Fairways running between the dunes on the Old Course at Ballybunion

Unofficial golf trip guide · Southwest Ireland

Where to stay for a Southwest Ireland golf trip

Independent guide · Last checked: 6 Nov 2026

In short

For a southwest Ireland links trip, fly into Shannon and move base two or three times: Lahinch village for Lahinch and Trump Doonbeg, Ballybunion (or Tralee town) for Ballybunion Old and Tralee, then Waterville on the Ring of Kerry, with Kinsale as an add on for Old Head. Book tee times before rooms, because the clubs take most or all of the green fee when you book, and Ballybunion and Tralee have set visitor times: Ballybunion Old only on weekday mornings, Tralee only on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. May to September is the main season, and Ballybunion's and Old Head's 2027 rates are already out.

Where to stay in Southwest Ireland

Pick an area to see hotels and rentals there at live prices.

Live map · LahinchHotels and rentals at live prices, Sat 15 May to Fri 21 May

Open the live map for Lahinch ↗

Prices and availability come from booking sites through Stay22. Change the dates on the map to match your trip.

ABCDEF Lahinch1 Trump Doonbeg2 Ballybunion3 Tralee town4 Waterville5 Kinsale6

ACourse to play

Plan ahead Book Ballybunion and Lahinch first, as soon as the clubs open the dates you want, then book rooms around those days, since cancelling rounds later costs most or all of the fee.

Courses you can play in Southwest Ireland

  1. Links fairways in the dunes at Lahinch Golf Club Open to the public

    Lahinch Old Course

    Local golfers laid out the first course in 1892, Old Tom Morris reworked it in 1894 and Alister MacKenzie reshaped it in 1927, with blind shots through big dunes by Liscannor Bay. Visitors are welcome every day in season (from 26 April in 2027), walking with at least one caddie per group.

    Book and pay online through the club's visitor booking page or by contacting the club. Full payment is taken when you book. Play is in fourballs, so smaller groups are paired up. Cancelling 60 days or more ahead refunds half; inside 60 days you can only move to another date in the same year. Handicap limit 24 for men and 36 for women. Walking only, and every group on the Old Course must take at least one caddie.

    Green fee: €450 (2026) · Course site ↗

  2. The 10th hole of the Old Course at Ballybunion above the beach Limited visitor times

    Ballybunion Old Course

    Ranked the top course in the Republic of Ireland by Top 100 Golf Courses since 2006, laid through huge dunes along the Atlantic. Visitors play on weekday mornings only, and the Watson Cashen Course next door makes a second round.

    Visitor times on the Old Course are weekday mornings only, Monday to Friday from mid April to the end of the season (not Bank Holiday Mondays). Weekends are for members. Book online or by phone or email, and pay in full when you book. Cancelling more than six months ahead is refunded in full; after that the green fee is lost. Handicap limit 24 for men and 36 for women, with a certificate shown to the starter. Every group needs at least one caddie or a forecaddie.

    Green fee: €500 (2027) · Course site ↗

  3. Limited visitor times

    Tralee Golf Club

    Arnold Palmer's 1984 links at Barrow, about 9 miles by road from Tralee town, with a dramatic back nine in the dunes. Visitor times on four weekdays.

    Visitor times are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 08:00 to 15:00. Book online through the club's visitor booking system. A non-refundable 50% deposit is due when you book and the balance 90 days before play; no-shows lose the full fee. Handicap limit 28 for men and 36 for women, and smaller groups may be paired into fourballs. A walking course: buggies are for medical needs only.

    Green fee: €450 (2026) · Course site ↗

  4. Open to the public

    Waterville Golf Links

    A remote links on the Ring of Kerry between the bay and the mountains, flat going out and deep in the dunes coming home. Visitor fees are published for every day of the week, with a higher rate on Wednesdays and at weekends.

    Request a time with the club's online form (confirmations take up to 24 hours) or book by phone. Full payment by credit card is taken when you book and is not refundable. Guests at Waterville House get preferential tee times.

    Green fee: €400 (2026) · Course site ↗

  5. The lighthouse on the headland at Old Head Golf Links Open to the public

    Old Head Golf Links

    A clifftop course on the tip of a long headland south of Kinsale, open again to visitors from 14 April 2027. It is a long drive from Kerry, so it fits best at the end of the trip, flying home from Cork.

    Book by phone or email with the club. Full payment is due when you book, and a time is only confirmed once it is paid. Cancelling 30 days or more ahead refunds half the green fee or moves it to another date; inside 30 days nothing is refunded. Handicap limit 24 for men and 36 for women. Closed from 1 November 2026, reopening on 14 April 2027.

    Green fee: €550 (2027) · Course site ↗

  6. The 14th hole at Doonbeg above the beach Open to the public

    Trump Doonbeg

    A resort links on the Clare coast, redesigned by Martin Hawtree, about 30 minutes' drive from Lahinch. Open to everyone, with tee times bookable online.

    Book online through the resort's tee time page or by phone. Only 13 holes are in play from 1 November 2026 to 25 March 2027 while course work goes on.

    Course site ↗

How tee times work

Book tee times first and build the trip around them. Ballybunion Old takes visitors on weekday mornings only (no weekends or Bank Holiday Mondays), Tralee on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 08:00 to 15:00, while Lahinch and Waterville publish visitor fees for every day of the week. Lahinch, Ballybunion, Waterville and Old Head take the full green fee when you book and Tralee takes half as a non-refundable deposit, so refunds are limited and travel insurance is worth having. Ballybunion, Lahinch and Old Head ask for a handicap of 24 or lower for men and 36 for women, and Tralee allows up to 28 for men.

