Donegal Golf Courses - Rosapenna Resort

Dunfanaghy Golf in Donegal offers a true links with magnificent coastal scenery. Located on the western shores of Sheephaven Bay with blue flag beaches, the golf courses extends from Dunfanagh village in the shadow of Muckish Mountain.

Golf has been played here for over 100 years, and remains a challenge for golfers of all abilities. The course is relatively short with a Par 68 and provides for an enjoyable game year-round.

Golf has been played on the Portsalon links since the 1880's.

The club was one of the founder members of the Golfing Union of Ireland, the oldest golfing union in the world. Currently Portsalon is ranked in the top 25 courses in Ireland by Golf Digest.

Nestled under the Knockalla mountains and stretching along the magnificent Ballymastocker beach, a true test of links golf presents itself. Above all, a warm welcome awaits.

In 1891, while a guest of Lord Leitrim at his nearby estate, Old Tom Morris of St. Andrews, a winner of four Open Championships in the 1860's, took a drive to enjoy the Donegal scenery. Old Tom was quick to see the golfing potential of this fine stretch of coast line and before returning to the home of golf he had staked-out the first Rosapenna Links, incorporating wide rolling fairways amidst the undulating terrain and of course those delightful greens.

Back at St. Andrews, Old Tom was quick to tell of his discovery and so it was that Rosapenna became a place of pilgrimage for golfers at the turn of the century. Amongst those to follow were two other great golfing champions Harry Vardon and James Braid (in 1906) who won 11 Open Championship titles between them. They added length and more detailed bunkering but were wise enough to leave those wonderful natural greens untouched. Further changes were made by the great Harry Colt of Sunningdale in 1912, building/editing at least 11 holes.

In September 2009 the new Strand Nine opened at Rosapenna to replace the original back nine. These new links holes which are now played as the front nine are routed through the low lying dunes to the east of the Sandy Hills Links and are fashioned much like the original Old Tom Morris Valley nine that runs along the beautiful Tramore beach overlooking Sheephaven Bay which have now become the back nine. These new links holes, which have striking views across Mulroy Bay, have matured to a condition that has seen them settle into the Old Tom Morris Links layout to provide a seamless connection between each nine.

Running to just under 7,000 yards off the championship markers the Strand and Valley nines which now make up the Old Tom Morris Links are a testing combination of traditional and modern links holes which bridge a century of golf design influences.

The original back nine of the Old Links known as the "Coastguard Holes" are now played as a separate nine hole course beginning and finishing at the practice ground.

The Sandy Hills Links at Rosapenna opened for play in June 2003 and has matured into one of Ireland’s finest modern links courses. Each hole is spectacular with views across the Old Tom Morris Links toward the beautiful Sheephaven Bay.

Sandy Hills is in many ways the ideal of a modern links. Intended for the serious golfer, its narrow fairways appear constricting from the tee, but the landing areas sculpted from the dunes are deceptively wide.

Above all, the appeal of Sandy Hills lies in its beautifully balanced routing through the high dunes cloaked in marram grass. These sandhills bear a striking resemblance to the ones near the Giant’s Causeway in Northern Ireland that form the spine of Royal Portrush, Portstewart and Castlerock. Many of the holes feature elevated tees and greens, with drives into natural bowls on the dune floor.

“A stunning modern links that funnels its way through centuries-old dunes created by and still whipped by the winds coming in off the Atlantic Ocean. A must play links course for serious golf enthusiasts. Perhaps the best praise that can be given Sandy Hills is that there is not one weak hole on the course. In fact I would venture to say that there is not even one average hole on the course. With the Atlantic winds blowing, Sandy Hills simply offers a test of golf at its purest and toughest” - Peter Acheson, Editor, Golf Digest Ireland

Originally encompassing 36 holes, Tom Doak has fashioned 18 unrecognisable and unforgettable holes over the same tract of land. The result? A sprawling links that is destined to become a modern great. It sits on the most magnificent piece of links land - huge scale, west coast of Ireland scenery, with enough variety in dimension to present a real diversity of golf holes.

The routing takes golfers on a journey through huge dunes, to high above Sheephaven Bay, along the coast, then back over some more gentle dunes... and that's just the front nine! With plenty of width and an eclectic mix of naturalised bunkers, the course is unlike anything in the UK & Ireland..