Ireland’s Expensive Golf – 20 Courses between €151 and €250
A rising tide floats all boats as they say. The extraordinary surge in demand for golf in Ireland has certainly seen eye popping increases in green fees at Ireland’s most sought after golf courses. The tide is not high enough to help these brilliant golf courses all less than €75 and many for €35-€40. But for those golf clubs fortunate to have a links course the fees being charged at the top venues has emboldened the others to follow suit.
Expensive Golf Courses in Ireland
Links Courses (€151–€250)
There are first rate links on this list — the West and Northwest of Ireland has been less travelled and once offered terrific value. With more focus and demand their green fees have risen but nonetheless the links courses at Dooks, Connemara, Enniscrone and Donegal all deserve to be considered in the upper echelons of Ireland’s links courses. As indeed does Sandy Hills Links at Rosapenna, a candidate for inclusion in Ireland’s top-10 golf courses.
Somewhat surprisingly the courses at County Sligo, The Island and Royal Dublin are still on this sub-€250 list – perhaps a function of economic reality that they had less room to manoeuvre on pricing than the most popular courses .
On the other hand Ardglass, Castlerock and The Valley Links at Royal Portrush all benefit from their proximity to the in-demand courses at the two Royal courses in Northern Ireland. Grouping these courses with their location and The Island or County Sligo with their championship credentials exposes a market dichotomy. That all three of Castlerock, Ardglass and the Valley Links cost more than any of Hackett’s Holy Trinity further illustrates the extent of the imbalance.
Parkland Courses (€151–€250)
The puzzling market situation continues with the green fee rates at parkland golf courses. Druids Glen has always been our Number 1 parkland courses in Ireland. But whether we’d pay €200 for a round when we can play Carlow for €50 is up for discussion. Being in Killarney the Killeen Course at Killarney Golf & Fishing Club on this list as are the courses at Galway Bay, Dromoland Castle, Galgorm Castle.
The Full List
| Course Name | Golf Region | County | 2025 Fee | Sample Tour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ardglass | North | Down | £ 220 | |
| Castlerock | North | Derry | £ 225 | |
| Connemara | West | Galway | € 200 | |
| County Sligo | Northwest | Sligo | € 250 | |
| Dingle | Southwest | Kerry | € 200 | |
| Donegal | Northwest | Donegal | € 250 | |
| Dooks | Southwest | Kerry | € 240 | |
| Dromoland Castle | West | Clare | € 195 | |
| Druids Glen | East | Wicklow | € 210 | |
| Enniscrone | West | Sligo | € 235 | West Coast Swing |
| Galgorm Castle | North | Antrim | £ 195 | |
| Galway Bay | West | Galway | € 200 | |
| Rosapenna – Old Tom Morris | Northwest | Donegal | € 200 | |
| Rosapenna Sandy Hills | Northwest | Donegal | € 200 | |
| Royal Dublin | East | Dublin | € 250 | |
| Royal Portrush – Valley | North | Antrim | £ 200 | |
| The Island | East | Dublin | € 250 |
Final Thoughts
Following on from the first two articles identifying the 32 best value courses in Ireland and 30 courses from €75 – €150 we are now into the price territory previously (pre-pandemic) reserved for the gold star trophy courses. As with many other things in other areas of life, it is perhaps a question of getting used to the new reality where overseas visitor green fee rates are driven by consumers prepared to pay.
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Part of a 5-Part Value Series
This is the third instalment in our series breaking down the golf courses in Ireland by green fee tier. If you missed the first articles, check out our guide to Courses Under €75 and Courses Between €76–€150.
Next up, we’ll be diving into courses priced between €251 and €350, followed by the top-tier trophy courses above €350.
Whether you’re building a trip on a budget or plotting your bucket-list rounds, this series is designed to help you get the most out of your golf in Ireland.
