in the rocky hills between Skibbereen and Baltimore. Well situated and scenic. See: www.skibbgolf.com.

11 Bantry Bay Golf Club

Now we are already around the southwest tip, but I didn’t want to deprive you of this beautiful course: Bantry Bay is a beautiful long bay. Bantry House is a historic mansion with a garden, well worth a visit. The golf course is situated directly on the water with a beautiful view of the bay! The perfect place to end a beautiful golf trip. See: www.bantrygolf.com.

Conclusion

The south of Ireland is worth a visit! The south coast shines with beautiful landscapes and coasts, pretty towns and cities and lots of culture and nature.

And you can also play golf here? If you want to combine a nice Irish holiday with a nice golf trip a little off the beaten track, then this is the place for you.

From Wexford in the southeast to Baltimore in the southwest you will have a lot of fun – I promise!

So let’s go to Ireland – for golf!