Donegal Golf Club (Murvagh)

Two loops on a peninsula in Donegal Bay.

Donegal Golf Club plays across the Murvagh peninsula, a 182-acre promontory that pushes into Donegal Bay south of Donegal Town, near the village of Laghey. At 7,395 yards and par 73 it is one of the longest links in Ireland, and the club calls it “the Muirfield of Ireland”. The view takes in the Bluestack Mountains to the north and Benbulben across the bay to the south. Visitor tee times go on sale a year ahead and can be booked online, so this is a straightforward links to plan around.

Donegal Golf Club (Murvagh) green fees and tee times.

Individual visitors book on the club’s BRS visitor page or through the golf shop, and the club says visitor tee times open one year in advance. Groups and societies go through the golf office, on +353 74 973 4054 or info@donegalgolfclub.ie, and society rates are on request. Golf Ireland members pay a lower affiliated rate from April to October and must show proof of membership. The club publishes no handicap limit for visitors. Recognised golf clothing is expected on the course and in the clubhouse; tailored shorts are allowed. To change or cancel, contact the club as early as you can, because terms depend on the type of booking and the size of the group.

The round, in perspective.

The club was formed in 1959 and moved to Murvagh in 1973, when Eddie Hackett’s course opened. Pat Ruddy made a series of changes in 1992, and Paul McGinley’s design firm now runs a long-term masterplan for the links. There are five par fives and four par threes. The outward nine runs anti-clockwise around the edge of the peninsula and the inward nine turns clockwise inside it, so the wind changes direction on you through the round. The outer loop is more exposed to the sea, and the 2nd is the only hole that faces west, into the prevailing wind. The club names two signature holes: the 5th, Valley of Tears, a 202-yard par three, and the 8th, Moyne Hill, a 549-yard par five along a ridge. Ruddy’s 12th, The Bluestacks, stretches to 595 yards, and the 16th, Temple, is a par three of 248 yards.

Know before you go.

Booking window

Visitor tee times open one year ahead

Buggies

€50; not hired to anyone under 21

Trolley hire

€3

Club hire

€50

Dress

Recognised golf attire; tailored shorts allowed

Make the trip work.

The difference between the seasons is large: €100 from November to March against €280 from April to October, so a spring or autumn trip that lands on either side of the line is worth checking. If you plan to play twice, the 36-hole rate of €375 is cheaper than two summer rounds. The range, putting green, short-game area and practice bunkers are open to non-members and run on a cashless payment system. Visitors have locker rooms, showers and towels before and after play, and the clubhouse has the Links View Bar & Restaurant. The club has 20 buggies, so book one early on summer days.

The club gives Donegal Airport and City of Derry Airport as the nearest airports. It puts the drive from Dublin at about three and a half hours (260 km) and from Belfast at about two and a quarter hours (145 km). The entrance is off the N15 near Laghey, a short drive south of Donegal Town.

Where it is.

Nearby: 1. Narin & Portnoo Links (33 km) · 2. County Sligo Golf Club (Rosses Point) (42 km) · 3. Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Links (Sandy Hills) (68 km) · 4. Enniscrone Golf Club (76 km) · Compare all Sligo & Donegal tee times

Somewhere to settle in.

Donegal Town is the natural base, with hotels, pubs and restaurants around the Diamond. North-east of the town, Lough Eske has two country-house options: Solís Lough Eske Castle and Harvey’s Point, both on the lake shore. South along the coast, Rossnowlagh has the Sandhouse Hotel on its long surf beach, handy if you also want to play Bundoran. Groups who would rather cook can find self-catering houses on the Murvagh and Rossnowlagh side of the bay.

Make a trip of it.

Bundoran Golf Club is about half an hour south on the coast road, and Narin & Portnoo is about an hour north-west over the hills via Ardara. County Sligo at Rosses Point is roughly an hour south. Off the course, Donegal Castle stands in the centre of Donegal Town, and the sea cliffs at Slieve League are a scenic day trip west along the coast. Murvagh beach, seen from the 9th tee, is a quiet walk after a round.

Find your season.

Summer rates apply from April to October, when the days are long enough for a late start. The course stays open through the winter at the lower €100 rate, and the club notes that the name Murvagh means a low-lying plain the sea can reclaim, which tells you how close to the water the links sits. Caddies are only offered from May to September.