LYONS LINKS PRO-AM 2025
COUNTY DONEGAL, IRELAND
SEPTEMBER 28th - OCTOBER 5th 2025
LYONS LINKS PRO-AM 2025
COUNTY DONEGAL, IRELAND
SEPTEMBER 28th - OCTOBER 5th 2025
Play the absolute best of the North West of Ireland over one very special week in the iconic County Donegal.
See the full itinerary for all the details.
before 28th February 2025 for a €250 discount.
The 2023 Event
Held in the South West of Ireland. Participants played 5 rounds in the best courses the region has to offer. It was a roaring success and we look forward to welcoming many of the same players back for 2025.
Event Format
Teams of 4 golfers (1 pro + 3 amateurs)
Round 1 is a practice round
3 rounds out of 4 to count (last round must count)
Best 2 stableford scores on every hole to count
Pro event 72 hole gross stableford.
Round 1 (Practice round) - Rosapenna Old Tom Morris
Round 2 - Rosapenna St. Patricks Links
Round 3 - Rosapenna Sandy Hills
Round 4 - Donegal Murvagh
Round 5 - Narin & Portnoo
ProAm Venues 2025
Round 1: (Practice Round) Rosapenna Old Tom MorrisSeptember 29th
Play like Old Tom Morris to kick start the trip. Keep the ball under the wind and practice those punch shots which will no doubt come in handy for the start of the event tomorrow! After journeying up to Donegal, stretch your legs and smell the wild Atlantic Breeze for a taster of what's to come.
In 1891 Old Tom was quick to see the golfing potential of this fine stretch of links land at Sheepshaven Bay and before returning to the home of golf he had staked-out the first Rosapenna Links, incorporating wide rolling fairways amidst the undulating terrain. Co. Donegal
DESIGN BY:
OLD TOM MORRIS/ HARRY COLT
PAR71
Back at St. Andrews, Old Tom was quick to tell of his discovery and so it was that Rosapenna became a place of pilgrimage for golfers at the turn of the century. Amongst those to follow were two other great golfing champions Harry Vardon and James Braid (in 1906) who won 11 Open Championship titles between them. They added length and more detailed bunkering but were wise enough to leave those wonderful natural greens untouched.
Further changes were made by the great Harry Colt of Sunningdale in 1912, building/editing at least 11 holes. The drivable 13th and the par 3 14th holes are the signature holes on the course.
ProAm Venues 2025
Co. Donegal
Round 2: Rosapenna St. Patricks Links - September 30th
Sweeping across the rugged dunes of Rosapenna, St. Patrick’s Links is a modern marvel that is already ranked in the Worlds Top 50 golf courses. Designed by Tom Doak and opened for play in 2021, it’s a symphony of rolling fairways, dramatic elevation changes, and jaw-dropping views.
Built on the original site designated for 36 holes, they used this canvas to create the ultimate 18. This is a comeback story that feels like it was always meant to be.
TOM DOAK
Doak and his team embraced the wild character of the land, crafting holes that flow naturally through the magnificent links.
Every hole tells its own story, with subtle complexities that reward strategy and punish complacency. St. Patrick’s Links isn’t just another course it’s a bold reimagining of what links golf can be, seamlessly blending the past, present, and future into one unforgettable round.
ProAm Venues 2025
Co. Donegal
Round 3: Rosapenna Sandy Hills - October 1st
Above all, Sandy Hills is a championship links that will test the most accomplished of golfers. Designer Pat Ruddy’s influence is very apparent with the stern test provided by this superb links. A beast from the back tees but Sandy Hills provides a good selection of tees for mere mortals. The course is beautifully routed through the high dunes and marram grass similar to some of the great old links in the South West. Many of the holes feature elevated tees and greens, with drives into natural bowls on the dune floor. Most of the holes run north and south along the dune ridges, parallel to the front nine of the Old Tom Morris Links.
A few of the holes, like the Par-3 third, Par-3 seventh, the Par-5 eighth, and the Par-4 10th, 12th and 15th, run across the dune ridges, lending a change of pace and overwhelming sense of seclusion in the dunes.
PAT
RUDDY, FRANK CASEY SNR & BEAU WELLING
PAR71
There are no average holes on the new layout, but the best come at the stretch of Nos. 6-13, which romp across the interior dunes.
No. 6 is at the far southern end of the course, with the drive over a crest that reveals a picture-postcard view of the sickle of beach and bay with Muckish Mountain straight ahead. No. 7 is a downhill Par-3 to a sliver of green peeking from the dunes, and the eighth leads inland, tumbling downhill and then rising toward the backdrop of Carrigart and the Lough Salt Mountains in the distance.
The 10th hole heads back towards the sea through a secret valley in the dunes, with the raised green framed by the grey peak of Muckish. No. 12 continues in the same direction, coursing upward through the dunes, and the 13th, having reached the higher ground, is a seamless band of smother fairway that coils to the right towards Murloy Bay. No doubt Old Tom would approve of what has become of this links land that he so keenly recognized more than a century ago.
ProAm Venues 2025
Round 4: Donegal Murvagh - October 2nd
Co. Donegal
On the windswept Murvagh Peninsula, Donegal Golf Club is writing its next chapter under the creative eye of Paul McGinley. Known for its natural beauty and Eddie Hackett’s original design, this legendary links is currently undergoing a transformative redesign with half the work already complete, and the results are turning heads.
