A grey-stone castle thought to date to the 1600s, wrapped in 200 acres on the edge of Ballymena — with a championship golf course good enough to have hosted the world's top players. Galgorm Castle Estate is one of Co. Antrim's great days out for golf and events.
What you'll find — the historic castle (a striking Jacobean pile you'll see across the parkland), an 18-hole championship golf course, a regular artisan market, walking, a garden centre, and a full calendar of events through the year.
The golf & the big tournaments — the par-72 parkland course opened in 1997 and has staged serious golf: it hosted the ISPS Handa World Invitational (men and women on the same course, same prize money) and years of the NI Open, and the 2020 Irish Open was played here.
How to visit — you come here for the golf, the market and the events. Play a round, browse the stalls, catch a tournament, or come for a walk on the estate.
How long — half a day to a full day, depending on what's on. A round of golf fills a morning; a market or tournament can be a whole day out.
Cost — varies by activity. Green fees for golf, often free entry to browse a market, ticketed for the big tournaments. Check the exact price for whatever you're coming for.
Getting there & parking — just off the A42 on the Galgorm side of Ballymena, roughly ten minutes from the town centre, with parking on the estate.
Food — there's a clubhouse for a bite around your golf, and market days bring artisan food and street-food stalls. Ballymena's cafés are a short drive if you want more choice.
The castle is a private home. You're here for the golf, the market and the events — there's no general house tour; the castle itself is used privately and for weddings, so admire it from the estate.
Check dates before you travel. Markets, tournaments and events run to a calendar — confirm what's on and any tickets for the day you're planning to go.
Plan your visit
Can I visit? Yes — for the golf, the market and the events.
Galgorm Castle isn't a house you tour — it's a private family home at the heart of a busy estate. What draws people is the championship golf, the regular artisan market, the walking, and a run of events and big tournaments through the year. Cost varies by activity, so check the price and the dates for whatever you're coming for.
Parking on site18-hole golfClubhouseArtisan marketEvents calendarEstate walking
Worth knowing right now:
The castle interior isn't open for public tours — it's a private home used for weddings and private events. Come for the golf, a market day, a walk, or one of the tournaments, and check the estate's own listings for dates and tickets before you set off.
Before you set off
What to wear & bring
👟Comfy shoes or welliesParkland and estate paths — grand for a walk or a wander round the market stalls, softer underfoot after rain.
🧥A coat or a layerYou're out in open Antrim countryside. A breeze and a quick shower are never far away, even in summer.
⛳Your clubs — if you're playingBook your round ahead and check whether a buggy or trolley is included on the day.
🎟️Tickets, if there's an eventTournaments and some markets are ticketed. Sort them before you go rather than at the gate.
What's on
The kind of thing that runs here
Dates change year to year — this is the flavour of the estate's calendar rather than a fixed schedule. Check the estate's own listings before travelling.
⛳GolfChampionship tournaments & open golf days
🛍️MarketArtisan & craft markets on the estateFamily
🎉EventsSeasonal events & estate happenings through the year
Good to know
Everything before you go
What's here
An 18-hole championship golf course, the historic castle (viewed from the estate — a private home, not a house tour), a regular artisan market, a garden centre, walking, and a calendar of events and tournaments.
How to visit
Come for the golf, a market day, a walk on the estate, or one of the events. Opening times depend on what's on, so check the estate's listings for the day you want.
Cost
Varies by activity — green fees for golf, often free to browse a market, ticketed for the big tournaments. Confirm the price for whatever you're coming for.
The golf
A par-72 parkland course, opened in 1997, that has hosted the ISPS Handa World Invitational, years of the NI Open and the 2020 Irish Open. Book a round ahead.
Food
A clubhouse for a bite around your golf, plus artisan food and street-food stalls on market days. Ballymena's cafés are a short drive.
Parking
On the estate. Big event days get busy, so allow a little extra time to park and walk in.
Getting there
Just off the A42 on the Galgorm side of Ballymena, roughly ten minutes from the town centre.
How long
Half a day to a full day. A round of golf fills a morning; a market or a tournament can fill the whole day.
Questions
Before you go
Can I go inside the castle?
Not on a general visit — the castle is a private family home, used for weddings and private events rather than public house tours. You'll get a lovely view of it across the parkland, and the estate around it is what you come to enjoy: the golf, the market, the walks and the events.
Is this the same as Galgorm Resort & Spa?
No — easy to mix up, but they're two different places near Ballymena. This is Galgorm Castle and its estate (the historic castle and the championship golf course). The Galgorm Resort & Spa is a separate hotel nearby. If you're after golf, a market or a tournament, you want the castle estate.
Do I need to book?
For golf, yes — book your round ahead. For markets, often you can just turn up, though some are ticketed. For the big tournaments you'll want tickets in advance. Check the estate's listings for whatever you're coming for.
How much does it cost?
It depends entirely on the activity. Green fees for a round of golf, frequently free to browse a market, and tickets for the headline tournaments. Confirm the price on the day for your particular plan.
Is it good for kids?
Market days and events are the family-friendly draw — stalls, food and things going on, with plenty of open estate to wander. It's less of a run-around adventure playground and more a pleasant day out, so pitch it to the day that's on.
Has it really hosted top golf?
Yes. The course has staged the ISPS Handa World Invitational, several years of the NI Open, and the 2020 Irish Open — proper professional golf on a genuine championship parkland course.
Getting there
Galgorm Castle Estate, Ballymena, Co. Antrim, BT42 1HL — just off the A42 on the Galgorm side of the town, about ten minutes from Ballymena centre.
The castle is thought to date to the early 1600s. Records point to Sir Faithful Fortescue starting a house here around 1618, on land at the edge of what's now Ballymena, with the grey stone and stepped gable of the Jacobean style.
It later passed to the Colville family, and the story goes that Dr Alexander Colville reworked the house in the 1640s. Local legend has long tied Colville's name to a bargain with the devil — the kind of tale that clings to an old castle and is best enjoyed with a pinch of salt.
For much of the last century the estate had fallen quiet. From the 1980s the Brooke family, who lived in the castle, set about reviving it — draining and shaping the parkland, and in 1997 opening the championship golf course that put Galgorm back on the map.
That course went on to host the NI Open, the ISPS Handa World Invitational and, in 2020, the Irish Open — professional golf on the estate's own fairways. The castle itself stays a private home; it's the golf, the markets and the events that make it a genuine day out today.