LAHINCH GOLF CLUB
🇮🇪 Lahinch, Clare, IE
Designed by Alister Mackenzie, Old Tom Morris
Lahinch Golf Club, etched into the wild Atlantic coast of County Clare, is where Irish links golf finds its untamed soul. This is not manicured perfection; it's golf at the mercy of the elements, a raw and exhilarating experience that embodies the spirit of the game's origins.
Old Tom Morris sculpted the initial layout in 1894, but it was Alister MacKenzie's masterful hand in 1927 that shaped the course's enduring character. The terrain is classic links: towering dunes, undulating fairways, and the ever-present threat of the wind. Blind shots, demanding carries over gorse and heather, and cunningly placed greens define the challenge. Lahinch rewards imagination and adaptability over brute force, a thinking golfer's haven.
Lahinch is a haven for locals and an allure for travelers - often known for its 5th hole, named the "Klondike." The famed hole is a par 5 with a blind approach over a large dune to a hidden green. Many golfers navigate this hole with the aid of a local caddie to learn the best way to approach the green due to the blind nature of the terrain. It's a staple of conversation inside the clubhouse, whose modest charm fosters camaraderie among those who have battled the elements together. The club has an understated prominence, known in both regional and international golf circles as a course that embodies the true spirit of links golf.
It is a course where golfers feel they've truly walked in the footsteps of legends, experiencing the sport in its most unadulterated form. And don’t leave without a bowl of the club's renowned seafood chowder, a hearty reward after a bracing round battling the Atlantic winds.
Reviews
Course was world class with many distinctive holes I’ll remember forever. The Dell, Klondyke and Crater. Facilities are top notch, caddy’s fantastic, and overall an experience you will never forget. The town is the shining star as the surf vibe and locals are truly something to experience.
Lahinch is pure magic. Honestly left me with a speechless feeling. Just pure like golf should be. Old Tom Morris and MacKenzie pedigree, blind shots over Klondyke and Dell that you won’t find anywhere else, goats wandering the dunes, and views over Liscannor Bay that make every tee shot feel like a major event. The new clubhouse renovation is class too. They kept the soul of the original 1965 building and modernized everything inside, with a restaurant upstairs that’s the perfect spot for a pint after the round. Worth every euro of the green fee and will be playing again! Creamy pints as usual but everyone knew that!
Favorite hole: 4 Least favorite: n/a
Magical in every sense. One moment you are playing towards a quaint old Irish town, the next you are turning dramatically towards the sea, and the next you are traversing a field with goats. Topographically, one of the most interesting golf courses I've played, and quirky in all the right ways. Would never be built today and that's what makes it perfect.
Feels like God built this course and placed it perfectly in the rolling, rugged terrain in the village of Lahinch. If you like flawless golf architecture, history, and seaside views, this place is for you. As good as it gets in Ireland.
A dynamic adventure through a great Irish dunescape. A handful of the most influential holes in the world. If you don’t love the thrill of the occasional blind shot this course will teach you to. A handful of green sites ruined by recent renovation work, but still one of the worlds best
A wonderful experience and my first introduction to Irish links golf. Lahinch is everything you could ever want in a golf course. It has the views, it has the quirk, its score able, but not easy, and it has the history. If you want a true links experience, Lahinch is the place to go!
A test for good golfers but not too tough for more casual golfers, Lahinch is a masterpiece. A tremendous walk with some of the most memorable holes in Ireland.
Launch was the last course I played with my Dad who wasn’t much of a golfer but man did we have a day (and night). Left the lahinch deck at 4am.
Love this place. For me it only comes second to Carne for links courses in Ireland. Big sand dunes, beautiful views over the beach and Atlantic Ocean. Great town also for apres golf. Yes there are some quirky holes like the Dell that polarise but overall a great course and tough tough when it’s breezy.
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FAQ
Ratings, design, and course details pulled from Course Vaults.
Old at Lahinch Golf Club has a Course Vaults score of 9.4 out of 10 based on 90 explicit golfer ratings.
Old was designed by Alister Mackenzie and Old Tom Morris.
Yes. Old at Lahinch Golf Club is listed as welcoming public or guest play on Course Vaults.
Par at Old is 72.
Old plays 6,950 yards from the back tees on Course Vaults.
The slope rating at Old is 136.
