HAWES PARTNERS GOLF EXPERIENCES
The Bucket List
Twenty-Three-Day Ireland Golf & Sightseeing Tour
23 Days · 17 Rounds of Golf · Ireland's Greatest Links!
A fully escorted 23-day, 22-night grand tour of Ireland's finest links — beginning at Dublin Airport and finishing at Cork Airport. Seventeen rounds across Ireland's highest-rated courses, twelve hotel bases, and a routing that takes you from the east coast through Belfast and the north, across Donegal, down through Sligo, Mayo and Clare, into Kerry and finishing at Kinsale. Hosted Tour, but also available as a private non-escorted self-drive Tour for groups of 4 or less. Events beyond our control may make some activities subject to revision.
ACCOMMODATION
GOLF COURSES
THE ITINERARY
23 Days Across Ireland — Dublin to Cork
This trip can also be split into 7–9 day sections if you cannot spare the time all at once.
Day 1
Arrive Dublin
Arrive at Dublin Airport and transfer approximately 20 minutes to Portmarnock. Check into the resort and take the afternoon to recover from the overnight flight. Welcome dinner overlooking the Irish Sea.
Stay: Portmarnock Resort & Jameson Golf Links
Day 2*
Portmarnock Championship Course
Play one of Ireland's most historically important and strategically sophisticated links. Portmarnock is ranked among the leading courses in Ireland and No. 45 in Golf Digest's 2026–27 World's 100 Greatest. The course has hosted numerous Irish Opens, major amateur championships and the 1991 Walker Cup.
Stay: Portmarnock Resort & Jameson Golf Links
Day 3*
Royal County Down
Check out and travel approximately two hours to Newcastle, County Down. Royal County Down is Golf Digest's No. 1 course in the world for 2026–27 — a classic links beneath the Mountains of Mourne, distinguished by natural bunkering, narrow fairways and partially obscured approaches. After the round, continue north to Belfast and check in to the Europa Hotel.
Stay: Europa Hotel, Belfast
Day 4
Belfast — Titanic & Troubles
A full day in Belfast devoted to two of the city's most compelling experiences: the world-class Titanic Belfast museum and a guided Political/Troubles tour through the murals and peace walls of the Falls and Shankill Roads.
Stay: Europa Hotel, Belfast
Day 5*
Belfast to Portrush — Antrim Coast & Valley Course
Depart Belfast and travel the spectacular Antrim Coast road to Portrush, stopping at some of Northern Ireland's most iconic sights along the way. Arrive in time for an afternoon round on the Royal Portrush Valley Course before settling in for the evening.
Stay: Dunluce Lodge or premium Portrush hotel
Day 6*
Portstewart — Strand Course
Located approximately 15 minutes from Portrush, Portstewart Strand Course was the host venue for the 2017 Irish Open. The opening nine travels through some of the largest dunes on the Causeway Coast. Ranked among Golf Digest's 2026–27 World's 100 Greatest.
Stay: Dunluce Lodge or premium Portrush hotel
Day 7
Causeway Coast — Giant's Causeway & Bushmills
A full sightseeing day on the Causeway Coast. Visit the Giant's Causeway — Northern Ireland's only UNESCO World Heritage Site — then enjoy a guided tour and tasting experience at the Old Bushmills Distillery, the world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery, established in 1608.
Stay: Dunluce Lodge or premium Portrush hotel
Day 8*
Royal Portrush — Dunluce Links
Host of The Open Championship in 1951, 2019 and 2025. Ranked No. 5 in Golf Digest's 2026–27 World's 100 Greatest. A championship links defined by large dunes, elevated viewpoints and exceptionally strong closing holes.
Stay: Dunluce Lodge or premium Portrush hotel
Day 9
Portrush to Rosapenna — County Donegal
Depart Portrush and travel approximately 2½–3 hours to Rosapenna on Sheephaven Bay. Cross into County Donegal and continue through Letterkenny, with a stop for lunch and sightseeing at Glenveagh National Park.
Stay: Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort, Sheephaven Bay
Day 10*
St Patrick's Links at Rosapenna
Tom Doak's spectacular modern links, opened in 2021. Ranked No. 58 in Golf Digest's 2026–27 World's 100 Greatest and among the top five courses in Ireland. Broad fairways, immense natural dunes and constantly changing views over Sheephaven Bay.
Stay: Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort, Sheephaven Bay
Day 11*
Cruit Island Golf Club
A short drive from Rosapenna, Cruit Island Golf Club is one of Donegal's most charming and unusual links — a nine-hole course (played twice) on a small tidal island connected to the mainland by a bridge. Perched on rocky headlands above the Atlantic with views across to the Rosses, it is a genuine hidden gem of Irish golf. After the round, transfer south to Sligo City and check in to the Glass House Hotel on the River Garavogue.
