If you’re planning a golf trip to Ireland and want to experience one of the country’s most spectacular links courses, Carne Golf Links in Belmullet, County Mayo, deserves a place on your itinerary.
Located on the remote and rugged Mullet Peninsula along the Wild Atlantic Way, this beautiful Mayo golf course is surrounded by enormous natural sand dunes, sweeping Atlantic views, and some of the most beautiful coastal scenery in the West of Ireland.
The 27-hole links course has attracted international attention, including from Hollywood actor Bill Murray, who recently named Carne among his favorite golf courses in Ireland.
For golfers willing to venture beyond Ireland’s better-known golf destinations, Carne offers a remarkable experience combining challenging links golf with the wild beauty of North Mayo.
Bill Murray Names Carne Golf Links Among His Favorite Irish Courses
Carne Golf Links has a particularly memorable connection with Bill Murray, the American actor best known for movies such as Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, and Groundhog Day.
Murray first visited Carne in August 2021 while filming a golf series with American golf writer Tom Coyne.
His visit attracted considerable attention in Mayo, where the actor enjoyed playing the spectacular links course and meeting local golfers.
During his visit, Murray reportedly described Carne as one of the most amazing, dramatic, and spectacular courses he had ever played. He and members of his family also took out lifetime memberships at the club.
In November 2026, Murray again singled out Carne when discussing his favorite Irish golf courses during his golf adventures in Ireland for a new series called “A Course Called Ireland.”
Speaking about the courses he particularly enjoyed, Murray described Carne in Belmullet as a startling course.
His enthusiasm is easy to understand.
Carne is unlike many traditional golf destinations, with towering dunes, rugged terrain, and Atlantic scenery, creating an unforgettable setting for a round of golf.
About the Carne Golf Links
Today’s course includes the original 18-hole course, which was designed by renowned Irish golf course architect Eddie Hackett, along with the newer Wild Atlantic Dunes course, which together include a total of 27 holes.
Opened in 1992, Carne was the final course designed by Hackett, and many golfers consider it among his finest creations.
The course follows the natural contours of the land, with challenging fairways and greens set among impressive sand dunes overlooking Blacksod Bay in North Mayo.
Carne’s newer layout 0f 9 holes, known as “The Kilmore 9,” takes the golfing experience even further into the spectacular dune landscape.
The Wild Atlantic Dunes routing combines the back nine of the original Hackett course with nine additional holes designed by Ally McIntosh and Jim Engh, based on Hackett’s original vision for the dramatic terrain.
The result is a spectacular links experience that takes golfers through some of the most impressive dunes in Ireland.
Planning a Golf Trip to Carne Golf Links
Carne is an especially rewarding destination for golfers who enjoy exploring Ireland beyond its most famous courses.
Where Is Carne Golf Links Located?
Carne Golf Links is located near Belmullet, County Mayo, on the Mullet Peninsula along Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way.
The course is approximately 90 minutes from Ballina by car, around 2 hours from Sligo town, and approximately 3 hours from Galway, depending on the route and traffic.
Its remote location is part of the attraction.
Booking a Tee Time
Visitors can book tee times directly through the official Carne Golf Links website.
The club offers visitor bookings for both the Hackett and Wild Atlantic Dunes course routings.
Green fees for visitors who want to play either the Hackett or Wild Atlantic ourse during the off-season are around €95 per golfer, with rates during the summer around €225 per golfer.
If you’re planning to play both, consider staying overnight in Belmullet rather than making the journey in a single day.
You can also contact the club about caddies, golf buggies, club rentals, and other services.
I’d recommend either The Talbot Hotel or the Broadhaven Bay Hotel.
The town offers accommodation, restaurants, pubs, and access to the surrounding beaches and coastal attractions.
Staying locally gives you an opportunity to experience the welcoming atmosphere of this part of Mayo rather than simply arriving for a round of golf and leaving.
If you’re planning a longer Wild Atlantic Way trip, Carne can also be combined with a stay in Ballina, Westport, or Achill Island.
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Things to See Near Carne Golf Links
One of the great advantages of visiting Carne is the opportunity to explore a beautiful and relatively undiscovered part of Ireland.
