Detailed Itinerary
Arrive Dublin Airport. Met on arrival where you will be transferred to your hotel, Westin Dublin.
Ireland’s capital, has fast become one of Europe’s most vibrant and cosmopolitan cities. The city has always had a reputation as a great historical city, and its strong links with world literature and the arts are readily apparent. It certainly has a lot to offer visitors - not least it's diverse attractions. There is a wealth of architectural detail with the medieval core of the city surrounded by elegant Georgian squares. A great way to see Dublin is on foot and be sure to take a break from your sightseeing by stopping into one of Dublin's many pubs and bars, or after a long, busy day get yourself a quiet pint, and enjoy the craic.
Amongst the many attractions are St.Patrick’s Cathedral and Trinity College to view the Book of Kells in the College Library. There is a wealth of architectural detail with the medieval core of the city surrounded by elegant Georgian squares.
The best shopping is to be found on Grafton Street, located between Trinity College and St Stephen's Green. A pedestrianised street with fashionable stores such as Brown Thomas, the department store catering for many designer showcases, both foreign and local. Dublin's leading and most exclusive jewellers, Weirs, is also here, as well as the most popular of the famous Bewley's Cafés. Other principal shopping streets in the area include Wicklow Street, Dawson Street, and South Great Georges Street.
This evening attend our Welcome Party & Dinner in the Westin Dublin.
OVERNIGHT: Westin Dublin – Deluxe Room
GOLF: Today play Rosapenna – Sandy Hills Links. Considered the ideal modern links, each hole cuts directly through the dunes and provides spectacular views that might ease the sting from a bad score or two. The fairways appear narrow from the teeing ground, but are actually fair and wide, even generous in spots. Many tees and greens are elevated as the holes run north and south across the property. Holes 6-thru-13 are the meat of the course, and the par-3 7th is memorable for its tiny green.
SIGHSEEING: Following lunch you can relax and enjoy the surroundings of the Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Resort or the option exists to visit the Fanad Head Peninsula, part of the Wild Atlantic Way by crossing the Harry Blaney Bridge to visit the much photographed lighthouse. Following the shipwreck of the HMS Saldanha in the waters of Lough Swilly in 1812, the lighthouse was built. Its fixed light showed red to sea and white towards the Lough, and could be seen for fourteen miles in clear weather. Fanad Head is just one of the 15 Wonders of the Wild Atlantic Way.
OVERNIGHT: Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Links – Bay View Room
GOLF: Today play Rosapenna – St Patrick’s Links. Designed by Tom Doak and opened in 2021, St Patrick’s Links is a sprawling links that is destined to become a modern great. It sits on the most magnificent piece of links land, 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. With plenty of width and an eclectic mix of naturalised bunkers, the course is destined to become a must play.
SIGHTSEEING: Enjoy a visit to Glenveagh National Park lies in the heart of the Derryveagh Mountains in the north-west of Co. Donegal. It is a remote and hauntingly beautiful wilderness of rugged mountains and pristine lakes. The park consists of 16,000 hectares of wilderness, lakes and mountains. Take a guided tour of the castle, walk in the gardens or wander through the fantastic scenery. Glenveagh also boasts the largest herd of red deer in Ireland and has also re-introduced the Golden Eagle to Irish Shores.
OVERNIGHT: Rosapenna Hotel & Golf Links – Bay View Room
Departing Rosapenna this morning we drive to the City of Derry and cross into Northern Ireland. Enjoy a walking tour of Ireland's only completely intact Walled City. Learn about the Siege, Emigration and Troubles on this unique walking tour. Dating back to the 6th century, the city of Derry~Londonderry is steeped in history at every turn. St Columba founded a monastery here and the city's name comes from the old Irish word for Oak grove. The impressive City Walls provide a unique promenade to view the layout of the original town which still preserves its Renaissance style street plan. It is one of the few cities in Europe that never saw its fortifications breached, withstanding several sieges.
Following the stop in Derry continue towards Bushmills and check in at the Bushmills Inn.
This afternoon the option exists to visit the Giants Causeway. According to legend, the symmetrical columns reaching out to sea were the work of the giant, Finn MacCool. Today geologists try to convince us that thousands of polygonal columns were formed 55 million years ago, when a lava flow cooled and solidified, and that the oldest rocks of the Causeway started posing for visitors about 600 million years ago. The facts and the fiction of this “World Heritage Site” are vividly presented in the Causeway Centre, where there is an audio-visual theatre, tea room and gift shop.
This evening enjoy dinner with your group in a local restaurant (included).
OVERNIGHT: Bushmills Inn – Deluxe Millhouse Room
GOLF: Today play Portstewart – Strand Course. Possibly, indeed probably, The Strand Course at Portstewart has always been inspired by her renowned neighbors Royal County Down and Royal Portrush to join the ranks of Northern Ireland’s leading layouts. The original course opened in 1908, was largely reinvented by the great Willie Park in the early 1920’s, then updated again in the 1980s. Next after a healthy investment to acquire a range of massive, untouched sand dunes called “Thistly Hollow”, seven outstanding new holes were constructed that make for an opening nine considered one of the best in links golf.
