DESTINATION GOLF GLOBAL GUIDE AUTUMN 2026 somewhere special.
And that’ s probably the key. Some of these courses aren’ t just about the quality of the golf. They’ re about the scenery. You can play somewhere that hasn’ t been on your radar, walk off the 18th and think,“ How on earth did I not know about this?”
DG: What’ s the most common mistake golfers make when planning an Irish golf trip? DW: Trying to do too much.
Golfers see a map of Ireland and think,“ That doesn’ t look too far.” Then they discover that a 120-mile drive can involve narrow roads, tractors, tourists – plus the drivers can only keep going for 8 or 9 hours max per day!
The other mistake is underestimating the logistics. Ireland’ s great links courses are spread around the coastline, so it’ s very important that we make the whole journey flow.
DG: There’ s a temptation when planning a golf trip to cram in as much golf as humanly possible. How important is it to slow things down and actually enjoy the destination? DW: I think it’ s hugely important.
I always tell golfers not to come to Ireland expecting perfect weather. Come expecting an adventure. If the sun shines for four days, fantastic. If it blows a hoolie on the third day, embrace it. You’ ll probably remember that round for longer anyway.
DG: If you took a golfer who had never visited Ireland before and wanted to show them what makes the country special, where would you take them? DW: That’ s a dangerous question because I could give you about 15 different answers!
Golfers are golfers, so I understand the temptation. You’ ve flown thousands of miles and you want to play every course in Ireland. But if you play 18 holes every morning, drive three hours, check into a hotel, eat dinner and go straight to bed, you’ ve missed half of what makes Ireland special.
Build in some breathing space. Have a long lunch. Visit a distillery, local shops, local bars, we know them all.
The best itineraries have a rhythm to them. Great golf followed by great experiences, followed by another great round.
And, occasionally, a lie-in – we all need to recharge!
But if I wanted to give someone a real taste of Ireland, I’ d probably head west and north. I’ d want them to experience the Wild Atlantic coast, play some genuinely spectacular links and stay in places where they can experience Irish hospitality rather than simply moving from golf course to golf course.
Something like Connemara, Carne or Enniscrone, moving north towards Donegal and Ballyliffin, and then into the north-west and Northern Ireland.
And I’ d absolutely make sure there was time built into the itinerary for a proper Irish evening. A great pint, some music, a good dinner and a few stories from the locals. Otherwise they’ ve just played golf in Ireland. I want them to experience Ireland and everything else that we have to offer.
DG: Ireland has some of the world’ s best-known links, but are there any under-the-radar courses or areas that you find yourself championing again and again? DW: This is where people in the golf business get themselves into trouble, because once you start naming hidden gems they stop being hidden!
I’ m a huge advocate for the west and north-west. Courses like Carne and Enniscrone deserve far more recognition than they sometimes get internationally. Strandhill is another one that I think can genuinely surprise people— spectacular scenery, superb condition and a feeling that you’ ve discovered
Carne
DG: What makes a great itinerary in your view? Is it about ticking off the biggest names, or is there more of an art to putting the right combination of courses and experiences together? DW: There’ s definitely an art to it.
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