Why go
Southwest Ireland strings together the most dramatic dunescapes in golf — Ballybunion, Lahinch, Waterville, Tralee — along a coastline of cliffs, sheep and small towns where the pub is the nineteenth hole.
Best time to visit
May to September
Weather
Mild, wet and windy; 55-65F summers.
Getting there
Shannon (SNN) and Kerry (KIR) serve the region.
Getting around
Hire car essential; roads are narrow and beautiful.
Where to eat
Pubs everywhere; seafood in Dingle and Doolin is exceptional.
Courses
Play in Southwest Ireland
Ballybunion Old Course
Tom Watson's favourite. Vast dunes, cliff-edge fairways and the graveyard first tee.
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- 6,802
- Green fee
- $180+
Lahinch Old Course
The St Andrews of Ireland, complete with the blind Dell par 3 and resident goats.
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 6,950
- Green fee
- $150+
Old Head Golf Links
A diamond of land 300 feet above the Atlantic, with nine holes on the cliff edge.
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,217
- Green fee
- $250+
Tralee Golf Club
Palmer said he designed the front nine and God designed the back. The dunes there are enormous.
- Par
- 71
- Yardage
- 6,975
- Green fee
- $150+
Trump International Doonbeg
A crescent of dunes along the Clare coast with a famously wild par-3 14th.
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 6,885
- Green fee
- $150+
Waterville Golf Links
Payne Stewart's Irish home, with the Mass Hole and a monumental back nine in the dunes.
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,378
- Green fee
- $160+
Stay
Where to base yourself
Adare Manor
A Gothic manor and the finest resort golf experience in Europe.
$700 – $1,600 per night
Ryder Cup 2027 venue
Killarney Park Hotel
Elegant town-centre base within an hour of Ballybunion and Tralee.
$300 – $560 per night
Central Kerry base
Trump International Doonbeg
Suites and cottages beside the Clare dunes.
$280 – $520 per night
On-site links
Vaughan Lodge, Lahinch
A golfers' lodge with drying rooms, early breakfasts and great seafood.
$180 – $320 per night
5 min to Lahinch
Events
Amateur events nearby
Kerry Links Open
Jun 20, 2026 36-hole stroke play
Ballybunion and Tralee back to back, weather permitting.
$260
Handicap 15 or better
Lahinch South of Ireland
Jul 25, 2026 Match play
A historic championship over the Old Course at Lahinch.
$200
Handicap 3 or better
From the travel desk
Stories from Southwest Ireland
Ready to play Southwest Ireland?
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