SIGHTSEEING: Enjoy a day of touring the Antrim Coastline. Visit the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, a 2km coastal walk with views of Rathlin, Scottish Isles and Carrick-a-Rede Island. Home to guillemots, razorbills, kittiwakes and fulmars. The first rope bridge linking the mainland to the island was first erected by salmon fishermen in 1755. Suspended almost 100ft above the Atlantic Ocean, you don’t have to cross the bridge if you have a fear of heights!! Ballintoy Harbour can be discovered in the picturesque village of Ballintoy. Known as a ‘raised beach’, it is accessed by a spectacular, steep winding road, it is a painter’s paradise with sea stacks, rocky islands, pools and busy harbour. Dunluce Castle is one of the most picturesque and romantic of Irish Castles. With evidence of settlement from the first millennium, the present castle ruins date mainly from the 16th and 17th centuries. It was inhabited by both the feuding McQuillan and MacDonnell clans and historical and archaeological exhibits are on display.
OVERNIGHT: Bushmills Inn – Deluxe Millhouse Room
GOLF: Play today at Royal Portrush. Northern Ireland’s Royal Portrush (Est 1888) is routinely ranked among the World Top 15 and never less than fifth among the great clubs of the UK and Ireland. It is the only club outside of Great Britain to host The Open which it has done twice; in 1951 and 2019. Harry Colt is largely responsible for the current layout which opened in 1932. He chose the high ground on magnificent dunes land the club had acquired for two courses that was full of deep valleys, long ridges and large plateaus. His achievement here is how the holes follow the sand formations and the greens which are some of the most cleverly conceived in golf. Changes were made in advance of The 148th Open that included two new holes, the exceptional 7th and 8th, which turned the old 17th and 18th into a staging ground for the championship.
SIGHTSEEING: Travel with the golfers to Royal Portrush and watch the golfers tee off at this historic golf venue. Enjoy free time to explore Portrush or relax and have lunch at the Bushmills Inn.
After golf the group will all have the option to visit Bushmills Distillery. Bushmills is home to the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery. Official records stretch back to 1608, when the area was granted its license to distil. Over 400 years later, whiskey is still being made in Bushmills, thanks to experience and craft passed down from generation to generation.
OVERNIGHT: Bushmills Inn – Deluxe Millhouse Room
SIGHTSEEING: Check out and depart from Bushmills travelling south to the historic City of Belfast. Enjoy a city tour with a visit to Titanic Belfast beside the Titanic Slipways, the Harland & Wolff Drawing Offices and Hamilton Graving Dock – the very place where Titanic was designed, built and launched. Titanic Belfast tells the story of Titanic from her conception, through her construction and launch, to her maiden voyage and subsequent place in history. Stop at the Crown Liquor Saloon, this pub in Great Victoria Street is one of the best known in Northern Ireland. Dating back to the 1880s, The Crown is a gem of the Victorian era and still boasts many of its original features, including gaslighting.
Continue south from Belfast to Newcastle, Co Down and check in at the Slieve Donard Hotel.
OVERNIGHT: Slieve Donard Resort & Spa – Resort Room
GOLF: Play today Royal County Down. Northern Ireland’s Royal County Down is routinely ranked among the World Top 5 and never less than first or second among the great clubs of the UK and Ireland for two reasons: the beauty of the setting and the brilliance of the design. Old Tom Morris authored the first 18 hole course here and gets a healthy share of the credit for this masterpiece but George Coombe and Harry Colt also had a hand in it, as have Donald Steele and Martin & Ebert in recent years. None would dispute however, that the site as it was found with its rugged dunes, natural corridors and hollows, golden gorse and purple heather was destined for greatness. The ninth stands out among many. This 427-yard par 4 begins with a blind tee shot to a fairway found eighty feet down a sidehill plunge where two cross bunkers protect a green saddled between two dunes.
SIGHTSEEING: Visit Downpatrick an important historical town, which until recently was almost entirely surrounded by water. It is here that you should visit the Saint Patrick Centre, which tells the story of Ireland’s patron Saint before visiting the traditional site of St. Patrick’s Grave in the nearby grounds of Down Cathedral. Enjoy a visit to Mount Stewart, Northern Ireland’s most celebrated garden. This great diversity of style and plants from every continent were ingeniously combined by Edith, Lady Londonderry to produce a garden of outstanding quality and character.
This evening enjoy our Farewell Party & Dinner at Slieve Donard Resort & Spa.
OVERNIGHT: Slieve Donard Resort & Spa – Resort Room
After breakfast transfer to Dublin or Belfast Airport for homeward flights.