A golfer and his caddie, head for the green at Lahinch’s par-3 11th, a short hole punching out to sea with fine views of Liscannor Point. Photo / Paul Marshall
Play your way around the British Isles’ coastline at these five great courses, writes Andrew Marshall
There is something special about playing golf by the sea.
Created by nature and dotted like gems around the British Isles’ coastline, are hundreds of excellent courses on clifftops, headlands, alongside estuaries, and among towering dunes.
All the quintessential coastal ingredients are here in abundance – inspiring ocean views, rumpled fairways, undulating greens, pot bunkers and the tangy scent of seaweed in the salty air.
Away from the golf there’s a wealth of things to do, including whisky tasting in Scotland, riding the scenic Ffestiniog railway in north Wales and surfing in Cornwall.
Here’s a selection of top courses and off-course attractions in five coastal regions of the British Isles (which includes the islands of Great Britain and Ireland).
Cornwall’s Atlantic Coast
The beautiful Cornish coastline, particularly the 74km stretch between the picturesque harbour towns of St Ives and Padstow offers some top-notch golf with a uniquely Cornish seaside flavour.
The pick of the bunch is St Enodoc situated on the opposite side of the estuary from Padstow, made famous by Rick Stein’s internationally acclaimed seafood restaurant. Although there are many great holes at this wonderful links, the par-4 6th will literally stop you in your tracks as you gaze in wonder at the ‘Himalaya’ bunker towering 24m above the fairway, and totally eclipsing the view of the green beyond.
Other top courses: Trevose, Perranporth, West Cornwall. Away from the courses: Wander the cobbled lanes of St Ives crammed with art studios, boutiques and brasseries, then visit the Tate gallery near the beach. In Padstow, stroll by the quayside and enjoy an award-winning Cornish pasty from the Chough Bakery.
Other activities include world-class surfing in Newquay, sacred stone circles, ancient tin mines, the Eden Project, and walking sections of the scenic 1013km South West Coast Path.
Causeway Coast
As Royal Portrush Golf Club first comes into view round a curve in the Causeway Coast road, it provides a magical sight with its green fairways hiding among shaggy-topped dunes with the low line of the Skerries and the sea beyond.
Established in May 1888, the Dunluce Course at Portrush has long been regarded as a great test of a golfer’s skill. In 2019 it was home to the Open Championship when Irishman Shane Lowery lifted the famous Claret Jug, and in July 2025 it will once again host this prestigious major.
One of the classic holes is the 16th known as Calamity Corner. This challenging 236-yard par-3 calls for a long carry with a fairway wood or hybrid over a 24m ravine to reach the green. Don’t be ashamed of taking a bogey at Calamity Corner – three’s are as rare as an unfriendly Irishman. Other top courses: Portstewart, Castlerock.
Away from the courses: The Causeway Coast’s star attraction is the Unesco World Heritage listed Giant’s Causeway, a stunning natural formation consisting of thousands of hexagonal pillars climbing out of the Atlantic Ocean.
Other worthwhile places of interest include: the quirky Carrick-a-Rede swinging rope bridge spanning a gaping chasm between the coast and a small island; the haunting ruins of the 16th-century Dunluce Castle perched on a rocky headland; and Old Bushmills – the oldest licensed whisky distillery in the world.
Angus Coast
Heading 65km south down the Angus coast from Aberdeen are the Montrose Links, where golf has been played for more than 450 years, making it one of the earliest and most important venues in the history of the royal and ancient game.
The diary records of a young Melrose lad named James Melville, “and how to use the glubb for goff” record the existence of golf at Montrose as early as 1562.
Over the centuries little has changed on this historic stretch of marvellously natural ground, and the Montrose Medal Course retains all the ingredients of a traditional Scottish links – rugged coastal scenery, bountiful yellow gorse, deep pot bunkers, and rumpled fairways with humps and hollows.
Other top courses: Panmure, Carnoustie, Trump International Scotland. Away from the courses: Castle visits, whisky distillery tours and exploring coastal towns like Arbroath, home to one of Scotland’s most famous regional delicacies – the ‘Arbroath Smokie’.
The traditional method of making them involves curing freshlycaught haddock in salt, and then hanging them in pairs in a special barrel containing a hardwood fire to smoke for up to an hour. Take a stroll through the town visit the traditional producers, buy a smokie or two and enjoy their unique savoury flavour down by the harbour.
North-West Coast
Situated around the other side of the Glaslyn Estuary from Porthmadog, on the outskirts of Harlech is Royal St David’s Golf Club established in 1894.
“Small wonder if the visitor falls in love with Harlech at first sight,” wrote Bernard Darwin in The Golf Courses of the British Isles, “for no golf course in the world has a more splendid background than the old castle, which stands at the top of a sheer precipice of rock looking down over the links.”
As you play, there are splendid views of the brooding 13th-century castle and a backdrop of the Snowdonia mountains beyond. Royal St David’s is known for its series of long, demanding par-4 holes (seven are over 400 yards) and five short holes, and the closing stretch of five holes forming a loop through the dunes provide a finish equal of any course.
Other top courses: Pwllheli, Porthmadog, Nefyn and district. Away from the courses. One of the top activities if you are moderately fit, is hiking to the summit of Mt Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales standing at 1085m.
You can hike up one of six routes (ranging in distance and difficulty) and come down another, or hike up and take the Snowdon Mountain Railway back down.
Another major attraction is the Ffestiniog Railway, a narrow gauge heritage railway that runs from Porthmadog on the coast, travelling 21km through oak woodland and mountainous scenery to the slate mining town of Blaenau Ffestiniog.
South-West Coast
When it comes to the world’s best golf trips, then Ireland’s south-west coast would be up there with the best of them.
Starting in County Clare, Lahinch’s Old Course (established in 1892) is a wonderfully quirky mix of dunes, rollercoaster greens and blind shots perfectly illustrated by the 5th hole (known as The Dell) nestled between two giant sand hills.
This memorable 148-yard par-3 requires a blind tee shot over one of the hills to a two-tiered green hidden on the other side. The Old Course at Lahinch is an typical example of the quality of golf course you will encounter as you travel further south down the coast.
Other top courses: Ballybunion, Waterville, Tralee, Dooks, Trump International Doonbeg. Away from the courses: One of the south-west coast’s most popular attractions is the spectacular Cliffs of Moher reaching heights of over 200m and stretching for about 14km along the Atlantic coast in County Clare.
Further south in County Kerry it’s worth exploring the Dingle Peninsula and enjoying a pint of Guinness and traditional Irish music in one of the town’s colourful pubs.
On the opposite side of Dingle Bay is the Ring of Kerry – an unspoilt and mystical region offering scenic coastal driving, ancient heritage sites and some of Europe’s finest beaches.
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