Old Head Golf Links is a must-play on the Southwest Ireland rota.
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The luck of the Irish?
It sure seemed that way this week as Rory McIlroy celebrated St. Patrick’s Day by recording his second Players Championship title.
Meanwhile, far from the grounds of TPC Sawgrass, there was plenty of good fortune to go around. It extended to an episode of the Destination GOLF podcast, where I lucked into a chat with my co-host, Simon Holt, about the glories of golf on the Emerald Isle.
At roughly the size of South Carolina, Ireland punches well above its weight in the game. Great courses can be found in every corner of the country. To get the most out of trip, though, Holt recommends focusing on a region, which limits travel between tee times and gives you ample opportunity to soak up the experience on and off the course.
In this conversation, we trained our attention on the Southwest, following Holt’s suggestions for best places to play — and top spots to sleep and eat — on a regional getaway. Here’s a distillation of what we discussed for a dream golf trip to Southwest Ireland.
How to fly to Southwest Ireland
The choice pretty much boils down to two commercial airports: Shannon and Dublin. While Shannon is closer to your target courses (it’s about an hour’s drive to your first tee time, compared to roughly three hours from Dublin), Dublin welcomes more nonstop flights from the U.S. As with a lot of travel, the calculus revolves around cost and convenience. Not all travelers prioritize these factors in the same way. Price out the options, and make your decision accordingly.
Getting around Southwest Ireland
What’s true in golf applies to travel within Ireland. Distances can be deceiving. Given narrow, winding roads and the vicissitudes of weather, drives can take longer than they appear on the map. For golfers unconcerned with costs (and unbothered by the fact that not all local golfers look kindly on whirly birds touching down near the first tee), helicopters are a popular option. But if you’re sticking with ground transport, Holt recommends hiring a driver, which guarantees smooth travel while giving you the freedom to enjoy a pint or two after your round.
The best golf courses in Southwest Ireland
Rates are approximate after conversion.
Trump International Golf Club – Doonbeg Resort ($465-575)
There’s no ignoring the polarizing elephant in the room. But setting politics aside, Holt says that Doonbeg makes a pleasing and pragmatic first stop at the gateway to the region. The amenities here are primo, and the Greg Norman design is a kind of palate-teaser to the more classical links that await.
Lahinch Golf Club ($410)
Don’t be misled by the modern-looking clubhouse. Designed by Alister Mackenzie and a fixture on GOLF’s ranking of Top 100 Courses in the World, Lahinch is throwback golf in the best sense of the word, a pure links replete with formal challenges, charming quirks (behold the crisscrossing fairways) and compelling templates holes like the 5th, the Dell, an iconic par 3 that plays blind over a towering dune.
Adare Manor ($550)
When you picture golf in Ireland, a parkland design by Tom Fazio is probably not the first course that comes to mind. But Holt considers Adare Manor a must-play for both the quality of the architecture and the impeccability of the conditions, which are widely regarded as the finest in the country. Given the five-star accommodations, Holt says the property is a must-stay, too. Availability can be another matter. Starting in August, Adare Manor will start placing limits on resort play as it begins preparations to host the 2027 Ryder Cup.
Ballybunion Old ($440)
Wedged between huge dunes and the Atlantic, this grand links was heralded by the famed golf writer Herbert Warren Wind as “nothing less than the finest seaside course I have ever seen.” Five-time Open Champion Tom Watson probably wouldn’t quibble. He described Ballybunion as “one of the best and most beautiful tests of links golf anywhere.” That test begins with a mid-length par-4 guarded by a cemetery on the right. You won’t forget the graveyard. And yet, Holt says, it’s at the 6th hole, as they layout curls through a heaving coastal dune scape, that Ballybunion really starts to come to life.
Tralee ($410)
Design credit here goes to the King, and though some Tralee members have been known to question how much work Arnold Palmer really put into the place, there’s no denying the regal results. The course starts scenically enough, with a front side stitched beside the sea. But the back is where the drama becomes heart-pounding, with heroic carries and exhilarating holes cut along the bluffs with the Atlantic crashing all around.
Old Head ($520)
It’s not often that you can stand on a tee box and gaze down at seagulls circling below. But so it goes at Old Head, a course that must be seen to be believed (if you haven’t played it, you’ve probably gawked photos of it), set on a peninsula that points its craggy finger into the Atlantic, with holes cut hard along steep bluffs that plunge some 300 feet to the waves.
Waterville ($385-410)
A drive along the Ring of Kerry, Ireland’s mountains-meet-sea counter to California’s Big Sur, takes you to the southwest tip of the country to a club that was born in the late 1800s and has since been tweaked by modern architects. Even with those recent touchups, the layout retains a classic look and feel, wild and rumpled on a seaside path that builds toward a truly rousing finish. Waterville could be the perfect culmination of your trip, but if you finish early and still have an itch to scratch, consider stopping as you backtrack on the Ring of Kerry for a round at Dooks, one of the oldest courses in the country and a sweet cap to a 36-hole day.
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Where to stay in Southwest Ireland
Early in your trip, Holt recommends bedding down at Adare Manor, where five-star appointments complement a pristinely kept parkland course that will host the 2027 Ryder Cup. As you move toward the southwest, Killarney is a storybook seaside town that understandably attracts its share of tourists. Lodging in Killarney isn’t hard to come by. But among Holt’s go too are the Killarney Park Hotel and the Europe Hotel & Resort, both centrally located with spot-on service and accommodations.
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