Howth Golf Club

Among the Slopes of Howth

The golf course at Howth Golf Club began as a nine-hole layout by Portmarnock professional Tom Shannon. The club treats 1916 as its foundation year, when its first captain took office. More land became available in the late 1920s, and James Braid was commissioned to remodel the original holes and create a full 18-hole course, formally opened in June 1929.

Braid worked with steep ground on the Hill of Howth, where gorse-covered slopes and exposed rock shaped the routing. The course changes elevation often, and level lies are uncommon. Blind shots require careful judgement, while the doglegs make positioning more useful than simple distance from the tee.

The 5th shows Braid's use of the landscape, turning left through the distinctive Howth heather before climbing to its green. Later in the round, the 16th tee opens a broad view across the sea and Dublin city. These shifts in elevation and outlook give the course its unmistakable Howth Peninsula character.