In updating the Tailor Made Golf Tours website lots of memories came back to the time we selected the golf courses that have featured on the website for over 20 years. Lots has changed since then and it is noticeable how the links courses visited by North American golfers have become richer (Lahinch is spending € 6m on a new clubhouse) while the inland courses continue to struggle to attract overseas visitors in any significant volume.
Many of these inland courses suffered badly, some were nearly crippled, by the economic crash of 2008. Many had made multi-million euro investments in their courses and facilities funded by extraordinary high loans from Irish banks. The banks subsequently sold these debts to (mainly) North American vulture funds many of whom have been recently active in securing massive payments to 'save' these golf courses. So while the courses continue to operate and golfers can thankfully play them, the cost has been new loans (from the same banks!) to fund the payoff.
Of course the irony is that the individual beneficiaries of the vulture fund activity are amongst the very wealthy golfers that flock to Ireland playing the links courses!
A round on the Old Course at Ballybunion, for example, was € 125 in 2004. Today it is one of the first traditional courses, together with Portmarnock, Royal County Down and Royal Portrush, to reach or exceed € 400 per round. So while Ballybunion's green fee has risen 220% since 2004, by contrast a premier parkland course like Athlone has risen from € 30 in 2004 to just € 40 in 2025 which is just 33%.
In fact there are several first class inland (non-links) courses that can be played for less than €50. There are clusters in the midlands and southeast in particular but elsewhere as well. We have 32 courses where the midweek summer green fee is less than €75 on our new Tailor Made Golf Holidays website -- an idea long on the radar that has drastically changed.
Back in 2004 there were links courses, mainly those in northwest Ireland, where green fees were less than half the headline rates of the premier links courses. Some of these, like Ballyliffin for example, have become premier links courses themselves and even Carne barely makes it to the value golf website. I remember in 2004 telling a U.S. golfer at a trade show in New York that he could play Carne, the best course in Ireland, 5 times for the price of one round at Old Head!
So the Tailor Made Golf Holidays website now has hardly any links courses featured. Rosslare, Arklow, Corballis and Dunfanaghy are all under €75 per round but only Rosslare also makes it to the premier website. However the site still has a purpose - the surging green fees at the premier links courses tend to sully the attraction of courses whose green fees are so low when in fact they are first rate golf courses some of which have hosted major Irish national championships.
It must be remembered that there are over 400 golf courses in Ireland and we have selected just about 100 of them for the two sites. We don't claim to be accurate and courses will be added in the coming year or two -- but for now any of these courses deserves its place on a list of courses that a holidaying golfer will enjoy.
Irish Golf Courses ( < € 75)
All of these golf courses have a summer weekday green fee rate of €75 or less in 2025.
Arklow - scenic links courses on the east course in County Wicklow
Athlone - old traditional course in midland Ireland beside Lough Ree
Ballinrobe - between Galway and Westport an excellent course with exceptional greens
Bantry Bay - scenic Christy O'Connor Jnr. design with views over BantryBay
Beaufort - scenic mountainside course near Killarney
Belvoir Park - Classic Harry S. Colt just 2 miles from centre of Belfast
Birr - varied, undulating course in the hart of midland Ireland
Bunclody - stunning new design by the River Slaney in north County Wexford
Carlow - unmissable on a southeast golf tour, Carlow is a top rated amamtuer championship course
Castlebar - both McEvoy and Howes have helped this layout in a magnificent setting in Couty Mayo's largest town
Concra Wood - unbelievable lakeside layout in County Monaghan by both Christy O'Connors
Corballis - a public links course favourded by Bernhard Langer practicing for the Irish Open
Druids Heath - scenic and challenging heathland course near the Irish Sea in County Wicklow
Dundalk - elevated course with views over Dundalk Bay that was home for years to the Irish P.G.A.
Dunfanaghy - fine, traditional seaside links with sweeping and spectacular sea views in north County Donegal
East Clare - Arthur Spring design in rolling countryside near the village of Bodyhe in east COunty Clare
Esker Hills - another Christy O'Connor Jnr. course where Shane Lowry learned to golf as a member
Faithlegg - beside the River Suir just outside Waterford city a real parkland test
Farnham Estate - superb challenge designed with no expense spared just before the end of the Celtic Tiger
Gort - interesting and varied layout on the edge of The Burren in southwest County Galway
Headfort New - yet another stunning O'Connor Jnr. design near Kells in County Meath
Headfort Old - the original course at Headfort through mature estate land
Kilkenny - old tree lined layout close to Kilkenny City
Mount Wolseley - stunning course by O'Connor Jnr near Tullow in County Carlow
Moyola Park - elevated, scenic course on mature parkland between Derry and Belfast
Mullingar - tests Ireland's best amateur golfers annually
New Forest - another Celtic Tiger design by Peter McEvoy, modern championship golf
Portumna - classic old parkland course through tall pines in southeast County Galway
Tramore - varied parkland layout just outside the County Waterford holiday resort
Tulfarris - built on three separate peninsulas jutting into Blessington Lakes in northwest County Wicklow
Waterford Castle - Des Smyth creation on an island in the middle of the River Suir near Waterford City
Wexford - scenic course overlooking Wexford Town and the harbour beyond, recently improved by Jeff Howes
Next up will be the 30 courses that cost between €75 and € 150, stay tuned.
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