Ballycastle Golf Club

The 18-hole course at Ballycastle sits right on the edge of things, with the North Atlantic doing its best to distract you from your swing. It's a proper links setup - the kind where the wind has an opinion about where your ball goes, and the rough grass can swallow a golf ball whole if you're not careful.

You're looking at genuine links golf here, not some manicured parkland course. The fairways run alongside wild coastal terrain, and on a clear day you'll clock the Scottish coast across the water. It's windy. It's challenging. It's exactly what you want if you're a decent golfer who likes a bit of grit in their round.

Non-golfers won't find much here - this is purely for people who want eighteen holes. Allow three to four hours minimum, more if you're playing off the back tees and the weather turns. The club itself is welcoming enough, though you'll want to ring ahead about membership requirements or green fees.

For a golf-focused holiday on the Causeway Coast, it works brilliantly alongside the nearby glamping spots. Watertop Farm is just 4.5 miles away, and North Coast 9 Glamping sits at 5.3 miles - both cracking bases if you're after something with a bit more character than a standard hotel. Play your round in the morning, enjoy the coastal walks around Ballycastle in the afternoon. The town itself has cafes and pubs worth exploring after your game.