Stay: The Glass House Hotel, Sligo City
Day 12*
Donegal Golf Club — Murvagh
Donegal Golf Club at Murvagh is one of Ireland's most underrated links — a long, demanding course laid out on a narrow peninsula between Donegal Bay and a tidal lagoon. Designed by Eddie Hackett and extended by Pat Ruddy, the course offers spectacular views of the Blue Stack Mountains and the Donegal coastline. After the round, transfer south to Sligo City and check in to the Glass House Hotel on the River Garavogue.
Stay: The Glass House Hotel, Sligo City
Day 13*
County Sligo Golf Club — Rosses Point
County Sligo Golf Club at Rosses Point is one of Ireland's great championship links, ranked among the finest courses in the country. Set on a dramatic peninsula jutting into Sligo Bay with Benbulben mountain as a backdrop, the course hosted the West of Ireland Championship for over a century. A true links test with firm turf, natural contours and sweeping Atlantic views. After the round, transfer south through County Mayo to Mount Falcon Estate in Ballina.
Stay: Mount Falcon Estate, Ballina, County Mayo
Day 14
Rest & Explore — Ballina & the Mayo Countryside
A well-earned rest day based at Mount Falcon Estate. The grounds alone are worth a morning stroll — 100 acres of woodland and river walks along the River Moy, one of Ireland's finest salmon rivers. The afternoon is yours to explore at leisure: the market town of Ballina, the Céide Fields (the world's oldest known field system, a short drive north), or simply relax at the estate.
Stay: Mount Falcon Estate, Ballina, County Mayo
Day 15*
Enniscrone Golf Club
A magnificent links on the shores of Killala Bay in County Sligo, Enniscrone Golf Club is one of Ireland's most underrated gems. Designed by Eddie Hackett, the course features towering dunes, natural hollows and dramatic Atlantic views. A classic west of Ireland links experience just 30 minutes from Mount Falcon.
Stay: Mount Falcon Estate, Ballina, County Mayo
Day 16*
Carne Golf Links — Hackett Course
One of Ireland's most remote and spectacular links, Carne Golf Links sits on the wild Atlantic edge of the Erris Peninsula in northwest Mayo. Designed by Eddie Hackett and opened in 1995, the course winds through enormous natural dunes with sweeping views of Blacksod Bay and the Atlantic. A hidden gem and a genuine bucket-list experience. Overnight in Belmullet.
Stay: Broadhaven Bay Hotel, Belmullet
Day 17*
Carne Golf Links — Wild Atlantic Way Course
A second day at Carne to play the Wild Atlantic Way Course — the newer layout designed by Jim Engh, opened in 2016. Where the Hackett course weaves through the interior dunes, the Wild Atlantic Way Course pushes to the very edge of the peninsula with even more dramatic elevation changes and uninterrupted views of the Atlantic. Two very different experiences of the same extraordinary landscape. Transfer south to Lahinch after the round.
Stay: Vaughan Lodge, Lahinch | Alt: Armada Hotel, Spanish Point
Day 18*
Lahinch — Old Course
A historic links shaped by Old Tom Morris and later refined by Alister MacKenzie. Ranked No. 21 in Golf Digest's 2026–27 World's 100 Greatest. Home to the famous Klondyke and Dell holes and deeply connected to the town of Lahinch.
Stay: Vaughan Lodge, Lahinch | Alt: Armada Hotel, Spanish Point
Day 19*
Ballybunion — Old Course
Check out and travel south, crossing the Shannon Estuary on the Killimer–Tarbert ferry. Ballybunion Old Course is ranked No. 10 in Golf Digest's 2026–27 World's 100 Greatest — a natural links of towering dunes, firm turf, blind approaches and dramatic Atlantic holes. Widely considered one of the essential golf experiences in the world.
Stay: The Rose Hotel or Ballygarry Estate, Tralee
Day 20*
Tralee Golf Club
Arnold Palmer's first course design in Europe. Ranked among Golf Digest's 2026–27 World's 100 Greatest. The outward nine follows lower coastal terrain before the course climbs into immense dunes overlooking the Atlantic.
Stay: Great Southern Killarney or The Brehon, Killarney
Day 21*
Waterville Golf Links
Travel approximately 75–90 minutes from Killarney to Waterville. Ranked No. 52 in Golf Digest's 2026–27 World's 100 Greatest. A secluded links positioned between the Atlantic Ocean and Lough Currane, combining natural duneland with an exceptionally strong closing sequence.
Stay: Great Southern Killarney or The Brehon, Killarney
Day 22*
Old Head Golf Links & Farewell Evening
Check out and travel approximately two hours to Kinsale. Old Head Golf Links occupies a narrow headland extending into the Atlantic — ranked No. 72 in Golf Digest's 2026–27 World's 100 Greatest and one of Ireland's great bucket-list experiences. The evening is a celebration — a visit to the Black of Kinsale Distillery followed by a farewell dinner and party with the group.
Stay: Trident Hotel Kinsale or Actons Hotel, Kinsale
Day 23
It's Been Grand! — Departure
Enjoy a final Irish breakfast before transfers to Dublin Airport. Safe travels home — until next time!
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