For most golfers, a round on Ireland’s world-famous links courses is a bucket-list ambition. For a select few, however, it comes as part of a €30,000, door-to-door luxury experience — complete with helicopter transfers, five-star hotels and tee times at some of the country’s most exclusive courses.
President Trump revealed last week that he hoped to attend the Irish Open at his Doonbeg course this September, while the Ryder Cup next year in Adare will draw global attention. High-end operators are capitalising on Ireland’s reputation as a golfing powerhouse, selling premium packages to affluent visitors eager to play iconic courses in comfort.
President Trump at Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg in 2023Brian Lawless/PA
Excelerator Luxury Golf Tours, a company based in Portrush, Co Antrim, organises “bucket-list” golf trips for Irish tourists that can cost from €15,000 to €30,000 per person, depending on the package.
These itineraries can include access to up to 13 golf courses, with five-star accommodation, Michelin-starred dining reservations, helicopter transfers and even private jet arrivals.
Hazel Thompson, who founded Excelerator in 2014 but began to fully grow the company after the Covid-19 pandemic, said her trips were usually most popular with Americans, Canadians and Australians.
“I was in Australia for 30 years and friends at the golf club I was a member of wanted to come to Ireland to play golf,” she said.
“The first tour I organised was for women only in 2016, for two weeks playing the top courses in Ireland. Then they came back, and more women wanted to come. Then the women wanted to bring their husbands, so then it was mixed tours and ladies tours. In 2021, I came back to live in Ireland and it was only then that I began to focus on the American market, which is where a huge number of my customers now come from, and about 90 per cent of my business is now men.”
Thompson, a former EY consultant, said luxury helicopters were often used by some clients to transfer them between golf courses. Her business also accommodates clients who fly to Ireland in a private jet.
“I’ve got a booking at the moment for an eight-seat helicopter going from Adare Manor up to Portrush,” she said.
Adare Manor hotel and golf resort will host the Ryder Cup next yearAlamy
“The group are from California and it’s the biggest helicopter I’ve done — usually it’s for four people. A lot of the resorts we book will have the helicopter landing spots or for private jets. Some might fly into the private airport near Dublin airport and then they can fly by helicopter over to Adare Manor, but you can also arrive by private jet in Kerry or Cork.”
Major events are also driving demand, with visitors planning trips around tournaments such as the Irish Open and the Ryder Cup — often booking years in advance due to limited availability.
“It’s nearly impossible to get tee times near the venue [of the event] so guests have to book about two years in advance,” Thompson said.
“Some people want to go to the event and play golf for a few days, but others know that it’s going to be so hard to get on the courses, so they’ll come over especially for the event and then come back another time to play.”
At Concierge Golf Ireland in Co Cork, demand is similarly strong, particularly from North America and parts of Europe including Switzerland and the Netherlands.
Lahinch Golf Club in Co Clare, Ballybunion in Co Kerry and Old Head Golf Links in Kinsale are among the most sought-after stops.
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John Dooley, a PGA golf professional who founded the company, said his clients ranged from couples to groups of friends and families.
“Clients tend to do anywhere from five to ten courses in one trip, but we have a couple at the moment who are doing a 40-day golf trip across Ireland and Scotland,” he said.
“Sometimes we get corporates bringing their clients or groups of four men or four ladies, and it can be a combination of younger and older groups as well. I would say we are most popular though with retirees who are in their late sixties.”
Dooley noted that the price of playing golf in Ireland had “increased significantly”, but said there was still a growing demand. A green fee at Adare Manor costs €550, and it is €500 to play at Old Head.
“It’s a bucket list trip but the price of golf has increased significantly in recent years so some may opt for four-star instead of five-star hotels,” he said.
“We also do helicopter transfers — and the beauty of golf touring by helicopter is that it’s quick. The aircraft can land very close to the clubhouse or selected hotel, but for those booking the helicopter, I would put that into the category of significant disposable income.”
Dublin-based Carr Golf Travel is also seeing strong demand, particularly around major events. The company is offering Ryder Cup packages for next year’s tournament at Adare Manor, starting from €4,598 per person sharing, with optional add-ons including tee times at nearby courses.
Marty Carr, the company’s chairman, said Ireland’s golf tourism offering had strengthened considerably in recent years.
“We’re an authorised provider for the 2027 Ryder Cup, and as an Irish company that’s something we’re very proud of,” he said. “Demand has grown steadily. The standard of the Irish golf product has improved significantly, and there are now far more high-quality courses and experiences available.”
Carr, whose late father Joe Carr captained Great Britain and Ireland in the Walker Cup and played in the Masters, said his main clients were from the US and Canada, but added that he had seen a “smaller steady demand from the UK and Irish market”.