Is This Western Ireland's Most Dramatic Course? It's certainly in with a shout...

The 14tth green at Enniscrone Golf Club — The 14th green and Atlantic Ocean beyond at Enniscrone Golf Club

(Image credit: Kevin Markham)

“If only I could go back to the tee,” is a common refrain on the Dunes course at Enniscrone Golf Club. You'll toss it out as you navigate your way through the towering dunes on the 2nd hole, probably on the 4th, 10th and 15th holes, and definitely on the 12th and 13th – the most enigmatic pair of par 4s you will ever play.

And let's not mention approach shots, where the word ‘bamboozle' appears in every description. A wise man once told visiting golfers “never go long” for behind every green is an ocean of rough and regret.

The 15th hole at Enniscrone — The 15th hole sits in a spectacular dunescape at Enniscrone

This is one of Ireland's biggest and best links, located along Killala Bay on County Sligo's northern coastline. It was redesigned by Eddie Hackett in 1970, upgraded and extended by Donald Steel in 2001, and – over the past three years – has been tweaked and enhanced by Martin Ebert.

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The approach to the 13th at Enniscrone Golf Club — You may be able to drive the 13th green but there will invariably be some risk involved

Enniscrone's dunes are big enough to conceal an army – folklore says Vikings are buried in these sandhills – but this links overwhelms you with its beauty, its freedom, its conditioning and its scale. Bristling with intrigue among one of Ireland's best back nines is the 338-yard 13th.

From a high tee, it spirals down through the dunes to a green hidden in a hollow. You can drive it, but it is an adventure whichever route you take… as is the case on every hole here.

Green fee: €290
Course stats: par 73, 6,563 yards

Price correct at time of publication in August 2026

Kevin Markham stepped into a campervan in 2007, and spent the next 14 months playing every 18-hole golf course in Ireland… 360 of them. He wrote two books on the back of those travels and has been working in the golf industry ever since, both as a freelance writer and a photographer. His love of golf courses has seen him playing extensively in Scotland, as well as across Europe. In total, he has played over 550 courses including most of Scotland’s top 100, and over half of Portugal’s growing number. He writes for the Irish Examiner newspaper, Irish Golfer magazine, and Destination Golf, and is a regular contributor to Golf Monthly. He has his own photography website – kevinmarkhamphotography.com – and spends hours on golf courses waiting to capture the perfect sunrise or sunset.

Kevin can be contacted via Twitter - @kevinmarkham