2025 Ireland Links Golf Tour
Mainly 5 star Accommodation
12 games of golf (all are optional)
Including 8 Leading Links Courses
17 days/16 nights – 25 May to 10 June 2025
EUR 10,650 pp twin share – golfer (EUR 7,250 pp twin share – non golfer)
EUR 21,300 per golfing couple (EUR 17,900 golfer/non golfer couple)
EUR 14,100 for Single Golfer (Own Room)
You are invited to join Trendsetter Travel Golf Tour’s Ireland Links Golf Tour. Ireland has approximately 400 golf courses, of which around 44 are true links courses (defined as courses on natural sandy soil between land and sea). This tour is unique in that instead of focussing on the “name” courses it features the best available Irish links courses with sufficient motorised carts for all tour members, thus enabling everyone to enjoy superb golf irrespective of your walking ability. While this means we will not be playing certain of the famous Irish links courses, you are nonetheless promised an enriching golf experience. That said, we are playing The European Club and Waterville (both links courses) which are rated # 5 and # 6 respectively in Ireland and are must play links courses on any golf tour of Ireland. In our view, all of the 4 links courses to be played in Counties Mayo and Sligo are more magnificent and enjoyable to play than Ballybunion, reputedly the # 1 golf course in Ireland. In summary, we will play 6 of the top 15 ranked golf courses in Ireland.
The tour will enjoy extended stays at two 5 star hotels, being Druids Glen and Dunloe Hotel, and one 4 star hotel – the historic Mount Falcon (the best hotel within an acceptable driving range of the 4 great links golf courses we will play in County Mayo/Sligo). By limiting our stays to just 3 hotels over 15 nights, you can enjoy the luxury of minimal packing and unpacking. Breakfast is included daily, and dinners as specified. Transfers will be by comfortable air conditioned coaches, with, if required, a luggage van used to transfer both luggage and golf clubs when moving between hotels. Our final night, in Dublin, will be the only single night stay and the location for our farewell dinner.
If 12 games of golf is too many for you, simply select those you wish to play and a price adjustment will be made, provided this is done prior to payment of the tour balance. If you opt out of a particular golf game after you have made your final tour payment, no refunds are available as we are required to pre-pay in full for all our golf games with no rights of refund if we need to cancel. The ability to opt out of golf games is a unique aspect of Trendsetter Travel’s golf tours. While not expected, should we ever be short of carts for all our group and we have insufficient walkers, we will play on a particular day over two courses (in order of enrolment on the tour).
While we have reserved golf carts at all of the courses we will play, you are welcome (indeed encouraged) to walk any of the courses we play and a pricing adjustment will be made.
This tour is strictly limited to a maximum of 30 golfers (unlimited non-golfing partners are welcome) and is guaranteed to operate, there being no minimum number of guests.
We do not expect to repeat this tour. Thus, if you want to join a hosted golf group tour of Ireland and play many of the great links golf courses in Ireland with the assistance of a motorised cart, this is likely to be your one and only opportunity. Our tour has been curated following numerous requests from guests who have experienced our golf cruises and are either unable or unwilling to walk golf courses on a golfing tour of Ireland.
If you have not experienced golf in Ireland, a great opportunity awaits with incredible hospitality wherever we go with the bonus of Guinness on tap at just about all hotels and golf courses we visit. And if you have golfed previously in Ireland, you will want to join this tour. You will know it is true that Guiness always tastes better in Ireland.
All our hotels are booked include a full Irish breakfast – offering a great start to each day on tour.
Your tour hosts are Adrienne Witteman and David Cooper, Directors and Co-Owners of Trendsetter Travel Golf Tours. Both are enthusiastic golfers and longstanding members of one of Sydney’s most prestigious golf clubs. They have golfed extensively throughout the world and have jointly hosted over 30 international golf tours arranged by Trendsetter Travel Golf Tours.
Itinerary
Sunday 25 May 2025 – Dublin – Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort
Enjoy a complimentary transfer from either Dublin Airport or a Dublin city hotel to Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort. The boutique 148 room Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort offers excellent 5 star accommodation in deluxe rooms with an above average room size of 38 sqm, including a large bathroom with separate bath and shower. There are two restaurants, as well as dining at the golf course clubrooms.
