GOLF HOLIDAYS IN IRELAND – IN THE WINTER – 12 HOT TIPS ON THE SOUTH-EAST COAST

Last updated on November 8, 2024

When the fog rolls over the fairways in Germany, the bare trees bend in the wind and the morning frost turns the meadow white, then it’s that time again: the summer greens are closed.
You stumble unmotivated over the winter greens, the frosty-cold golf ball bangs unpleasantly when you tee off and again when it bursts on the tree. No fun at all….

Intro

I come from Germany, but if you come from a different country, you may have had similar experiences as well.

Very different in Ireland – would you have thought it?

Because of the Gulf Stream, the Irish island is washed by mild water even in winter. The sea acts like a hot water bottle and ensures that there is no frost on the Irish coast – really none! There can be night frost on the mountains inland, but it usually thaws out by mid-morning. Snow? A rare occurrence – take a quick photo, it doesn’t last long.

I speak from experience. We live in the southeast of Ireland (second home) and have been here on and off for several years, at all times of the year. Our daughter lives in a house by the sea and my wife and I live on the edge of the Wicklow Mountains, south of Dublin, about 35 minutes from the coast. Both houses have palm trees in the garden (because little or no frost), as do so many other houses on the island. I have often mowed the lawn in Ireland in January and February, because unlike in Germany, the grass grows all year round.

There are 58 Links Courses around the island of Ireland. Links Courses are built into the dune foreshore on the coast. So the soil is sandy. In dry summers it can become quite hard, but when it rains a bit more in winter it becomes a bit softer and therefore much more pleasant! Mud is still not an issue, as the rain always runs off well in the sandy soil.

There are also parkland courses directly on the coast and also a few kilometres inland. These also benefit from the milder maritime climate.

Generally, the greens in Ireland are not closed in winter, winter greens are usually not necessary. Winter temperatures are usually somewhere between 5-10 degrees Celsius. There can be gale force winds, even with rain, but you can also have dry and beautiful weather. On the coast there is usually more clear weather and sunshine than inland, where clouds tend to accumulate on the mountain ranges.

The south-east coast has the least rainfall on the island, about half as much as the north-west coast. It is therefore also called Sunny South East by the Irish.

My hot winter tip for you is to keep checking the Dublin weather forecast throughout the winter. If a good week is coming, book a spontaneous flight to Dublin (flights are very cheap in winter) and go golfing for a few days on the southwest coast!

Here I list a nice selection of frost-free golf courses along the south-east coast. So you can do a tour and golf at a different place every day, or pick a location and play the courses in the vicinity. Either way, you have plenty of choice!

If you’d rather golf in and around Dublin, I’ve written an article for that too. I’ll link it to you again at the bottom of the text.

Golf courses on the south-east coast

Conclusion

Ireland can be very beautiful in the winter months – we know that from our own experience. However, it is worth waiting for the weather forecast and then booking a flight at short notice, because you don’t want to catch a rainy week, which can also happen in winter.

In any case, you can still play golf in Ireland in the winter months, especially on the coast. It can be windy, but there is no frost, so the golf courses on the coast are open and playable all year round.

In addition, flights, rental cars and accommodation are much cheaper than in summer!

Dublin is also interesting in winter. You can combine a few days in the city with a few days of golf and enjoy the miles of sandy beaches on the south-east coast!

So come to Ireland to play golf – in winter of course!

More interesting articles for you

GOLF “ON YOUR DOORSTEP” – 7 EXCITING GOLF COURSES AROUND DUBLIN

GOLF HOLIDAYS IN THE “GARDEN” OF WICKLOW, AND THE SUNNY SOUTH EAST OF IRELAND

IRELAND GOLF HOLIDAYS – WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO PLAY THE LINKS COURSE?


IRELAND GOLF HOLIDAYS – 13 BEAUTIFUL AND AFFORDABLE GOLF COURSES FOR BEGINNERS

Cover photo credit: photo by Sean Foster on Unsplash