The Courses Voted More Beautiful Than World's Tourist Hotspots

When people think of tourist destinations fit for Instagram, names like the Eiffel Tower, Venice or the Leaning Tower of Pisa often come to mind. However, a new study by Your Golf Travel has found that some of Ireland’s golf courses beat the world’s most renowned tourist traps for beauty. The travel website asked holidaymakers to compare images of some of the country’s most picturesque courses against the world's most famous tourist attractions to determine the most Instagrammable, and the results were remarkable.

Old Head Golf Links

Located in Kinsale, County Cork, Old Head Golf Links stretches two miles over the Atlantic. The 7,100-yard course is known for its natural beauty and regularly features in lists of the top 100 courses in the world. However, it can add another accolade, with the study finding holidaymakers rate it more beautiful than either the Eiffel Tower or the Colosseum.

Tralee Golf Club

Tralee Golf Club in County Kerry is a par 72 course whose 17th hole features in the 1970 Robert Mitchum film, Ryan’s Daughter. Another claim to fame is it's the first European course designed by Arnold Palmer, who remarked: “I have never come across a piece of land so ideally suited for the building of a golf course.” Holidaymakers taking part in the study would agree, declaring the course more beautiful than either Venice or the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel.

Trump International Golf Links

Trump International Golf Links in County Clare is the only course designed by Greg Norman in the UK and Ireland. It’s a challenging course filled with par 3s and par 5s that’s on many a keen golfer’s “must play” list. However, it also benefits from stunning beauty, overlooking the Atlantic and making the most of its natural dunes and rugged landscape. But how Instagrammable is it? Exceptionally so, according to the study, which found holidaymakers prefer its beauty over the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

- Read more on this Your Golf Travel survey