Less than 10 miles away from downtown Dublin and situated on a small, isolated peninsula, The Island Golf Club seems to always inspire first-time visitors to ask, “How did I not know about this course?” Despite being one of the first dozen golf clubs in Ireland—and the third oldest in the Dublin area—The Island remains one of the East Coast’s best-kept secrets. As proof, a UK golf magazine once wrote of the club: “The best course in Ireland you have never heard of. Play it and tell no one.”

Farther to the north, about 27 miles from Dublin Castle, the Baltray Course at County Louth Golf Club rewards those who visit with 18 historic links holes, each defined by pristine (but challenging) green complexes. By contrast, more modern courses, such as The European Club, prove that exceptional links experiences are still being created. In fact, Rory McIlroy once declared of The European Club: “This is probably the best links course I have ever played.”

Golfers who are up for an east coast adventure and don’t mind longer road trips can venture almost two hours to the north to play Royal County Down, an inspiring Irish links layout that opened in 1889 and is almost always considered one of the best courses—if not the best course—in the world.

Yet, a quintessential Irish golf trip along the country’s east coast must include a round played at Portmarnock Golf Club. Founded in 1894, the course plays along the southern tip of a peninsula that juts out into the Irish Sea—a layout that has hosted 19 Irish Opens and the British Amateur Championship in 1949. Moreover, Portmarnock provides an ideal conclusion to a golf traveler’s journey along Ireland’s east coast. After all, Bernard Darwin once declared: “I know of no greater finish in the world than that of the last five holes at Portmarnock.”