Druids Glen is one of the highest rated golf resorts in all of Europe, not just Ireland. It has 2 excellent championship courses with the recently upgraded Druids Glen course ranking in the top 30 golf courses in Ireland and has held the Irish Open 4 times. The resort’s highly rated second course, Druids Heath, offers a distinct contrast to Druids Glen course.
For those looking for some extra special accommodation we have negotiated an option, subject to availability, to upgrade to one of the 65 sqm Suites (described as an Executive Suite) – refer included image. The cost for a suite is an extra EUR 230 per room per night (EUR 115 pp per night twin share).
Tonight, you will meet your fellow tour companions over drinks and welcome tour dinner. Some may even choose to have a golf game on one of the two golf courses upon arrival.
Accommodation: Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Club (5 nights) with option to arrive earlier
Monday 26 May 2025 – Dublin – Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort –Golf at St Anne’s Golf Links
Today we play the famous St Annes Golf Links. St Annes, located on Bull Island, adjoins Royal Dublin Golf Links and while internationally less well known than Royal Dublin, it is nevertheless highly rated by locals and those who have graced its fairways. Importantly St Anne’s will hire us all their 14 golf carts.
Tuesday 27 May 2025 – Dublin – Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort – Golf – Druids Glen
Today we have a leisurely start for the day and a short walk to the Druids Glen Golf Course (1995), ranked in the top 30 golf courses in Ireland and home to the Irish Open on 4 occasions. Well-travelled golf clients of Trendsetter Travel Golf Tours have ranked this course as one of the best they have played anywhere in the world and comparisons with Augusta National are frequent. The course has just re-opened after an extensive 14 month upgrade. While the layout has not been changed, our investigations indicate that the course now ranks as one of the very best Irish parkland golf courses.
Wednesday 28 May 2025 – Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort - Golf – The European Club
Today we travel a little over 20 minutes to play at The European Club. This course, which faces the Irish Sea on the east coast of Ireland, ranks # 5 in Ireland. However, we have sighted many reviews where it is rated the # 1 golf course in Ireland.
Thursday 29 May 2025 – Dublin – Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort – Golf – Druids Heath
Today we play Druids Heath (2003), described as a mixture of heathland and parkland course with several links land like golf holes. The 1st tee is only a short walk from our accommodation at Druids Glen.
Friday 30 May 2025 – Transfer to Killarney – Dunloe Hotel
A rest day from golf as we take a leisurely 4 hour drive to Killarney, our base for the next 5 days. Two and a half hours into our journey, we will stop at Limerick for 90 minutes – leaving you time to explore the town and have lunch.
Our home in Killarney is the 5 star, 102 room Dunloe Hotel, located within a 64 acre country estate and including a heated 25M indoor swimming pool. Accommodation is in a Superior King Bedded room, 49 sqm, with separate bath and shower. All rooms feature a large balcony with expansive views. The Dunloe is 11 km from the town of Killarney, and offers a courtesy shuttle for transfers to Killarney and other nearby attractions.
The hotel offers a highly rated main restaurant (The Grill) and tapas can be ordered each evening at the bar. You might also like to visit the Dunloe Hotel’s larger sister property European Hotel (5 km), with its more extensive choice of restaurants (courtesy shuttle is available to European Hotel).
Upon request and subject to availability, there are two suites available at extra cost.
Please note: Each guest is required to spend a minimum EUR 140 pp on food, over the 5 nights (includes purchases at both Dunloe and European hotels). This is unlikely to be a problem however please note that your participation on the tour implies agreement with this condition.
Accommodation: Dunloe Hotel (5 nights)
Saturday 31 May 2025 – Killarney – Dunloe Hotel - Golf – Dingle Golf Links
Today we journey west to play Dingle Golf Links, sometimes referred to as Ceann Sibeal (translates to Cybil Point in Gaelic). Dingle is the most westerly located of all Irish golf courses and was originally designed as a 9 hole course in the 1970s by the famous Irish golf architect Eddie Hackett. It was subsequently expanded to an 18 hole course under the guidance of Christy O’Connor Junior, and has been steadily moving up the Irish golf rankings to now sit in the top 50 courses league. Importantly, the course offers enough motorised golf carts for our group.