McGinley’s vision enhances what nature and Hackett provided, blending strategic challenges with modern flair while staying true to the course ’ s wild, untamed spirit. The dunes remain the star, framing fairways that are as thrilling as they are scenic, while reimagined bunkers and greens demand fresh approaches to classic holes.
EDDIE HACKETT & PAUL MCGINLEY
Keep an eye out for the panoramic views of the Bluestack Mountains—they might distract you just enough to add an extra stroke or two. And if you ’ re lucky, you might spot seals basking on the nearby sandbanks or a heron silently watching your putt.
“It is with great pride that I have been approved as the new design consultant for the magnificent Links at Donegal Golf Club, following in the footsteps of Eddie Hackett and Pat Ruddy. The Links is one of the very best canvasses of any club in the country and that is what both excites and motivates me to best utilize the terrain while also honouring the history, routing, and flow of the course. ” - Paul McGinley
ProAm Venues 2025
Round 5: Nairn & Portnoo - October 3rd
Narin & Portnoo is a classic Irish links set on a breathtaking strip of land on the Donegal coast in the north-west of the country. Founded in 1905, in recent years world-renowned design team of Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner have lovingly re-established Narin & Portnoo as one of Ireland’s must-play links.
“I was just blown away by its beauty the sky, the landscape, the water,” says Wagner.
We anticipate you’ll be equally blown away by the grandeur and jaw-dropping seaside golf Narin & Portnoo offers. A captivating links course that epitomizes the beauty and challenge of Irish golf. Set against the shimmering waters of Gweebarra Bay, this Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner design winds through towering dunes, Co. Donegal
GIL HANSE
Every hole is a journey, with fairways that hug the coastline and greens that blend seamlessly into their surroundings. The everchanging Atlantic breeze adds an extra layer of intrigue, demanding creativity and adaptability from golfers of all levels. Views of the Bluestack Mountains and nearby islands create moments that are as inspiring as they are distracting.
Steeped in history yet wonderfully maintained for modern play, Narin and Portnoo offers a golf experience that, as their tagline accurately suggests is; ‘ pure and unspoiled’. It’s more than a round; it’s an incredible escape into the heart of Donegal.
“So here’s a little story about Gil Hanse & Jim Wagner coming to Ireland to renovate Narin & Portnoo: They worked wonders. The end. And now everyone will come and compare it to Pebble, Pacific Dunes & other seaside spectacles.”
Optional Extra Round
Option: Cruit Island 9 Hole - October 3rd
Co. Donegal
Cruit Island is a short 9 hole course, and it’s loads of fun. Measuring only 2800 yards, there are seven par 4s and only two par 3s. This makes for some testing holes where length is a factor.
The course lies along the coast of this wild peninsula (not an island despite the name) and its 1986 design ensures it incorporates the coastline to full effect.
“I love nine-holers with character, and Donegal's Cruit Island easily sets the mark for me; its sixth over cliffs and beach and crashing waves might be the best par-3 I've ever played, and the other holes hug the rocks and water as you smile your way along the quick routing. I love a course that surprises, and stumbling upon Cruit Island in yonder Donegal was the surprise of my golfing life..” Tom Coyne.
Optional Extra Visit
Option:
Visit Slieve Liag Cliffs - October 3rd
Co. Donegal
Hike to the top of the Sliabh Liag (Slieve League) cliffs on the south west coast of County Donegal and marvel at the terrific views of the Atlantic Ocean, the Sligo Mountains and Donegal Bay.
Admire some of the best sea cliff views in Europe. For over a thousand years, there was a Christian pilgrimage to these sacred mountains to appreciate their cultural heritage.
The Sliabh Liag (Slieve League) cliffs are truly breathtaking, the cliff face of Bunglas rises over 600m above the raging ocean.
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A message from Colm, Cian and Joe (Directors of Lyons Links)
We at Lyons Links are delighted to welcome you to the second staging of the Lyons Links Pro-Am. County Donegal has the most links land of any county in the UK or Ireland, which has been utilised to spectacular affect at Rosapenna, Donegal GC and Narin & Portnoo.
Donegal as a destination is coming out of the shadows of other great links destinations in the UK and Ireland. International links afficionados are now following in the footsteps of domestic golf travelers who have been enjoying the magnificent links for decades. It’s no surprise, the road less travelled is quickly becoming the road most travelled due to the unrivalled golf experience on offer in this part of the world.
We would like to say a big thanks to Rosapenna resort, Donegal GC and Nairn & Portnoo for hosting the second staging of the Lyons Links Pr
Left to right: Cian Booth, Colm Crowley and Joe Lyons
ABOUT US
We are privileged to have been recognised by the St Andrews Links Trust for our commitment to standards with "Authorised Provider" status. We have been bestowed with the responsibility of providing precious guaranteed tee-times on the hallowed ground at the home of golf . We look forward to helping golfers from all our the World to tee it up, where it all began.
The R&A have selected Lyons Links as one of a small number of companies who are authorised to sell official hospitality and ticket packages to The Open.
We are proud to have been awarded the Travellers Choice Award by Trip Advisor for the last 5 years. We are the highest rated Golf Tour Operator on Trip Advisor and we look forward to continuing to provide a World Class Service to all our clients for many years to come.
