Vacation in Ireland with Links-Style Golf on Four Courses

Miles of craggy coast lines Ireland. It's a rugged setting ideal for links golf courses, which typically include sand dunes, seagrass, and few trees and force golfers to play much closer to the ground.

The six-night tour of Ireland from Sceptre Tours includes rounds of golf at four well-known links courses, as well as round-trip airfare from New York (JFK), Boston (BOS), or Chicago (ORD), a manual-shift, full-size rental car, and accommodations at Johnstown House in Meath.

For more information about the tour, click here.

During your trip, you’ll play a round of golf at the following championship courses, all within a 90-minute drive of the hotel. Golf-cart rentals are not included—you can pay an additional fee to reserve a cart or have one transported to the course by hot-air balloon.

The European Club: Ranked among the world’s top 100 golf courses by Golf Magazine in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011, this seaside course hosted the Irish PGA Championship in 2007 and 2008. Tiger Woods currently holds the course score record of 67.

Portmarnock Golf Club: This course was constructed in 1894 on a 2-mile peninsula set with low sand dunes, lush hollows, and long valleys. Since then, it’s hosted a number of tournaments played by some of the greats, including Arnold Palmer and Padraig Harrington.

County Louth Golf Club: When he designed the course in 1938, Tom Simpson incorporated 50 bunkers to add some variation to the naturally hilly terrain. The course is laid out in two loops with no two holes running in the same direction, except for holes 12 and 13, which run along the sea.

The Island Golf Club: Established in 1890, The Island is a qualifying course for the Open Championship and was the number 11-ranked course in the country by Golf Digest Ireland in 2011. The final hole is a particularly challenging par 4 that requires a long, straight drive.

Dublin, Ireland: Seaside City with Numerous Public Parks and Historic Landmarks

When you’re not golfing, you’ll have plenty of free time to explore nearby Dublin on your own; the city is just 27 miles from the Johnstown House hotel. Situated on the eastern coast of the Emerald Isle, Dublin boasts more green space per square mile than any other European capital city. There are 30 public parks with wildflower meadows, wetlands, and native tree trails within a 3-mile radius of the city center.

The city is also home to a number of historic landmarks, including Dublin Castle, a 13th-century structure that currently houses a library, two museums, and a venue for important state functions. Head to Trinity College to see the Book of Kells, a 9th-century manuscript of the four Gospels famous for its elaborate illustrations.

Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.