Photo: Maria Lupan · Unsplash License
Northwest Ireland, Ireland
Donegal Golf Club
Eddie Hackett's 1972 links on the Murvagh Peninsula — one of the longest and most remote links courses in Ireland, with Donegal Bay on one side and a tidal inlet on the other.
Course overview
Donegal Golf Club is situated on the Murvagh Peninsula, a narrow spit of land extending into Donegal Bay approximately 8 kilometres south of Donegal town. Designed by Eddie Hackett and opened in 1972, the links occupies a remote setting with Donegal Bay on one side and a tidal inlet on the other. The par-73 layout is one of the longest links courses in Ireland and is fully exposed to the Atlantic, which dominates conditions throughout the round. The Bluestack Mountains and the Donegal Bay coastline provide a dramatic backdrop on every hole.
The essentials
- Architect
- Eddie Hackett
- Established
- 1972
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 73
- Length
- 6,657 m
- Handicap
- HCP 0–28
- Location
- County Donegal, Ireland
Character & atmosphere
A long, exposed peninsula links in Donegal Bay where Atlantic wind is the primary defence — the par-73 layout rewards patience and course management, and the remote Murvagh setting amplifies the sense of isolation that is itself part of the experience.
Highlights
Why play here
- Designed by Eddie Hackett, opened in 1972.
- Sea views feature throughout the round.
- A challenging round for golfers who enjoy a proper test.
Facilities
Practical guidance
Plan your visit
How to get there
Donegal Airport (Carrickfinn) has limited seasonal connections; Ireland West Airport Knock offers more routes and is around 90 minutes south by car. City of Derry Airport is also an option at around an hour east. Car hire is essential as Murvagh is a remote dunes site.
Where to stay
Donegal is the gateway to some of Ireland's most dramatic and least-visited links golf. The landscape — vast beaches, sea cliffs, and open bog — is as compelling as the courses, and the lack of tourist crowds gives the area a genuine wild-Atlantic character.
Nearby courses
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Ireland
Explore Northwest Ireland
Ireland's wild northwest is home to Donegal Golf Club at Murvagh — a remote dune links on a peninsula in Donegal Bay — and Enniscrone Golf Club, a classic Atlantic links on Killala Bay in County Sligo.