Co Down golf course ranked greatest in the world for sixth time in a row

11 golf courses in Ireland and three golf courses in Northern Ireland have been ranked among Golf Digest's World's 100 Greatest Courses: 2026-2027.

According to Golf Digest, these 100 greatest courses in the world "deliver outstanding, sometimes transcendent golf."

Topping Golf Digest's World's 100 Greatest Courses ranking for the sixth consecutive time is Royal County Down Golf Club: Championship in Northern Ireland.

Read on to see the more than a dozen golf courses on the island of Ireland that have been ranked among the world's greatest 100 by Golf Digest.

91. Tralee Golf Club - Ardfert, Co Kerry

Golf Digest notes that this club, previously ranked 89th, "has long been considered the finest design of Arnold Palmer."

Tralee Golf Course. (Ireland's Content Pool)

90. County Sligo G.C.-Rosses Point (Colt Championship) - Rosses Point, Co Sligo

According to Golf Digest, "the real intrigue" in this course "comes from a system of burns that meander in rhymeless direction through fairways and in front of greens."

County Sligo G.C.-Rosses Point (Colt Championship). (Ireland's Content Pool)

T-87. Portstewart Golf Club: Strand - Portstewart, Northern Ireland

Mike Stachura, Golf Digest’s longtime Senior Editor of Equipment and savvy course design buff, describes this course's dramatic setting: “The first tee at the Strand is set on high dunes, like you’re surveying the kingdom, with beach and waves down to your right and all of County Antrim in front. It’s no wonder the television series Game of Thrones used the nearby land as scene-stealers.”

This course tied with Jack's Point G.C. in Jack's Point, Queenstown, New Zealand.

84. Adare Manor - Adare, Limerick

The course at the newly ranked Adare Manor "has the reputation for being the finest conditioned in Ireland with a number of engaging holes that should produce excitement during the 2027 Ryder Cup," Golf Digest says.

Adare Manor - Adare, Limerick. (Ireland's Content Pool)

83. Brittas Bay Golf Club - Brittas Bay, Co Wicklow

"Hard against the Irish Sea's Arklow Bay, Brittas Bay rolls across an untamed landscape with pot bunkers lined in railroad ties and two extra par-3 holes," Golf Digest says of this club, which rises from its previous ranking of 90th.

72. Old Head of Kinsale - Kinsale, Co Cork

Ron Kirby consulted with Irish legends Paddy Merrigan, Eddie Hackett, Joe Carr, and Liam Higgins for this course, which rises from its previous rank of 77th.

Old Head of Kinsale. (Ireland's Content Pool)

63. Carne Golf Links (Wild Atlantic Dunes) - Belmullet, Co Mayo

Newly ranked Carne Golf Links is "a course so surreal it’s no longer a hidden gem but a destination of its own," Golf Digest writes.

Carne Golf Links - Belmullet, Co Mayo. (Ireland's Content Pool)

58. St. Patrick's Links - Downings, Co Donegal

"In buoyancy, variety and seaside topography, St. Patrick’s rivals the best of what Irish golf has to offer," Golf Digest says of this course that was previously ranked 49th.

52. Waterville Golf Links - Waterville, Co Kerry

Golf Digest highlights: "The collection of par 3s is as strong as any in Ireland, highlighted by the 'Mass' hole across a deep basin to a naked green and the 17th, 'Mulcahy’s Peak,' playing toward a horizon along the bay."

Waterville Golf Links - Waterville, Co Kerry. (Ireland's Content Pool)

45. Portmarnock Golf Club: Championship - Portmarnock, Co Dublin

This club, previously ranked 37th, "is known for its routing, which hasn't been altered in over a hundred years and was revolutionary at the time for constantly changing wind direction with every shot," Golf Digest says.

Portmarnock Golf Club: Championship - Portmarnock, Co Dublin. (Ireland's Content Pool)

21. Lahinch Golf Club: Old - Lahinch, Co Clare

Jumping from its previous ranking of 27th, Lahinch is "considered by some to be the St. Andrews of Ireland," Golf Digest notes.

Lahinch Golf Club: Old - Lahinch, Co Clare. (Ireland's Content Pool)

10. Ballybunion Golf Club: Old - Ballybunion, Co Kerry

Ballybunion, which remains ranked at 10th, "has always been great, but it wasn't until they relocated the clubhouse in 1971 to the southern end that it became thrilling," Golf Digest says.

Ballybunion Golf Club: Old - Ballybunion, Co Kerry. (Ireland's Content Pool)

5. Royal Portrush Golf Club: Dunluce - Portrush, Northern Ireland

Noted by Golf Digest as the only Irish course to host The Open, this previously-ranked fourth club retains H.S. Colt's greens, considered one of the best sets of putting surfaces in the world.

Royal Portrush Golf Club: Dunluce - Portrush, Northern Ireland. (Ireland's Content Pool)

1. Royal County Down Golf Club: Championship - Newcastle, Northern Ireland

Keeping this club in the top spot, Golf Digest gushes: "On a clear spring day, with Dundrum Bay to the east, the Mountains of Mourne to the south and gorse-covered dunes in golden bloom, there is no lovelier place in golf."

Royal County Down Golf Club: Championship - Newcastle, Northern Ireland. (Ireland's Content Pool)