Closures to know about

Trump Doonbeg plays 13 holes from 1 November 2026 to 25 March 2027. Old Head is closed from 1 November 2026 and reopens on 14 April 2027. Lahinch Old Course is closed to visitors from 17 October 2026 and opens to them again on 26 April 2027. Ballybunion's 2027 visitor rates run from 12 April to 29 September, and Waterville's main season is 1 April to 31 October.

A sensible plan

Six nights from a Saturday works well: two nights in Lahinch with the Old Course on Sunday, then Trump Doonbeg on Monday morning and the Killimer ferry to Ballybunion (about 90 minutes with the crossing). Play Tralee on Tuesday and Ballybunion Old on Wednesday morning, then drive about 2 hours to Waterville for two nights and play Waterville on Thursday. Fly home from Kerry on Friday, or add a night in Kinsale for Old Head and fly from Cork.

Getting there

Fly into Shannon (SNN), about 55 minutes from Lahinch, and out of Kerry (KIR) or Cork (ORK) if you finish in Waterville or Kinsale. The Killimer to Tarbert car ferry across the Shannon estuary cuts the Clare to Kerry drive. The 2027 Ryder Cup is at Adare Manor in County Limerick from 13 to 19 September 2027, so flights, cars and rooms are likely to be scarce that week.

Practical notes

Walking
Lahinch Old and Castle are walking only, with no buggies. Ballybunion allows buggies (60) on the Watson Cashen Course only, never on the Old Course. Tralee is a walking course with buggies for medical needs only. Waterville rents buggies (50). Old Head has a small fleet of buggies (65 in 2027), kept to the paths, to request ahead.
Caddies
Lahinch 2027: senior caddie 100 per bag, 160 double bag, forecaddie 40 per golfer (at least 3), and each Old Course group must take one caddie. Ballybunion 2027: senior caddie 130, double bag 180, junior 80, forecaddie 140 for 1 to 3 golfers or 180 for 4, and each group needs a caddie or forecaddie. Tralee 2026: single 110, double 160, forecaddie 160. Waterville 2026: senior single 100, double 200, junior 50. Old Head 2027: senior caddie 90 single, 70 per bag double, forecaddie 80 for one golfer, 40 each for two, 30 each for three or four. Tralee asks you to request caddies ahead. Caddies are self employed at every club, so none can be guaranteed; tips are up to you.
Dress code
Lahinch and Ballybunion bar denim, collarless or sleeveless shirts (women may wear sleeveless shirts with collars), cargo and untailored shorts, tracksuits and trainers. Old Head bars denim, athletic shorts, T shirts and sports jerseys, and allows golf shoes only. Tralee bars sleeveless shirts, rugby shirts, jogging pants and trainers. Ballybunion and Old Head do not allow metal spikes.
Handicap
Lahinch (2027 terms), Ballybunion and Old Head (2027 policy): 24 for men and 36 for women. Tralee: 28 for men and 36 for women. Ballybunion asks you to show a certificate to the starter, and Lahinch may ask for one at check in. Waterville and Doonbeg limits not found.
Stay rules
Lahinch, Ballybunion, Waterville and Old Head take the full green fee when you book; Tralee takes a non-refundable 50% deposit, with the balance due 90 days before play. Trump Doonbeg publishes no golf payment terms. Refunds: Ballybunion in full only more than six months ahead; Lahinch half at 60 days or more; Old Head half (or a date change) at 30 days or more; Waterville none. Travel insurance is worth having.
Winter
Trump Doonbeg plays 13 holes from 1 November 2026 to 25 March 2027, and Old Head is closed from 1 November 2026 to 13 April 2027.

When to book

  1. NowBook a room with free cancellation as close to the course as you can.
  2. Your cancellation dateKeep or cancel before it passes.
  3. 15 to 21 May 2027Your trip.

Free guide

The Unofficial Southwest Ireland Golf Trip Guide

Every area, every course, how tee times work and the booking dates in one place, updated every year.

Southwest Ireland golf trip questions

How much does it cost to play Ballybunion?

For 2027 the Old Course costs 400 EUR from 12 to 30 April and 500 EUR from 1 May to 29 September. One round on the Old Course plus one on the Watson Cashen Course costs 750 EUR, and each group must pay for at least one caddie or forecaddie.

Can visitors play Ballybunion at the weekend?

No. Visitors get morning tee times on the Old Course from Monday to Friday in season, except Bank Holiday Mondays, and weekends are kept for members.

What handicap do I need to play Lahinch and Ballybunion?

Both set a limit of 24 for men and 36 for women. Bring a handicap certificate: Ballybunion asks you to show it to the starter, and Lahinch may ask for it at check in. Old Head has the same limits in 2027, and Tralee allows up to 28 for men.

Do I need a caddie at Lahinch?

Yes. Every visiting group on the Old Course must take at least one caddie, and the club books one for each player unless you say otherwise. In 2027 a senior caddie costs 100 EUR per bag, paid to the caddie, and there are no buggies.

Where should I stay for a golf trip to southwest Ireland?

Split the week: Lahinch village for Lahinch and Doonbeg, Ballybunion or Tralee town for Ballybunion and Tralee, and Waterville for Waterville. Add Kinsale only if you want Old Head, which is nearly 3 hours' drive east of Waterville.

When is the best time for a golf trip to Ireland?

May to September. The clubs' visitor seasons run from about mid April to early October, and Met Eireann says the driest months are February to June.

Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22

Photo credits