Sunday 1 June 2025 – Killarney Golf – Beaufort Golf Club
Today we play Beaufort Golf Club, a parkland course located 5 km from the Dunloe Hotel, in a valley dominated by views of the tallest mountain range in Ireland, the MacGillycuddy Reeks. Reviews indicate that the Beaufort is well conditioned with very good greens and fairways. Enjoy a relaxed morning start as our tee off time is not until 11 am.
Monday 2 June 2025 – Killarney – Dunloe Hotel - Golf - Killarney Golf & Fishing Club – Killeen Course
Today we visit the Killarney Golf & Fishing Club, 8 km from our hotel and with two 18 hole golf courses. We will play the highest rated (# 31 in Ireland) Killeen Course, venue for the Irish Open on multiple occasions.
Tuesday 3 June 2025 – Killarney – Dunloe Hotel – Golf - Waterville Golf Links
Today we play Waterville Golf Links, located near Waterville on the famous Ring of Kerry scenic road route. The course is ranked # 6 in Ireland and only ranks behind Ballybunion in the south west region of Ireland. Waterville Golf Links is laid out on an isthmus of natural dune-land and is bordered on 3 sides by water including the Atlantic Ocean. The towering dune-land and layout ensures each hole is uniquely set apart from all others.
The championship course is a Hackett/Fazio design. The clubrooms have been recently renovated and we will experience great views of the golf course and surrounds as we enjoy a cold drink after our round.
Wednesday 4 June 2025 – Killarney – Transfer to County Mayo – Mount Falcon
Today we say farewell to Killarney and head north to County Mayo for 4 games of classic links golf. For most guests this is likely to be one of the high points of your golfing career. While the transfer to Mount Falcon is approximately 4 hours, we will stop for 90 minutes at the coastal town of Galway to have lunch and stretch the legs.
Our hotel in County Mayo is the Mount Falcon, the stand out hotel in this district, and our base for games at Carne, County Sligo and Enniscrone, 4 of the finest links courses in all Ireland, and indeed the world.
We are booked in Superior rooms but we have availability to upgrade to Deluxe rooms (individually designed and ornately restored rooms in the original house of Mount Falcon Hotel with 15 foot high ceilings, marble fire places and antique furniture – 4 available @ EUR 650/room (EUR 325 pp twin share) surcharge for the 5 nights) and 2 Suites (available @ an extra EUR 2,200/room (EUR 1,100 pp twin share) for the 5 nights).
Accommodation: Mount Falcon (5 nights)
Thursday 5 June 2025 – County Mayo – Mount Falcon - Golf – Carne Links
Today we drive 70 minutes to Carne Golf Links on the west coast of Ireland. Perhaps due to its remoteness, many golf tours never visit this golf course, however it is a real treasure. Originally an 18 hole course (the Hackett 18), the course developed another 9 holes a decade ago and these 9 holes plus the final 9 holes of the original course are called the Wild Atlantic Course. It is arguably the most spectacular links course in Ireland with a fantastic routing through the massive sand dunes.
Friday 6 June 2025 – County Mayo – Mount Falcon - Golf – Enniscrone Golf Links
A 25 minute/20 km drives sees us at Enniscrone, another of Ireland’s great links courses. Like Carne, its ranking of # 15 belies the quality of the course and the unbelievable run of fantastic golf holes routed through the giant sand dunes.
Saturday 7 June 2025 – County Mayo – Mount Falcon - Golf - County Sligo Golf Club
You are in for a treat today as we play the # 8 ranked golf course in Ireland – County Sligo Golf Club, better known as Rosses Point. Rosses Point dates back to 1894 but was re-modelled in 1927 by the famous golf architecture partnership of Colt/Allison
Please note that we are limited to 12 carts at Rosses Point. If more are required, we will split our group and have most play County Sligo (in order of enrolment on the tour) with the balance to enjoy a 2nd game at Enniscrone or the nearby links course, Strandhill Links, an excellent course rated # 39 in Ireland.
