Northwest Ireland is golf's most compelling secret. While the southwest fills the headlines and the east coast draws the volume, Donegal and Sligo quietly host some of the most spectacular and least-played golf on the island. The dune land here is vast. The coastline is extraordinary: wilder, more remote, more genuinely untouched than anywhere else in Ireland.
Tom Doak's St. Patrick's Links at Rosapenna arrived to critical acclaim that very few courses in the history of the game have generated on opening. Ballyliffin's Glashedy Links hosted the 2018 Irish Open. Carne Golf Links is regarded by course architects as one of the most extraordinary natural links sites in the world. Garmany brings Guests to the northwest because it is different from anywhere else in Ireland, and different in exactly the ways that matter most to the serious golfer.
Plan Your Northwest Experience
One of the greatest new golf courses built anywhere in the world in the last twenty years. Set among dune land of extraordinary scale on the shores of Sheephaven Bay in Donegal, St. Patrick's Links uses this terrain with the restraint and intelligence that is the hallmark of Doak's finest work. The routing flows through the landscape as if it could not have been arranged any other way. For Guests who appreciate minimalist design at its most ambitious, St. Patrick's Links is unmissable.
The Glashedy Links sits at the tip of the Inishowen Peninsula with the Atlantic Ocean on three sides and the island of Glashedy Rock visible offshore. Nick Faldo's design makes full use of the exposed setting, creating a championship course of real quality that hosted the 2018 Irish Open to universal acclaim. Wind is a constant and decisive factor. One of the finest courses in the northwest.
One of the most remarkable natural golf sites in the world. Eddie Hackett's design uses dune land of extraordinary scale and natural drama that architects who have visited speak about in terms reserved for the most gifted natural sites the game has encountered. The course is remote — but for Garmany Guests who make the journey, Carne delivers an experience that is unlike anything else in the portfolio.
Benbulben Mountain, Sligo Bay and a championship links of genuine quality. The extraordinary flat-topped mountain that dominates the Sligo landscape and inspired W.B. Yeats throughout his literary life rises behind the course. County Sligo Golf Club is the cornerstone of any northwest Ireland Experience focused on Sligo and the southern Donegal coast.
Northwest Ireland's finest properties range from the natural golf resort at Rosapenna to castle hotels of extraordinary character on the shores of Lough Eske in Donegal.
The natural Garmany choice for northwest Ireland. Positioned between St. Patrick's Links and Sandy Hills on the shores of Sheephaven Bay with direct access to both courses. For groups spending two or three days in the northwest, Rosapenna provides a seamless and well-positioned base.
A beautifully restored 15th-century castle hotel on the shores of Lough Eske outside Donegal Town. Five-star luxury within a historic building of genuine character. The spa is among the finest in the northwest. The Blue Stack Mountains rise behind the property.
An award-winning hotel on Lough Eske with a restaurant of outstanding quality and a standard of personal, attentive service that Garmany Guests consistently single out as one of the highlights of the northwest Ireland Experience.
From the finest restaurant in the northwest at Browns in Derry to the post-round warmth of McCafferty's in Donegal Town and the extraordinary fresh seafood at The Rusty Mackerel, northwest Ireland's dining scene reflects the character and generosity of the region.
A defining dining experience in the northwest of Ireland and a natural choice for the most significant dinner of any Garmany Donegal Experience. Elegant, award-winning and entirely rooted in the produce of the region, Browns delivers cooking of genuine ambition and precision. The wine list is exceptional.
Live traditional music, genuine warmth and generous plates of the finest Irish classics. The Garmany favorite for the post-round evening when the group wants the soul of the northwest rather than the refinement of a formal dining room. Guests from North America consistently describe an evening here as one of the most genuinely Irish experiences of the entire visit.
Fresh seafood from Donegal's coastal waters and local Donegal lamb served with a simplicity and generosity that defines northwest Ireland hospitality. Not a destination restaurant in the conventional sense — something more genuine: a remarkable local restaurant producing food of extraordinary quality with warmth and informality.
Northwest Ireland's landscape and heritage offer non-golf experiences of extraordinary power — from the sea cliffs of Sliabh Liag, among the highest in Europe, to the medieval heritage of Donegal Town.
The sea cliffs of Sliabh Liag rise over six hundred metres from the Atlantic — among the highest accessible sea cliffs in Europe and more than three times the height of the Cliffs of Moher. Remote, serene and utterly spectacular. Garmany Guests consistently describe a visit as one of the most moving landscape experiences of any Ireland visit.
The historic Diamond, the 15th-century Franciscan friary ruins on the River Eske, and Donegal Castle make for a rewarding half-day of cultural exploration. The friary was the site of the writing of the Annals of the Four Masters — one of the most important chronicles in Irish history.
Without reservation. Rosapenna St. Patrick's Links is one of the finest new golf courses built anywhere in the world in the last twenty years. The combination of Tom Doak's architecture, the extraordinary dune land and the Sheephaven Bay setting creates a round unlike anything else available in Ireland. Garmany Guests who have played it consistently place it among the finest experiences of their golfing lives.
Donegal in particular is one of the more remote corners of Ireland, requiring a drive of three to four hours from Dublin. This remoteness is precisely what makes the region so special. Garmany provides luxury private transportation throughout every northwest Experience, making the logistics entirely seamless and the journey itself part of the Experience.
Yes. Many Garmany Ireland Experiences combine the northwest with Northern Ireland, linking Donegal and Sligo with Royal County Down and Royal Portrush in an itinerary that makes geographical sense and delivers extraordinary golf variety.
Garmany recommends the Rosapenna Hotel and Golf Resort for groups primarily focused on St. Patrick's Links and Sandy Hills. For groups exploring the wider Donegal coast including Ballyliffin and Narin and Portnoo, Lough Eske Castle outside Donegal Town is a beautifully central and luxurious base.
