Golf Courses in Northern Ireland: County by County Guide

Northern Ireland is small, yet its golf is not. Our directory lists 77 open courses across the six counties, counted on 10 October 2026. This guide goes through them county by county. It then looks at the clubs in and around Belfast.

Each club links to its own page. Facts such as holes, par and founding year come from the clubs’ own websites. Always check with the club before you travel, because visitor rules and tee times change.

How we group the courses

We file each club under the county of its address. Because Belfast straddles Antrim and Down, its clubs appear under both. These are the counts:

• County Antrim: 27 courses
• County Down: 26 courses
• County Londonderry: 9 courses
• County Armagh: 7 courses
• County Tyrone: 6 courses
• County Fermanagh: 2 courses

You can also browse the whole Northern Ireland region page.

County Antrim: the Causeway Coast and the glens

Royal Portrush Golf Club has two courses, the Dunluce and the Valley, while the club describes the Dunluce as home to The Open 2025.

Further along the coast, Ballycastle Golf Club was founded in 1890. It describes a blend of parkland and links-style golf. Meanwhile, Cushendall Golf Club is a nine-hole course in the Glens of Antrim, and the club dates from 1937.

Inland, Lisburn Golf Club and Massereene Golf Club both play to par 72. Allen Park Golf Course is another 18-hole par 72, although the Antrim and Newtownabbey council lists it on its website. Greenacres Golf Centre is an 18-hole par 70. Ballyearl Golf Course is a nine-hole par 3 layout. Our guide to par 3 and pitch-and-putt courses covers that style of golf in more detail.

County Down: links, lough shores and parkland

Royal County Down Golf Club at Newcastle has two courses. Its website specifically names them the Championship Links and the Annesley Links.

Ardglass Golf Club is an 18-hole links on the north-east coast. Although it is a private members’ club, it says it welcomes visitors. The club also says its clubhouse dates from about 1405. Kirkistown Castle Golf Club dates from 1902. Its website credits James Braid with the design, and the course is a par 70.

Parkland is still easy to find. Scrabo Golf Club measures 6,227 yards at par 71. Donaghadee Golf Club plays 5,904 yards at par 71. Spa Golf Club is an 18-hole par 72. Helens Bay Golf Club is a nine-hole par 34.

Other Down clubs have their own histories. For example, Warrenpoint Golf Club says it dates from 1893 and calls its course an 18-hole parkland layout. Banbridge Golf Club describes an 18-hole, 5,665-yard par 69. Clandeboye Golf Club near Newtownards has two courses, the Dufferin and the Ava.

Golf near Belfast

Belfast is a handy base because eleven clubs in our directory have a Belfast address. Royal Belfast, just outside the city, adds a twelfth option.

In County Antrim, the Belfast clubs are Balmoral, Cliftonville, Dunmurry, Fortwilliam, Malone and Ormeau. In County Down, they are Belvoir Park, Castlereagh Hills, Knock, Rockmount and Shandon Park.

A few facts stand out:

• Royal Belfast Golf Club at Holywood says it dates from 1881. It sits on the shores of Belfast Lough.
• Belvoir Park says its course dates from 1927 and that Harry Colt designed it. The course runs through 163 acres of mature woodland.
• Ormeau is a nine-hole course. The club says it is less than a mile from the city centre.
• Fortwilliam says it offers the only 18-hole course in North Belfast.

County Londonderry: the north-west

Portstewart Golf Club dates from 1894 and has three links courses, the Strand, the Riverside and the Old Course. The Strand, specifically, hosted the 2017 Irish Open, according to the club.

Castlerock Golf Club has the Mussenden and Bann courses. In Derry, City of Derry Golf Club dates from 1912 and plays over the Prehen parkland course. Foyle Golf Centre, meanwhile, adds an 18-hole course, a nine-hole par 3 and a driving range.

Armagh, Tyrone and Fermanagh

These three counties have fewer courses, yet they are rewarding. In Armagh, Portadown is a par 70, Tandragee is a par 71 and Ashfield near Newry is a par 69. In Tyrone, Dungannon plays to par 72 and Omagh to par 71. Killymoon Golf Club, also in Tyrone, dates from 1889 and plays at par 70.

In Fermanagh, Lough Erne Resort has the Faldo Course, a par 72, and the Castle Hume Course. In contrast, Enniskillen Golf Club says its back nine is a protected Area of Special Scientific Interest.

Short courses and nine-hole rounds

Not every round has to be 18 holes. Northern Ireland has plenty of nine-hole courses, and they suit a quick evening game or a first round since they take less time. Cushendall, Helens Bay, Ormeau and Ballyearl all describe nine holes on their own websites. Our guides to nine-hole golf courses and municipal golf courses explain how these courses work. You can also search the nine-hole course finder.

Planning your trip

Because Northern Ireland is compact, it suits a short break. Mix a headline links with a parkland club or two. Our earlier guide to golf courses in Northern Ireland covers the headline venues in more depth. For the wider picture, read our golf in Ireland guide and our list of the best links golf courses in the UK.

If you want to keep costs down, see our guide to pay and play golf. To plan a longer trip, our golf breaks guide is a good place to start.

Sources: the club websites for Royal Portrush, Royal County Down, Ardglass, Kirkistown Castle, Royal Belfast, Belvoir Park, Ormeau, Fortwilliam, Portstewart, Castlerock, City of Derry, Foyle Golf Centre, Killymoon, Lough Erne Resort, Enniskillen, Ballycastle and Cushendall, read on 10 October 2026.

Travelling over by ferry? The directory lists golf courses near Glasgow, close to the Cairnryan crossings, and golf courses near Liverpool, where Belfast sailings leave from Birkenhead. You can also browse every course we list in Scotland to plan a round on the way.