Where else to begin a golf tour of County Antrim but at Royal Portrush which next year will host the 153rd Open Championship, the third time it has hosted the tournament in its history. The rugged Dunluce Links is right at the top of the list for many players and aficionados of the game.

Those who love the course include Shane Lowry, who achieved his lifelong dream there in 2019 when he romped to a six-stroke win in the 148th Open Championship.

“This is definitely my favourite links course in the world,” Lowry said earlier this year. “A great challenge and one that is always exciting to play. It is a course that always provides great drama. 

“The other players really enjoyed the venue and thought it was one of the great Opens that they played,” Lowry added when it was confirmed that The 153rd Open would be held at Portrush in 2025.

Architect Martin Ebert of Mackenzie & Ebert has made more subtle adjustments to the links for the 153rd Open next year when around 280,000 spectators are expected to attend the game’s oldest major, some 40,000 more than in 2019 when it attracted a record attendance for the Championship outside St Andrews of 237,750.

Meanwhile, the club’s second course, the Valley Links, is undergoing major changes as the club looks to make Royal Portrush the best two-course destination in Northern Ireland.

Off the course, a visit to Royal Portrush is also a great chance to go and see the Giant’s Causeway, one of the most popular places to visit in Northern Ireland. Situated along the stunning Antrim coastline, the Causeway offers breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean and is a paradise for photographers and nature lovers alike.

Just five miles west of Portrush is Portstewart Golf Club, which has three golf courses, but the pick of them is the magnificent Strand Course. 

It’s easy to see why it is seen as the jewel in the crown. The 18 holes are set on classic links terrain amid towering sand dunes with views at every turn of the Donegal hills, the Atlantic and the River Bann. Its opening hole is regarded as one of the best in Northern Ireland golf as it plays from a high tee, offering a view of the entire links as you contemplate a right-to-left dogleg and those views of the strand that give the course its name.

This is where Jon Rahm won the first of his two Irish Open titles by six strokes in 2017. “The course leaves a lot of shots to the imagination,” said Rahm. “You can dream of some shots you can hit and you’re most likely going to be able to pull it off because you don’t have trees in the way because of how the fairways roll, especially around the greens. You have so many options and it’s so much fun.”

Having finished at Portstewart let’s take you 20 miles east to Ballycastle Golf Club, which was established in 1890, making it one of the most historic clubs in Northern Ireland.

The course has remained essentially unchanged since its final layout was completed in 1926 and it provides some outstanding views from ancient Bonamargy Abbey to the panoramic backdrop of Glenshesk and the Causeway Coastal Route, which is perfect for a scenic car tour on a day of rest from golf.

It’s a course that is a microcosm of Northern Ireland golf, offering parkland, links and heathland holes with six successive par fours on the front nine all played over different types of terrain.

Off the golf course, whiskey enthusiasts will be thrilled to discover they are just an 18-minute drive from the renowned Bushmills Distillery, a must-see destination on the Northern Ireland Spirits Trail.

Or you can take a boat with Abháinn Cruises and explore the legendary coastline, steeped in history and mythology. Stories of smuggling, stories of shipwrecks, Scottish kings and Viking raids will entertain your group and you can take a swim under Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, explore the ‘Sound’ of Rathlin Island or visit the puffins at Bruce’s Cave. 

If you prefer your exploration to be more culinary in nature, the Causeway Coast Foodie Tour can arrange visits to some of the many charming eateries that are thriving around Antrim, fusing the unmistakable tastes and sights of the region.   

When you’ve exhausted the sights and sounds of Ballycastle, head just 30 miles down the road to what is arguably the most improved golf course in Northern Ireland over the past few years: Galgorm Resort.

It’s set on a 450-acre estate where the 17th-century Jacobean castle is one of the focal points, it’s a hugely popular luxury hotel resort with its biggest attraction being the championship course. 

The Maine and Braid rivers run through the property, which completed a multi-million pound, three-year course development programme in the spring of 2023, featuring changes to many holes, notably the challenging, three-hole finishing stretch.

Of course, there are many more courses to play in the locality and Cairndhu Golf Club is just 25 miles to the east, on the coast where – on a clear day – you can see Scotland in the distance. 

While it’s challenging for the legs – a buggy is recommended for golfers unused to a strenuous physical challenge – the views are well worth the effort, and the course is an excellent test of golf. The signature hole is unquestionably the par three second, aptly known as The Head as it is the closest hole to the headland, offering panoramic views of the Scottish coast with the tee situated 100 yards above the Antrim coast road.

Off the golf course, The Gobbins cliff path is an unforgettable experience along Northern Ireland’s rugged North Coast. This dramatic, two-mile trail is carved into the cliff face and includes a variety of thrilling features: tubular bridges that curve over the sea, suspension bridges hanging above the waves, and staircases, caves, and tunnels sculpted into the rock itself. Every twist and turn reveals stunning seascapes and geological wonders, immersing visitors in the sheer power of nature.

Heading south from there towards Belfast is Templepatrick Golf Club. The course sits on 220 acres of beautiful park and woodland on the former Castle Upton Estate, where legend has it that St Patrick blessed a well in the dim and distant past.

A challenging test, it wends its way around lakes and across the mature parkland of what is now the Kingfisher Country Estate, which plans a major upgrade to its hotel facilities.

Northern Ireland is the home of golfing greatness, where there is always a warm welcome on and off the course. Discover more at ireland.com/golf