LIMERICK, Ireland — The Ryder Cup will arrive at Adare Manor in Limerick next September, and the build-up is already pushing the county and neighbouring Clare into the golfing spotlight. For fans chasing Ryder Cup tickets, the message is simple: this corner of the west of Ireland is about to become part of the game’s biggest week.
The event will be only the second time the Ryder Cup has been staged in Ireland, and the scale of the surrounding golf offer is one reason it matters. Limerick is just 25 minutes from Shannon International Airport, while Clare has two of Ireland’s top-rated links courses in Lahinch and Trump International Doonbeg. Doonbeg is also hosting this year’s Irish Open in September, where Rory McIlroy will defend his national title.
The region does not rely on one marquee course alone. Limerick has six other golf courses, and a seven-club regional golf pass is about to be launched as local operators try to turn the Ryder Cup spotlight into a longer-lasting draw. The idea is to present Limerick and Clare as a connected golf destination, with trophy courses at one end of the market and more affordable parkland options at the other.
That mix was clear on a group press trip that included Ballyneety GC, Limerick GC and Dromoland Castle GC. Dromoland, set on a 450-acre estate and known as one of Ireland’s finest castle hotels, has long been part of the area’s golfing pitch. Its Championship course is a par-72 layout that was completely revamped and redesigned in 2003 by architects Ron Kirby and JB Carr, at a cost of over 5 million euros. A further 3 million euros has been spent over the past three years.
The course has also already hosted major women’s golf, staging the women’s Irish Open in 2022 and again in 2023. That track record helps explain why the region is being talked about as more than a one-off backdrop to the Ryder Cup. What happens next will depend on how well Ireland can sell the wider experience, not just the big days at Adare Manor, and whether visitors drawn by the event keep coming back for the rest of the region.
