Dublin is the rare golf city where you can land in the morning and stand on a championship tee before lunch. Two of its finest links occupy neighbouring sandy peninsulas north of the city: Portmarnock, about 20 minutes from the airport, and The Island at Donabate, a similar drive, with the Malahide estuary between them. The third round is a deliberate change of scene. The K Club, about 40 minutes west in County Kildare, is tree-lined Arnold Palmer parkland with the Liffey running through it and a Ryder Cup on its record. Each one books in its own way. Portmarnock admits visitors on four set days only, The Island takes the full fee up front with a 90-day cancellation rule, and the K Club asks for no handicap certificate. Use this page to weigh fees, rules and travel times for a short, low-mileage trip.
Tap a pin for photos, prices and a booking link.
| Course | Green fee from | What’s included | Getting there | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 1Portmarnock Golf Club27-hole championship links | €475Checked October 2026 · details | Bookpackage via GolfbreaksRead the guide | ||
 2The Island Golf ClubChampionship links | €375Checked November 2026 · details | Bookpackage via GolfbreaksRead the guide | ||
 3The K ClubResort with two Arnold Palmer courses | €130Checked November 2026 · details | Bookpackage via GolfbreaksRead the guide |
Prices are the lowest published or listed visitor rates we found, with their source and date on each guide. Partner links may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. How we work
Portmarnock, a 27-hole links founded in 1894 that staged Ireland’s first Walker Cup in 1991. Visitors get Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sunday afternoons, and from 2027 lunch comes with the green fee.
Green fees & bookingThe Island, whose front nine Mackenzie & Ebert rebuilt over the winter of 2019–20 to match the back. A single €375 rate applies every day of the 2027 season, paid in full when you book.
Green fees & bookingThe K Club. General play needs no handicap certificate, Palmer South costs €130 in summer 2026, and hotel guests pay €175 rather than €260 on the Ryder Cup course.
Green fees & bookingEach package names its rounds, nights and hotels, so you can see which of the courses above it includes before you ask for a quote.
10 nights B&B, 7 rounds
Rounds: Portstewart · Castlerock · Royal Portrush (Dunluce) · Royal County Down · Royal Belfast · Portmarnock Old · The Island
Stay: Bushmills Inn on the Causeway Coast, the Europa Hotel in Belfast and the Grand Hotel Malahide
All three royals of Ulster plus Portmarnock and The Island, from three bases, with rest days in Belfast and Dublin.
Prices are Golfbreaks’ published per-person guide prices in US dollars, checked November 2026; your quote depends on dates and group size. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. How we work
All Dublin golf packages on Golfbreaks
The three clubs sit at clearly different price points. Portmarnock’s championship course costs €475 in 2026 and €530 in 2027, when clubhouse lunch is included; a 27-hole day is €635 and 36 holes €720. The Island charges €375 on any day of its 2027 season. At the K Club, Palmer North is €260 from April to October 2026 and €140 from January to March, while Palmer South is €130 in summer. Caddies add €100 a bag at Portmarnock, €90 plus gratuity at The Island and €100 for a senior caddie on Palmer North from April 2027. Staying at the K Club hotel lowers its green fees.
Dublin Airport (DUB) serves all three. Portmarnock and The Island are each about 20 minutes away by road, but they face each other across the Malahide estuary, so the drive from one to the other takes about 25 minutes. Both can be reached by train: Portmarnock station is about 2 km from the club, with DART and commuter services to the city centre in around 25 minutes, and Donabate, on the Dublin–Belfast line, is about half an hour from Connolly. The K Club lies roughly 30 km west of the city and about 40 minutes from the airport on the M50 and M4; most golfers arrive by car or transfer.
Aim for April to October. The Island publishes a visitor season of 1 April to 31 October, Portmarnock publishes visitor hours for April to September, and the K Club’s higher summer rates apply from April to October, with cheaper winter rates from January to March. Portmarnock had no visitor times left for 2026 before October, so most golfers are now looking at 2027. Rain is lighter here than on the Atlantic side, though spring easterlies off the Irish Sea can be cold. The K Club bills Palmer North as the 2027 Irish Open venue, so check dates around that week.
All three on this page. Portmarnock keeps Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and bank holidays for members, so visitors book Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays or Sunday afternoons. The Island and the K Club take visitors with a prepaid tee time, the K Club on both Palmer North and Palmer South.
From €130 on Palmer South in summer 2026 to €530 for Portmarnock’s championship course with lunch in 2027. Portmarnock also sells a non-championship 18 at €480. The Island is €375, and K Club hotel guests pay €175 for Palmer North instead of €260.
It depends on the club. Portmarnock expects proof of handicap. The Island publishes no limit, though a Where2Golf listing says a handicap is required. The K Club needs no certificate for general play, but its open days ask for a GUI or ILGU card.
The rules differ. The Island refunds the prepayment only if you cancel in writing 90 days or more ahead. The K Club needs 30 days’ notice for a refund, lets you reschedule inside that, and keeps the full fee inside 48 hours or for a no-show.
Yes. Portmarnock and The Island are both about 20 minutes from Dublin Airport. The Island hires out clubs for €50 and electric trolleys for €20, which helps if you fly with hand luggage only.