For golfers who want to explore

Tom Doak's 2021 masterpiece on the Sheephaven dunes. Wide, wild fairways routed through natural sandhills with barely any earth moved — arguably the most exciting new links built in Ireland this century.

Pat Ruddy's big-dune epic. Elevated tees, ridge-top fairways and constant views over Sheephaven Bay. Exposed, dramatic, and a genuine test when the wind gets up.

Laid out by Old Tom himself in 1893 and still full of charm. Flatter links land close to the shore, quirky in the best way, and the perfect warm-up or wind-down round.

Nine holes clinging to an Atlantic headland, reached across a small bridge. The par-3 6th plays over a churning inlet and is one of the great photographs in Irish golf. Pure, unpretentious fun.

Ireland's most northerly club, with two superb links. Glashedy is the muscular championship test; the Old Links is a rumpled, tumbling classic that plays like nowhere else.

The great Dublin links and a regular host of the Irish Open. A peninsula site, brilliant balance, and greens that reward precise ball-striking. Few courses are as consistently admired by professionals.

A links of true quality on the far side of the peninsula, framed by dunes and the Irish Sea. More intimate than its famous neighbour and a joy to walk.

Narrow fairways threading between towering dunes at Donabate. Wonderfully old-fashioned in places, thrilling throughout, with the 13th and 14th among the best short holes in the country.

A Tom Simpson design and a favourite of purists. Subtle rather than showy — clever green complexes, superb bunkering and a routing that keeps changing direction on you.

A classic out-and-back links on Bull Island, minutes from the city centre. Christy O'Connor Snr's home course, finishing with the famous dog-legged 'Garden' 18th.

The 'Augusta of Europe'. Immaculate Wicklow parkland with water, granite and rhododendrons — the island green 13th and the closing stretch are proper theatre.

Regularly ranked the best course in the world. Bearded bunkers, blind drives and the Mountains of Mourne on the skyline. Beautiful, brutal, unforgettable.

Open Championship host and the crown jewel of the Antrim coast. Dunluce's rolling fairways, Calamity Corner and the newer 7th and 8th make for an outstanding modern links.

An underrated gem where the Bann meets the sea. Firm turf, big dunes and a wonderful par-3 4th, 'Leg o' Mutton', played between a railway and a burn.

The opening seven holes of the Strand course are among the most dramatic in golf — a descent through enormous dunes with the beach below. It never lets up.

Clifftop golf beside a 15th-century clubhouse. The first few holes play along the edge of the Irish Sea with waves breaking beneath you. Short, quirky and enormous fun.

The last links Eddie Hackett built, out on the Belmullet peninsula. Vast, untamed dunes and a routing that feels discovered rather than designed. Remote and worth every mile.

Home of the West of Ireland Championship, under the shadow of Benbulben. Big, exposed and beautifully balanced — the run from the 14th home is a proper examination.

A tumbling, natural links between the mountain and the Atlantic, with a surf-town village on the doorstep. Great value and great craic.

Huge sandhills and a spectacular dunes stretch added by Donald Steel. One of the most enjoyable walks in Irish golf, with views across Killala Bay.

One of the longest links in Ireland, set on a forested peninsula. Wide-open and windswept, with 'The Valley of Tears' par-3 5th as its calling card.

Tom Watson's favourite. Holes perched on cliffs above the Atlantic, dunes on every side and a routing of relentless quality. A bucket-list round for good reason.

Robert Trent Jones Snr called this the finest piece of links land he had ever seen. Wilder and more vertical than the Old — a thrilling companion round.

Arnold Palmer's first European design, on the Barrow peninsula where 'Ryan's Daughter' was filmed. The back nine climbs into enormous dunes and simply doesn't quit.

Out on the Ring of Kerry, long and stately, with the closing holes running through dunes beside Ballinskelligs Bay. The par-3 17th, 'Mulcahy's Peak', is a stunner.

A promontory jutting two miles into the Atlantic with 300ft cliffs on three sides. Not a links in the traditional sense — but nowhere else on earth looks like this.

The 'St Andrews of Ireland'. MacKenzie's routing, blind shots at Klondyke and Dell, goats in the forecast and a town that lives for golf.

Ryder Cup host and Ireland's best-known parkland resort. Palmer's Liffey-side holes, immaculate conditioning and a hotel to match.

The 'Augusta of Europe'. Immaculate Wicklow parkland with water, granite and rhododendrons — the island green 13th and the closing stretch are proper theatre.

A Jack Nicklaus design in Meath, host of the 2011 Solheim Cup. Broad, beautifully conditioned fairways with a genuine castle as a backdrop.

Another Nicklaus layout, in Kilkenny, and a regular Irish Open host. Mature woodland, water in play and one of the great country-house stays in Ireland.

One of Ireland's newest courses, on sandy Wicklow coastline. Getting there early means playing a future favourite before the rest of the world catches on.

A brand-new Wexford links beside the beach made famous by 'Saving Private Ryan'. Big dunes, sandy soil and huge potential.

The 'Augusta of Europe'. Immaculate Wicklow parkland with water, granite and rhododendrons — the island green 13th and the closing stretch are proper theatre.

Two parkland courses on a magnificent Wicklow estate, with Sugarloaf Mountain framing nearly every shot. Perfect pairing with the house and gardens.