Golf in Ireland dates to at least the mid-19th century, with the Royal Curragh Golf Club (the first golf club in Ireland) being founded in 1858.^[1] The two "oldest governing bodies in world golf", the Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI) and the Irish Ladies Golf Union (ILGU), were formed in 1891 and 1893 respectively.^[2][3] By 2008, the GUI had 166,419 members and the ILGU had 49,822 members, making them the third and seventh largest sports associations by membership base in Ireland.^[4] Operating as separate (men's and ladies') unions for over 120 years, the two entities formed a combined organisation, Golf Ireland, which ratified its first board in early 2021.^[2][5]

As of the 21st century, golf is among the most-played sports in the country, with a 2008 report for the Irish Sports Council indicating that golf was then the fourth most popular sport by participation rate.^[4] As of 2009, Ireland reportedly had the fourth most golf courses per capita in the world,^[6] and a 2012 Fáilte Ireland report stated that overseas visitors to the country spent €183m on golfing activities.^[7]

The Irish PGA Championship has been held annually at many of the nation's courses since its founding in 1907. It is the oldest tournament in Ireland. The Irish Open is a professional tournament established in 1927. It was revived in 1975 and is now on the European Tour and a qualifying event for the Open Championship. The Irish Amateur Open Championship is a 72-hole stroke play event established in 1892 by the Golfing Union of Ireland. It has been held at the Royal Dublin Golf Club since 2007. The Irish Senior Open is a 54-hole stroke play event in the European Seniors Tour. It was established in 1997. The Volopa Irish Challenge was established in 2015 and is a tournament on the Challenge Tour.

There are around 300 different courses on the island of Ireland.^[17] Around the entire coast of Ireland are links-style golf courses, played on sandy soils with firm conditions, often with views of the sea while inland there is a wide variety of parkland courses more usually containing trees and water hazards.

There are a number of historic courses in Ireland, whether that be tournament hosting history such as Portmarnock in the Dublin region, which was home to fifteen Irish Opens or Royal Portrush in County Antrim, the only course in Ireland to have held The Open Championship. A number of other clubs and courses were established in the 19th century such as the Royal Curragh Golf Club in Kildare (1858) and Lahinch Golf Club in County Clare (1894).^{[citation needed]} Below is a list of some of the notable courses in Ireland;

Pádraig Harrington was the first golfer from Ireland to win The Open Championship. Shane Lowry won The Open Championship 2019 at Royal Portrush. Other notable Irish golfers include: Darren Clarke, Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Alexander William Shaw (founder of Lahinch and Limerick golf clubs), Rhona Adair (who contributed to the first American book on golfing for women entitled Golf for Women in 1904),^[19] Philomena Garvey (who won the British Ladies Amateur competition in 1957),^[20][21] and Paddy Skerritt (winner of the 1970 Alcan International).^[22]

• Irish Women's Amateur Close Championship