Adare Manor in County Kildare will host the 2027 Ryder Cup. (Image: Adare Manor)
From a 17th century former coach house to fabulously remodelled Adare Manor, four tried and tested hotels for your post-pandemic golf trip to Ireland.
(Last updated February 2023.)
Thankfully, after all the worries and travel restrictions of the past few years, you can finally begin planning your dream golf trip to Northern Ireland or to the equally green and inviting Republic of Ireland. To help get things started, here are four Irish hotels I’ve stayed at and loved.
Bushmills Inn
Originally a 17th-century coaching inn, Bushmills is now a charming and marvelously cozy boutique hotel in the town of Bushmills, a short drive from Royal Portrush Golf Club, which hosted the Open Championship in 2019 and will host again in 2025. Also nearby are the Giant’s Causeway and Dunluce Castle, two of Northern Ireland’s most essential attractions. And down the street is Bushmills Distillery, the oldest whisky distillery in the world.
Slieve Donard Resort and Spa
Is there a more ideally situated hotel in all Northern Ireland than Slieve Donard? Next door to famous Royal County Down Golf Links, the Victorian-era hotel overlooks the crashing Irish Sea and is also just a short walk from the busy main street of Newcastle. The 180-room hotel has been luxuriously remodelled in recent years, and the spa is considered one of Ireland’s best.
The K Club
Renowned as the site of the 2006 Ryder Cup, The K Club features two Arnold Palmer-designed golf courses that skirt the River Liffey and wind around Straffan House, a stately 18th century mansion transformed into an extravagantly posh hotel furnished with exquisite paintings, antiques and statues. Every nook and cranny, both inside this County Kildare hotel and out, is filled with beautiful things to gaze upon. Pure bliss.
Adare Manor
This iconic property in the County Limerick village of Adare completed a massive remodelling a few years ago. A new gorgeously designed hotel wing—linked to the original manor house by a colonnade—increased the number of bedrooms from 62 to 104 (each with a river, garden or golf course view). And the old Robert Trent Jones Sr. course was given a complete redesign by no less than Tom Fazio. All the reviews for both the re-born hotel and golf course, which will host the 2027 Ryder Cup, have been raves.
