Donegal Appreciation Post

[ajgoodal.704]

Try this: 

 

Sunday - Drive to Ballyliffin, Warm up on the Pollan 9, Stay in Ballyliffin for 2 Nights
Monday - Ballyliffin Old and/or Glashedy, Visit Malin Head

Tuesday - Take ferry across Lough Swilly to Portsalon (maybe Otway), Stay in Downings/Carrigart for 3 Nights

Wednesday - Sandy Hills AM, Old Tom Morris PM

Thursday - St. Patrick's 

Friday - Cruit Island AM, Narin & Portnoo PM, Stay in Donegal Town for 1 Night (Great restaurants & pubs)

Saturday - Parkland options on way back to Dublin (Lough Erne Faldo, Slieve Russell, Headfort or Killeen Castle)

[jvincent]

On 7/20/2025 at 10:16 AM, Dan13 said:

A spectacular 9 late on arrival day sounds great just have to drive the extra hour. Will consider. 
 

I started the planning trying to minimize the driving but other than the stay at Rosapena will be doing a fair bit of it. I’ve driven in Edinburgh and in Inverness Scotland. Thinking it’s got to be similar. 

 

The roads up in the northwest of Ireland are a LOT narrower and curvier than in the Edinburgh area.

[jvincent]

-- double post -- 

Edited July 21 by jvincent

[hammergolf]

On 7/19/2025 at 1:22 PM, Dan13 said:

This is a great thread. Planning our foursomes trip for next Aug. First trip to Ireland after two to Scotland. Based on cost and availability ended up in the Donegal region. Wanted to limit the driving but hard to avoid. Plan is to fly to Dublin and just do the long drive on arrival day. Then shouldn’t be too bad. Here is the current plan.

 

Sun - May try and play Donegal on arrival day if they have afternoon times available day if. 
Mon - Narin & Portnoo

Tu/wed/th - Rosapena (Stay and Play)

Fri - Port Salon

Sat - Ballylifin 

 

Still researching the lodging and food. So spread out compared to Fife area in Scotland. 

 

 

Man that would be a BRUTAL first day. Off the plane, then 3hrs drive, then a round of golf…. I’ve done that trip many times. Here is what I have done:

 

Day 1 Land in Dublin, drive 1.5 hrs to Slieve Russell. Play golf, then stay the night in the hotel. 
Day 2 Drive to Donegal Golf Club 1.5hrs and play Murvagh Links. Then drive to Ardara 40mins, spend the night

Day 3 Drive to Narin & Portnoo 15mins, and play. Then drive to Cruit Island 45mins and play. Then drive to Downings 1hr

Day 4 Play St. Pats

Day 5 Play Old Tom & Sand Hills

Day 6 Drive to Portsalon 30mins and play, then drive to Ballyliffin 1.5hrs stay the night

Day 7 Play Glashedy then drive to Drogheda 3hrs

Day 8 Drive to Dublin Airport 30mins and depart.

 

 

[Dan13]

13 hours ago, hammergolf said:

Man that would be a BRUTAL first day. Off the plane, then 3hrs drive, then a round of golf…. I’ve done that trip many times. Here is what I have done:

 

Day 1 Land in Dublin, drive 1.5 hrs to Slieve Russell. Play golf, then stay the night in the hotel. 
Day 2 Drive to Donegal Golf Club 1.5hrs and play Murvagh Links. Then drive to Ardara 40mins, spend the night

Day 3 Drive to Narin & Portnoo 15mins, and play. Then drive to Cruit Island 45mins and play. Then drive to Downings 1hr

Day 4 Play St. Pats

Day 5 Play Old Tom & Sand Hills

Day 6 Drive to Portsalon 30mins and play, then drive to Ballyliffin 1.5hrs stay the night

Day 7 Play Glashedy then drive to Drogheda 3hrs

Day 8 Drive to Dublin Airport 30mins and depart.

 

 

First day will definitely be a long day. Probably won’t play golf. I say that but we ended up playing The Glen down the road from N Berwick on our first day in Scotland. 
 

Due to lack of Sat availability at Ballyliffin flipped the schedule. Now it’s 

Ballyliffin - Portsalon - Rosapenna (4x) - Narin & Portnoo. Will try and squeeze in Cruit Island.