Sunday 8 June 2025 – County Mayo – Mount Falcon - Golf – Carne Golf Links – Hackett Course
Today we return to Carne Golf Links and play the original Hackett 18 holes which includes 9 holes of the Wild Atlantic Course. Having previously played the original course in 2009, David and Adrienne can personally attest to its worthy inclusion on this tour.
Monday 9 June 2025 – County Mayo – Transfer to Dublin
Mid-morning we will transfer to Dublin, where we will overnight in a down town 5 star Dublin hotel for our final night on tour. This afternoon will be free to enjoy lunch and explore Dublin independently before meeting up this evening for pre-dinner drinks and a farewell dinner.
Tuesday 10 June 2025 - Dublin
After breakfast, our tour concludes and we all go our separate ways.
Farewell Ireland
The Finer Details...
Inclusions
- Meals as specified to include breakfast daily and welcome/farewell dinners.
- 12 games of golf as specified with green fees and carts – for those that walk with a hire pull trolley, there is a reduction of approximately EUR 20 pp per round (caddies are optional and an additional cost personal to the golfer);
- Coach transfers as a group to and from golf courses, between hotels and from airport/city to Druids Glen Hotel & Golf Resort (individual private transfers);
- Included after each golf game are drinks and prize money
Choice of Golf Games
- You can choose to play as many of the 12 golf courses as is your preference. However, you need to nominate any golf courses you wish to omit prior to depositing for the tour as we are required to make substantial non-refundable deposits at the time of booking (with most of our payments delayed to 31 March 2024 until we can confirm numbers).
- We will credit from the full tour price the full amount we save from your electing to not play any nominated golf course.
Cost of Tour
- The full cost of the tour is EUR 10,650 per golfer and EUR 7,250 pp for a non golfer on a twin share basis (EUR 21,300 per golfing couple/pair – EUR 17,900 per golfer/non golfer couple/pair).
- For single golfers, the full tour cost is EUR 14,100.
- An upgrade option to a Suite at Druids Glen (5 nights) and Mount Falcon (5 nights) is offered for an additional EUR 1,675 pp (EUR 3,350/couple/pair) on a twin share basis. A further suite upgrade is available at Dunloe Hotel.
- On request, a pricing adjustment will be provided for any golf games you elect to miss prior to payment of deposit.
- A non-refundable deposit of EUR 6,500 per couple/pair or EUR 4,500 for single guests is required at time of booking. This will be paid in AUD using the applicable AUD/EUR exchange rate but more favourable than the best rate quoted by any of the big four Australian trading banks. If for whatever reason you elect to cancel from the tour, we will refund 80% of your deposit payment subject to a replacement guest being found for the tour to take your place. A sizeable deposit is required as we need to pay substantial non refundable deposits to most Irish suppliers.
- The non-refundable balance of payment will be due in full by 24 January 2025. The total amount due will be calculated at the prevailing AUD/EUR exchange rate on 17 January 2025 with Trendsetter Travel Golf Tours using a more favorable rate than the best rate quoted by any of the big four Australian trading banks.
- For those domiciled outside of Australia, we expect to offer you the option to pay in your local currency (whether NZD, USD or PDS) at a rate close to the mid point exchange rate.
- Payment may be made as follows:
Trendsetter Travel & Cruise Centre Pty Ltd
ANZ Bank – Client Account
BSB – 012 003
Account – 8334 12763
or by credit card using the following link:
http://pay.travelpay.com.au/trendset
Insurance
- Comprehensive insurance is strongly recommended – and is recommended at the time of deposit to fully protect your payments in the unfortunate event of cancellation. Please ensure you are covered for any pre-existing illnesses.
Special Conditions
- Tee times have been booked at all 12 of our golf courses although 2 of the golf courses are subject to confirmation as their start sheets are only released 12 months in advance. In the unlikely event we are unable to play a particular course, we expect to book a replacement course of a similar standard.
- In paying your deposit, you are deemed to have accepted the above terms and conditions.
For further information, please contact either David Cooper by email david@trendsettertravel.com.au or on mobile 0413 010 638 or Adrienne Witteman by email adrienne@trendsettertravel.com.au or 0413 010 639.
