Tee off in Kerry for a golfing experience like no other. From epic links courses like Ballybunion to modern classics like Tralee and the magnificence of parkland courses like the Killarney Golf & Fishing Club, golf courses in Kerry offer something for every golfer, and each is within easy reach of Killarney’s Holiday Village.
Killarney Golf & Fishing Club
3km from Killarney’s Holiday Village via N71
The only 54-hole golf course in Ireland with three greens, Killarney Golf & Fishing Club enjoys a spectacular parkland setting on the shores of Lough Lein. The Killeen course is the flagship course, flanked by lakes and mountains and, at 6,593 metres, challenging long hitters with its ubiquitous water hazards. Killeen hosted the 2010 and 2011 Irish Open. The 10th hole is a favourite, as you must play right on the lakeshore.
Ballybunion Golf Club
68.4km from Killarney’s Holiday Village via N22
After the serenely rolling parkland of Killarney, the rugged links course of Ballybunion offers a distinctly different golf experience. Set among spectacular dunes on the northwest coast of Kerry, Ballybunion gives you a choice of supremely challenging links courses. The Old Course is a par 71 course frequently lauded as one of the world’s best golf courses and a favourite of former U.S. president Bill Clinton. Designed by Trent Jones, the Cashen course is a par 72 course that is just as testing but more rugged.
Dooks Golf Club
36.3km from Killarney’s Holiday Village via N70 and N72
If Dooks Golf Club were anywhere else in the world, it would be celebrated as a gem among golf courses, but it is surrounded by so many other stellar courses that if can be neglected. Though less well known than its Kerry counterparts, Dooks boasts a stunning setting on the shores of Dingle Bay is exceptional. It is also among Ireland’s ten oldest golf clubs, having opened in 1889. Martin Hawtree’s 2002 redesign has made Dooks a leading links course.
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Waterville Golf Club
65km from Killarney’s Holiday Village via N72
As one of only a handful of championship links in either Ireland or Britain, Waterville brings in some of the world’s best golfers. The late, great Payne Stewart was a loyal fan, and he is honoured with a monument at the course. Tom Fazio’s 2006 redesign underlined its status as one of the world’s top 20 links courses.
Tralee Golf Club
50km from Killarney’s Holiday Village via N22
Tralee has been named by Golf Channel as one of the world’s 10 best ocean courses, and designer Arnold Palmer maintained that, although he may have designed the first nine holes, the back nine were the handiwork of God Himself. Players enjoy stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean from every hole, and there is a tale associated with each. The biggest hazard here is that the magnificent setting might distract you from the wonderful course and exemplary conditioning.
After a day of Kerry golfing, come home to the comfort of Killarney’s Holiday Village, where you can dry your clothes and relax in your own space, ready to take on the next Kerry golf challenge tomorrow.
