County Louth: Ireland’s most underrated course you have to play if you visit the Emerald Isle

If you're lucky enough to travel to Ireland to play golf, you should definitely visit County Louth Golf Club.

County Louth, also known as Baltray, is a hidden gem set amidst balmy sand dunes along the Irish Sea. Smiley Kaufman and Justin Thomaswho played the course after the British Open this year and two days after me, agrees.

Not a blade of grass is disturbed, giving the impression of walking on heavenly ground. It is solid, fair and a fantastic test of golf, the pinnacle of links golf. Every golfer should play here at least once.

Baltrey is located four miles east of the town of Drogheda (the “g” is silent) and 45 minutes from Dublin Airport, making it convenient for those travelling from North America.

The golf course has also received numerous accolades. Golf Digest Ireland It is ranked as the eighth best links golf course in Ireland and many other golf courses in the British Isles also rave about the course.

The course has hosted the DP World Tour's Irish Open twice, most recently in 2009 when Shane Lowry won as an amateur. Each June the course hosts the East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, one of four major amateur events held annually in the Emerald Isle, attracting some of the world's best players. The East of Ireland has been played here every year since 1941, except for 2020 and 2021, when it was cancelled due to the pandemic. Notable champions of the East of Ireland include 2011 Open champion Darren Clarke and former top amateur Christo Lamprecht. This year's winner is: Caolan RaffertyA former greenskeeper at nearby Dundalk Golf Club, he won the 72-hole competition in 15 under par.

The club will also host the Boys Amateur Championship, the equivalent of the R&A's US Junior Amateur, in 2025. County Louth is very proud of its junior golf and family friendly atmosphere, boasting 250 junior members, many of whom boast handicaps under 15. Junior competitions are held every Tuesday and Thursday during the summer and more irregularly during the winter – and yes, the County Louth climate allows for a 12 month a year operation.

The course has a total membership of about 1,500, far more than most clubs in the United States, and the majority of its members are families, and has done so for nearly a century. Families such as the Connollys, Gannons, Garveys, Lions and Reddans, too numerous to mention, have all contributed greatly to the club's success over the years and continue to do so to this day.

As a result, the tee sheets are full almost every day and wherever you look you can see young boys and girls playing, a delightful sight for golfers of all ages.

This explains why hosting the Boys Amateur is so important to County Louth and why the R&A has given it their highest praise ahead of next year's championship.

Earlier this summer, officials from the R&A visited County Louth to inspect the courses and assess their condition. Like the United States Golf Association (USGA), the R&A prides itself on hosting championships in the finest venues.

So, as I walked along the lush fairways of Baltrey with Louth County general manager Ryan Donagher and head groundskeeper Wayne Murray, representatives from the R&A began shaking their heads in disbelief.

“The course is in better condition than any of the current British Open courses,” the source said.

County Louth Golf Club

“There's something special here.”

But the course continues to improve bit by bit.

An extensive graveling programme will be carried out to further firm up the fairways and make the course an even better test course for links golf. Donagher explained that over the next five years he hopes the graveling programme will put County Louth on a par with Portmarnock, Royal Portrush and Royal County Down – three of the best courses not only in Ireland but in the world.

As someone who has played on this golf course, I can certainly say that it has potential.

Every hole is memorable, and the pot bunkers are, well, pretty formidable. But by the time you get to the short par-4 14th, you'll have played 13 great golf holes that go in different directions and have different characteristics. But nothing beats the 14th. With the whole course stretched out before you and the crisp, cool air of the Irish Sea sweeping in from your left, you feel transcended into another world of golf. And best of all, this hole is an engineering marvel. From the back tees, it plays as a short 330-yard par-4 that curves slightly left-to-right. The hole slopes gently uphill, with steep drops all around the green, similar to what players saw at Pinehurst's second hole this year.

County Louth Golf Club

However, all of the greens in County Louth have plenty of run-offs and water catchments, forcing players to be imaginative with their approach – that's the beauty of links golf and this course – after all, in the British Isles you need to use the ground to your advantage, keep the ball low and out of the wind, and use the undulating terrain to your advantage to earn your best score.

Take, for example, the par 4, Donagher's favorite hole on the property. Another short par 4, this beautiful 379-yard hole has no pot bunkers whatsoever. Instead, the semi-blind tee shot makes players feel uneasy off the tee, as do the mounds that surround the green. This is a quintessential links golf hole, one where you can walk away in three or six strokes, but without running into Louth's treacherous hellhole.

County Louth Golf Club

Speaking from experience, pot bunkers must be avoided or an ugly 8 or 9 will show up on your score card – a sight no one wants to see. Unfortunately, I shot a 9 on the easy par 5 second hole, what should have been an easy chance for birdie, but I looked like a stupid 30 handicapper in the bunker, hit 4 shots into the lip of the bunker and walked away with my tail between my legs.

But I had a smile on my face all day because County Louth is just that amazing. When I finished I texted my dad, “This is now my favourite golf course in the world. It's that special.”

So if you want to experience this amazing place, you can call the County Louth pro shop or use their online booking system. However, I recommend booking 12 months in advance as tee sheets fill up fast. Still, it's well worth the wait. I can't wait to go back and I hope you'll add County Louth to your list too. It will forever be one of my favourites.

Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow For more golf articles, follow us on Twitter Jack Mirko In the same way.