Not every Ireland golf trip has to feature all the famous golf courses and the top level green fees that come with these courses. In any case, demand for these so called trophy courses usually far outstrips availability, and in our experience, the key to a memorable Irish golf trip is to sprinkle your itinerary with some local gems, which are guaranteed to thrill golfers of all abilities. We are asked sometimes to put together such itineraries for our clients. Take for example our Northern Ireland Royals Golf Trip. Stay in central lodgings on the northern coast of Ireland and play both courses at Royal Portrush, the famous Dunluce Links which hosted The Open Championship in 2019 and its sister course the Valley Links. While on the Northern coast and within easy reach, you can also play the wonderful Castlerock Mussenden Links, as well as Ballycastle, a unique golf course which offers a mix of parkland, heathland and linksland holes which overlook the sea. Golf in Donegal in the North west offers similar opportunities for a budget golf trip in Ireland. By all means, play both Ballyliffin courses, the Glashedy and the Old Links, but also take in some local courses like Greencastle, Portsalon, Narin and Portnoo, and the 9 ­hole beauty that is Cruit Island. There are similar opportunities for a budget golf trip to Ireland further along the west coast. Well known links courses such as County Sligo, Enniscrone and Carne, combining with Strandhill and Westport. While at Carne, make sure to play all 27 holes of this wonderful landscape setting among towering dunes.