Northern Ireland is known for its spectacular scenery, particularly around the Giant’s Causeway, as well as its excellent golf courses, which are both great reasons to spend golf holidays in Northern Ireland. In fact, the golf courses in Northern Ireland are considered some of the best in the world, receiving consistent raves from magazines, golf enthusiasts and even legends such as Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson.

Aside from being the oldest golf club in Northern Ireland, the Royal Belfast Golf Club is also one of the most popular. Founded in 1881, the golf club provides golfers with a true test of skill while offering scenic views of Belfast Lough and the Antrim Plateau.

Although not as old, the Royal County Down Golf Club has been around for a long time, too. If you are an expert spending golf holidays in Northern Ireland, you’ll want to try out the Championship Link. On the other hand, if you’re a beginner or want to play a relaxing game of golf, you can play at the Annesley Links, which is the easier course.

The Castlerock Golf Club has two links courses, as well – the more challenging 18-hole Mussenden Course and the easier but equally enjoyable 9-hole Bann Course. Designed by Ben Sayers, both courses offer breathtaking views, since they are both surrounded by streams, sand hills and other amazing natural landscapes.

The best golf club in Northern Ireland, though, is the Royal Portrush Golf Club. In fact, it is considered one of the best in the entire world. The Dunluce Course is particulary popular because of its challenging holes, such as ‘White Rock’ and ‘Calamity’, which are difficult even for professional golfers spending holidays in Northern Ireland.

The Ballycastle Golf Club has a good golf course, too, which is part parkland and part links – the first five holes located on parkland and the rest located on links. This offers a diversity of challenges for golfers as well as different views of the coast and nearby mountains which are all equally spectacular.

If you want to play at a parkland course, you can go to the Radisson Roe Park Golf Club, one of the newest golf clubs in Northern Ireland. This 18-hole golf course is situated on the grounds of a historic estate where St. Columba addressed the High Kings of Ireland and Scotland. It remains challenging, though, particularly because of its water features.

These golf clubs and many others truly make Northern Ireland a great destination for golf holidays. Even if you’re not a golfer, though, you can still have memorable holidays in Northern Ireland. After all, this island offers plenty of other great activities and attractions for everyone to enjoy.

Isabella Olsen is a travel writer who has toured major destinations worldwide, including Northern Ireland, by car. To book your Northern Ireland cheap car rental, or learn more about car hire worldwide, visit Zencarhire.com.