The European Club: Golf Course Review, Green Fees, Tee Times and Key Info

The European Club Key Information

Back in the 1980s, Irish golf writer and golf course architect, Pat Ruddy, who also created the fine parkland course at Druid's Glen, was determined to have a golf course of his own.

Perhaps fearing that the scope to develop classic linksland into little pieces of golfing heaven would only diminish over time, he set out on a helicopter reconnaissance mission in 1987 to find the perfect spot.

The fruits of that mission turned out to be Brittas Bay in County Wicklow, and six years later, dream became reality when his European Club opened for play there. It has enjoyed a place in the upper echelons of our Top 100 golf courses in the UK and Ireland rankings from the start. It also ranks very near the top when it comes to the best golf courses in Ireland.

This is a course where glorious sea views and distinctive sleepered bunkers abound, and where the emphasis is very much on fun, despite the course being more than capable of testing the very best, as it did when hosting the Irish PGA Championship for three years from 2007. Padraig Harrington won them all!

On the topic of fun, the widening of the fairways in recent years has enhanced that element for many, and there are also a few quirky touches that speak to the creator’s character and make things just a little bit different here.

For a start, there are two cracking extra par 3s at 7a and 12a which you are more than welcome to play most days. Then there’s the tongue-in-cheek 127-yard-long 12th green that sends the potential for misclubbing into a whole new dimension.

The long and testing 7th, flanked by reeds and imposing dunes, has achieved worldwide renown and takes you down to a run of five memorable holes set along or close to the beach, among them the head-turning par-3 14th, with its well-bunkered plateau green nestling in the dunes.

Ruddy’s dream was to build a glorious links playground of his own, and golfers everywhere should be eternally grateful that he took to the skies in 1987 to fulfil that dream.

What The Top 100 Panel Said

Chris Boakes

The European Club provides a true links experience where the element of luck is kept minimal while good golf will reap rewards against an exacting test. The landscape has been utilised to maximise the huge dunes with the rises and falls requiring careful club selection to compensate. Pushing boundaries in golf course design for the benefit of a tough but fair challenge.

Jamie Hudson

I’m salivating just writing this and I’m not even on the links. The imagery it leaves in one’s mind is like no other. When visiting a new place, golfers and reviewers alike often find comfort in suggesting this course reminds them of another. It's impossible to do so with The European Club - a design, a test, an atmosphere and an owner that are incomparable. Simply the best 20-hole golf course on earth

The European Club location

The European Club Green Fees

Contact The European Club to book a round

The European Club Course Scorecard

Best Courses Near The European Club

DRUIDS GLEN
A short distance from the Wicklow coast and now into its second quarter of a century, Druid’s Glen is a lush golfing oasis, complete with majestic tree-lined fairways, thought-provoking water features and considerably more than a splash of colour at the right time of year. The course is currently undergoing a major renovation and is set to reopen in summer 2023.

POWERSCOURT
There are two 18-hole courses here (East and West) and the biggest challenge is which one to play first. The West wastes no time in getting you onto the hillside that is home to this David McLay Kidd design. It gives every hole so much shape. Play the East, too, and enjoy 36 of the best greens anywhere plus great views of the Sugar Loaf Mountain from across the estate.

Best Places To Stay Near The European Club

Arklow Bay Hotel and Leisure Club, Arklow -  Book now at Booking.com
Overlooking the sea and just a short walk from Arklow town, this hotel offers tasty food, an impressive leisure club and 91 rooms, some with spectacular sea views. The Arklow Bay Hotel and Leisure Club’s impressive leisure facilities include an indoor swimming pool, a sauna, a steam room and a gymnasium. Arklow is a charming and historic town six miles from the European Club surrounded by hills and beautifully located by the sea. 

The Meetings B&B, Avoca - Book now at Booking.com
The Meetings B&B is located directly at The Meeting of the Waters. Guests can enjoy the property's communal balcony, which directly overlooks the Avonmore and Avonbeg rivers. Situated in Avoca, this bed and breakfast boasts a bar and a shop, and offers guests free on-site parking and free WiFi. The property is ideally located for exploring Wicklow, and lies seven miles from the European Club.

The European Club Gallery

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THE EUROPEAN CLUB HISTORICAL TOP 100 RANKING UK&I

• 2023/24 - 19
• 2021/22 - 19
• 2019/20 - 18
• 2017/18 - 19
• 2015/16 - 20
• 2013/14 - 17
• 2011/12 - 14
• 2009/10 - 15

Frequently Asked Questions