Family Hotels Near Dublin Golf Courses (4 Real Family Bases, Not Just Golf Resorts)
4 family-friendly hotels with golf in Dublin . Handpicked for families who want the best.
Dublin's coastline holds three of Ireland's most famous links courses (Royal Dublin, Portmarnock, Portmarnock Hotel Links) within 13 kilometres of O'Connell Street. Mixing golf with a city break and a beach day is genuinely possible if you pick the right hotel base. We selected four family hotels near Dublin's golf belt: two in the city itself (Drumcondra, Booterstown) and two in Portmarnock at the heart of the links country. Booking ratings of 8.1 to 9.3, 670 to 2,521 reviews each, and honest notes on which hotels work best for car-rental families versus city break families.
Dublin is small enough to walk. The Liffey north bank holds Phoenix Park, the Guinness Storehouse and the Jameson Distillery; the south side has Trinity College, St Stephen's Green and the Dublin Castle. Most family attractions sit within a 30-minute walk of central O'Connell Street, which means parents can finish a morning round at Royal Dublin and still meet the rest of the family for lunch in Temple Bar by 1pm. The DART train links the coast to the centre, and a child fare on the bus is 80 cents.
Why Dublin works for a golf-and-family trip
Links golf is the point. Royal Dublin (Bull Island) and Portmarnock are seaside championship courses with views that justify the travel. The two Portmarnock hotels put you on the same peninsula as the Links, which means tee times at sunrise without a drive. Families staying in central Dublin trade golf proximity for a wider choice of restaurants and walkable city access.
Weather windows matter for golf in Ireland. May, June, and September give the longest dry windows and warmest temperatures (15-20 degrees), but July and August can be wet and windy on the coast. If your trip falls in shoulder season, prioritise hotels with a real bar and lounge for rain plans (all four on this list have one).
Parent's take
We chose hotels with active family policies, not just golf adjacency. Three of the four list family rooms or babysitting as standard amenities, two have kids' meals on permanent menus, and three have free parking, which matters when courses are 15-30 minutes by car. None charge a family supplement on top of the room rate, which is increasingly rare in Irish coastal hotels.
Our Top 4 Picks
Hotels in Dublin with golf, sorted by guest rating.
Gleesons Townhouse Booterstown
Booterstown, South Dublin
Wonderful
670 reviews
A 4-star Georgian townhouse in Booterstown, ten minutes' drive south of Dublin city centre and three kilometres from Elm Park Golf Club. The 9.3 rating across 670 reviews makes this the highest-rated golf-area hotel in our Dublin selection.
From
€269/night
Why families love Gleesons Townhouse Booterstown
Small but smart, with kids' meals on the breakfast menu and a quiet residential setting that puts a 9-year-old's bedtime ahead of late Temple Bar tourists. The DART station is two minutes away for a 12-minute ride to central Dublin, and Elm Park is the closest of three nearby golf courses for an early morning round before family activities.
Dublin Skylon Hotel
Drumcondra, North Dublin
Excellent
2,521 reviews
A 4-star with family rooms and kids' meals on Drumcondra's Upper Drumcondra Road, three kilometres from Royal Dublin Golf Club at Bull Island. Free parking and a 5-minute drive to the city centre via Drumcondra Road, which is rare in Dublin.
From
€194/night
Why families love Dublin Skylon Hotel
Free parking and family rooms make this the most practical Dublin golf base for a car-rental family. Royal Dublin's championship links is on Bull Island, a 10-minute drive across the bridge, and the kids can hit the city centre via the 16 bus or a 10-minute Uber. Babysitting on request, kids' menu in the restaurant, and 2,500+ reviews keep the 8.8 rating consistent.
Portmarnock Resort & Jameson Golf Links
Portmarnock, North County Dublin
Excellent
2,048 reviews
A 4-star resort 13 kilometres north of Dublin city, with the Jameson Links course on site and Portmarnock Beach 200 metres away. Ireland's only family-resort hotel attached to a championship links, with family rooms, kids' meals and self-parking included.
From
€281/night
Why families love Portmarnock Resort & Jameson Golf Links
The selling point is obvious: golf out of the lobby, Portmarnock Strand for the kids while parents play, and Howth Head a 15-minute drive for cliff walks. Family rooms are sized for two adults and two children, and the kids' menu in the bar runs all day. Dublin Airport is 12 kilometres away, which makes this the easiest fly-in golf base in Ireland for families.
White Sands Hotel
Portmarnock, North County Dublin
Very Good
1,600 reviews
A budget seafront hotel on the Coast Road, 200 metres from Portmarnock Beach and 3 kilometres from Portmarnock Links. The price of a Dublin city centre hotel for a north-coast location with golf on the doorstep, which makes it the value pick of the four.
From
€164/night
Why families love White Sands Hotel
Family-friendly without the resort price tag. Babysitting available, the beach is across the road for after-school-style afternoons, and Portmarnock Links is a 5-minute drive for sunrise tee times. Rooms are basic but clean, the breakfast is plentiful, and parents who play sub-handicap golf will find better value here than at the Resort across the bay.
💡Tips for booking a family golf trip to Dublin
- 1Book sunrise tee times if you want to play before the family wakes up. Royal Dublin opens at 7am in July, Portmarnock at 6:45am, and the bay courses are dry only in the early morning during wet stretches.
- 2Rent a car if you stay in central Dublin. Public transport to the courses involves a DART plus 20-minute walk, which is fine for one round but tedious for a 4-day golf trip. Free hotel parking saves about 25 euros per day vs city centre paid parking.
- 3For a non-golf family member, lean toward Portmarnock Resort or White Sands. Both have direct beach access for kids while one parent plays, plus Howth Head 15 minutes north for cliff walks and seafood lunches.
- 4Visa fees vary at the courses. Royal Dublin charges 195 euros for visitors, Portmarnock Hotel Links Resort gives a guest rate of 145 euros, and Elm Park (Booterstown's neighbour) runs 90 euros. Book tee times directly with the course pro shop in advance.
- 5Flying in to play golf only? Dublin Airport is 25 minutes from Royal Dublin and 12 minutes from Portmarnock by car. Skip Dublin city entirely if you have only 3 days for golf-focused stays.
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