The Erris region is known for its beaches, walking trails, archaeological sites, and dramatic Atlantic scenery. Here are some of the attractions you should consider.
Erris Head Loop Walk
This 3.2-mile (5-km) trail is a beautiful coastal walk that begins at the end of the access road to Erris Head (“Ceann Iorrais” in Gaelic), which is located on the Mullet Peninsula.
Along the way, there are magnificent views of the North Mayo coast, the nearby cliffs, and in the distance, the Stags of Broad Haven, a group of five islets of steep rocky cliffs that rise out of the water about 100 meters (328 feet).
The area is rich in wildlife, including fulmars, Great Skuas, gannets, and guillemots. At its most northerly point, you’ll find a viewing point that showcases Illandavuck Island, which lies just off the coast.
Broadhaven Bay
Broadhaven Bay is a Special Area of Conservation that is home to some unusual marine life and is also where you’ll find wintering birds.
In the 16th century, sailors from the Spanish Armada fleet found themselves floundering in this area off the North Mayo coast.
In fact, one of the ships, The Santiago, sank in these waters, which are known to be treacherous, especially during bad weather.
Also in the area is Broadhaven Lighthouse, which is operated by Ireland’s Commissioner of Lights.
The lighthouse was constructed in 1848 and not converted to electricity until 1977.
You’ll get a much better view of the Stags of Broadhaven from here.
Visiting divers, sub-aqua teams, canoeists, and others have been known to venture out to at least one of the rocks, which is bisected by a long narrow cave from one side to the other.
Lovers of ancient Irish history will appreciate the Dooncarton Stone Circle, where postcard-worthy views of the ocean and the bay are guaranteed.
There are seven stones remaining in this incomplete stone circle, the tallest of them standing at around 4 feet (1.2 meters).
Ceide Fields
This archaeological site is almost 6,000 years ago and contains the oldest field systems in the world.
It is about a 45-minute drive from the golf course.
The ancient site was discovered in the 1930s by a local farmer who noticed a large number of stones in a specific formation deep in the bog where he was cutting turf.
Several years later, his son, an archaeologist, found cultivated fields, houses, and tombs, all from the Neolithic era.
The artifacts that were found at the site revealed an ancient farming community that used wooden plows drawn by cattle to grow wheat and barley. Numerous tools were also found, including pottery and stones.
Be sure to visit the Heritage Centre, which includes several exhibits, including a 4,000-year-old pine tree that was dug up from the nearby bogland.
Downpatrick Head (Dún Briste)
Downpatrick Head is a favorite attraction for tourists visiting North Mayo. The giant sea stack, known also as Dún Briste, means “Broken Fort.”
It stands at 150 feet tall (45 meters).
Downpatrick Head and the surrounding cliffs were formed around 350 million years ago when the ocean was much warmer and the coastline a greater distance away.
Despite the many legends that have been told about its formation, the most valid explanation is that an arch leading to the stack broke away during a violent storm in 1393.
Not far from Downpatrick Head is an old watchtower as well as the “Eire 64” sign in the ground that alerted pilots flying overhead during World War II that they had reached neutral territory.
Elly Bay Beach
Elly Bay is a beautiful sandy beach on the Mullet Peninsula, close to Belmullet.
Its sheltered setting and scenic views make it an appealing stop for visitors exploring the region.
The beach is particularly lovely on a clear day, when the surrounding landscape and Atlantic waters create a memorable coastal scene.
Is this Mayo Golf Course Worth Visiting?
For golfers traveling to Ireland, Carne Golf Links is well worth considering if you want to experience something beyond the country’s most familiar golf destinations.
The combination of dramatic natural dunes, challenging links golf, and the spectacular scenery of North Mayo makes it an unforgettable destination.
Bill Murray’s enthusiasm for Carne provides another reason to put this remarkable course on your Irish golf itinerary.
And if you’re not a golfer, the surrounding Erris region offers plenty of reasons to visit, from beautiful beaches and coastal walks to archaeological sites and some of Ireland’s most breathtaking Atlantic scenery.
Carne Golf Links is proof that some of Ireland’s greatest experiences are found a little further off the beaten path.
