It’s a good and worthy debate: Who has the better links courses, Scotland or Ireland? If it can’t be answered decisively, we should at least acknowledge that the courses from each country are different.
In general, the links of Scotland are subdued, embedded with small intricacies, sly strategies and dunes that only occasionally rise to the level of Herculean, though Royal Birkdale and Royal St. George’s would like a word. Ireland’s links are wild and wooly, bouncy and rugged. Some of golf’s biggest dunes are found in the country’s north at places like Carne, which enters this year’s ranking of the World’s 100 Greatest Courses at No. 63, and Enniscrone. You can get lost in there, or at the very least spun around and made dizzy.
Moving south toward Lahinch, Ballybunion and Waterville, the dunes get smaller but are by no means small—they are still some of the most impressive and exciting in the game. Though not a links, Old Head, due south, is one of the most audacious settings for a golf course on earth, a one of one. And even Ireland’s east coast, north and south of Dublin, is stocked with some of the sport’s most underappreciated links like Brittas Bay (formerly The European Club), County Louth and The Island.
Does it add up to what Scotland offers? Some say yes, some say no, but there’s no debate that links golf in Ireland is anything less than rip-roaring fun.
Scroll down to discover our new 2026-2027 ranking of the Best Courses in Ireland.
Editor’s Note: Our Best Courses in Ireland ranking is part of Golf Digest’s rollout of the Best Courses in Every Country. Check back over the next few weeks for more of our rankings of the best golf around the world.
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