The Island

An Ireland golf tour is not complete without a trip to The Island, which is actually misnamed since it sits at the end of a peninsula just outside Dublin, rather than truly on an island. However, the course creates the illusion of being situated on an island with the routing surrounded by water on three sides.

Until 1973, the club was only accessible by rowing across a narrow stretch of water from Malahide to what was referred to as “the island” – hence the Club’s name. Today, the championship links course at The Island is fully accessible by road and is an excellent choice on any Ireland golf vacation.

Set amongst stunning dunes with spectacular views of the Irish Sea, it’s easy to see why this course has consistently ranked in the top ten of Irish Golfer’s Top 100 Courses.

The current championship course has benefitted from the input of world-renowned golf course architects – Fred and son Martin Hawtree, Eddie Hackett and Ron Kirby, and most recently Martin Ebert of Mackenzie and Ebert in 2019.

The Island has played host to several key championships, including the Open Championship Qualifying, The Irish Ladies Close Championship, The Irish Close Championship, The Irish PGA, The Irish Amateur, and The Open Amateur Championship with Portmarnock Golf Club.

Adding The Island to an Ireland golf vacation comes with many benefits outside the realms of golf, including its proximity to Ireland’s capital. Dublin offers plenty to do, whether you’re keen to explore the culture, learn about its history, or wind down with some shopping and great dining options.

The Island Golf Club holds plenty of history, particularly in regards to its accessibility. Original members of the club playing out at the course would display a large red & white disc from the clubhouse to the waiting boatman to fetch them after their round. In 1973 when the new clubhouse was built at the other end of the course it became accessible by road.

In the late 1880s, ten members of what was then ‘The Dublin Golf Club’ (now Royal Dublin GC), referred to as “The Syndicate’, rowed across to assess the suitability as a site for a new golf club. They liked what they saw and enlisted the local farmer to help scythe what was to become the fairways and green sites, thus creating The Island.

No record exists of the original designer’s name as it was more of a collaborative effort. The course was unusual for the day as it followed the valleys between the dunes and the path of least resistance in its routing.

It was also different in that it had no military affiliation. All the members were private citizens, and The Syndicate and their descendants controlled the Club until 1952. It was then that they gave full membership privileges to the associate members as well.

The Club has had a very active Ladies’ division, with most successes of the members in outside competitions coming between 1910 and the Second World War when all the clubs suffered.