Narin & Portnoo Links: Under the Spotlight

Located on the picturesque northwest coast of Ireland about 40 minutes north of the town of Donegal is where you will find Narin & Portnoo Links. Built amongst the tall dunes along the coast, this historic links course was opened in 1905.

Over the years, the course has gone through multiple changes which have left it with a mix of different styles and holes that were subpar. In 2018, the new ownership hired Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner to do a complete restoration of the golf course to restore the links to what it was in its younger days.

The redesign of the course resulted in a brilliant layout with an incredible golf atmosphere in some of the purest conditions in Ireland. This golf course is truly one of the hidden gems of the northwest of Ireland, just waiting to be discovered.

Due to the land on which the golf course is set on, the layout is a typical “out and back” style routing. Holes 1 – 9 created the right side of the course before hole 10 turns around and the rest of the course heads back to the clubhouse.

The links offers golfers four sets of tees to choose from with the longest being just over 6,900 yards and the shortest playing 5,350 yards. Narin & Portnoo has some of the most dramatic elevation changes you will find in Ireland with tall dunes and mounds framing the golf course.

The golf course has eight holes that play along the North Atlantic Ocean, but the course sits a good 30+ feet above the beach giving visitors a fantastic view of the surrounding mountain landscapes and ocean waters. The signature hole is the par-3 7th playing roughly 140 yards from an elevated tee over a valley to a two-tiered green.

For those looking to do a golf tour of the north west, Narin & Portnoo Links pairs extremely well with the likes of Donegal Golf Club, County Sligo Golf Club, and Strandhill Golf Club. And if you are happy to travel a little further, the premier courses at Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort are a 75-minute drive away.

For accommodation in the area, we would recommend staying in Donegal with most of the golf courses being accessible within an hour’s drive of the town. In terms of accommodation, the Glasshouse Hotel is the preferred accommodation in the town, but Donegal also offers the Strandhill Lodges and Station House Hotel as additional options.

For those looking for a stay and play option, you can stay at Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Links and play the three courses on-site and venture out to Narin & Portnoo.

• 4 nights accommodation at the Station House Hotel
• 3 rounds of golf at: Narin & Portnoo Links, Donegal Golf Club and Old Tom Morris Links at Rosapenna

View package - 4 nights 3 rounds in Donegal

Location

• Donegal, Ireland
• 165 miles from Dublin Airport
• 190 miles from Shannon Airport