Donegal Golf Club has everything you want in a coastal golfing venue including views of the coastline and a proper test of your golf abilities. 

 

Eddie Hackett designed the course when it moved to its current location in 1973, with Pat Ruddy making changes after that. 

 

Today, the course plays more than 7,400 yards, making it one of the longest courses in Ireland. Add in those incredible views of Murvagh Beach and the North Atlantic Ocean, and you have a golfing paradise. 

 

  

Visit the Donegal Golf Club website here.  

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Donegal Golf Club opened in 1960, and despite the venue having more than seven decades of history, the club is still one of the younger ones on the NCG Top 100s: Ireland list. 

 

13 years later, the club moved to its current location on the Murvagh Peninsula, with Eddie Hackett using Muirfield as a template for the design. 

 

Pat Ruddy has since had a hand in redesigning a number of holes on the layout, while the brand-new clubhouse was opened in 1998. 

If you want to play Donegal from the tips, then be prepared for how brutal your round will be! The Championship tees play at more than 7,450 yards, with just a single par 4 at less than 400 yards, and with three of the par 3s playing at 200 or more. If you want a fairer test, then there are five teeing options, with the course playing as a Par 73 through all of them. 

 

The course begins with a gentle opening hole compared to what is to come. The 1st at Donegal is a 530-yard par 5 which kinks right and then left to the green. For the longer hitters, the opener could be reached in two, but for us mere mortals, laying up to a nice distance can get your round off to a good start. From there, you then get two of the hardest holes on the course and two par 3s of more than 200 yards to follow. 

 

The 2nd is 466 yards from the back tees and features out of bounds down its right side. 3 is the first of those par 3s to hit more than 200, at 212 yards. The 4th is the hardest hole on the course, a par 4 measuring 513 from the tips. Fortunately for those playing off either the whites or oranges, that number comes down to 430 yards. If the distance wasn’t tough enough, there are also ten bunkers in play. The 5th is the second par 3 at Donegal and called ‘Valley of Tears’. It features a long and narrow green, with five greenside bunkers there to catch any mishit shots. 

 

6 is the easiest hole on the front nine, a par 5 of just 514 yards, and it is the first hole where Murvagh Beach can come into play. 7 and 8 also play with the beach on your right, with the 8th green sitting right next to the sand. That comes at the end of the third par 5 on the front nine, with the 9th hole bringing the opening side to a close with one of the shorter par 4s on the property – measuring just 401 yards from the tips. 

 

The shortest par 4 comes next, with the 10th at just 390 yards. It is a dog-leg left and features three greenside bunkers. The fairway pinches in on 11 in the landing zone, with bunkers either side, while the 12th is the longest hole on the course. At 595 yards from the tips, there is also plenty of trouble on 12, including bunkers and a narrow ditch which runs across the fairway in the lay-up area. 13 is then the shortest hole at Donegal, at just 183 yards.  

 

The 14th kicks off the closing stretch, with the hardest hole on the back nine. This 565-yard par 5 also features the same ditch that runs through 12, along with nine bunkers. 15 is a straightforward par 4, with the 16th being the longest of the par 3s at 248 yards from the tips. With six bunkers and a waste area to avoid with what will probably be at least a long iron, it is a very difficult shot. The last two holes at Donegal are both par 4s, and both play as dog-legs to the left. The last brings you back to the clubhouse, with a green surrounded by sand traps. 

Where is Donegal Golf Club located?  
Donegal Golf Club is located in County Donegal, with the course backing on to the western coastline of Ireland. Looking out over Murvagh Beach and to the North Atlantic Ocean, the course is situated on the Wild Atlantic Way. The course sits just off the N15, which runs from Sligo to Lifford through Donegal. The town of Donegal is eight miles north of the golf club, with Sligo around 50 miles south. 

 

Sligo is also the home to the nearest airport and train stations. Sligo Rail Station is the end of the line from Dublin Connolly, while the airport has not had any scheduled passenger flights since 2011. Donegal Airport is in the northern section of the county, but only operates flights to Dublin and Glasgow. For those coming from further afield, then either the City of Derry Airport, Belfast Airport or Dublin Airport are to be used.  

What golf facilities does Donegal Golf Club offer?  
Away from the course, Donegal Golf Club is also the home to a wonderful practice area. There is a driving range to the right side of the 1st hole, along with a short game area that features a putting green, chipping green and bunkers to practice from. 

What are the green fees at Donegal Golf Club?  
The price of a green fee at Donegal Golf Club changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend.  

 

For more information on current green fees at Donegal Golf Club, visit their website here. 

 

  

Visit the Donegal Golf Club website here. 

Go Back To NCG's Top 100s Homepage.