Golf Ireland, Kinsale, county Cork. August 2013

[cotierotie]

Will be doing one week in Kinsale, Ireland last week in August. Any tips on where to play? Cost? Caddies?Pulblic vs. Private? Rent clubs vs. lug em.

 

Thanks in advance.

[puttnforthe8]

Need more info...how far are you willing to drive most importantly?

Obviously Old Head is right there.

Fota Island is a great choice. Cork Golf club is there too.

You have Waterville, Ballybunion, Doonbeg and Lahinch west.

[cotierotie]

[quote name='puttnforthe8' timestamp='1358218070' post='6229743']
Need more info...how far are you willing to drive most importantly?

Obviously Old Head is right there.

Fota Island is a great choice. Cork Golf club is there too.

You have Waterville, Ballybunion, Doonbeg and Lahinch west.
[/quote]
An hour drive would be OK..............any transportation availabel other than my rented car? Heard nice things about Ballybunion.

[puttnforthe8]

[quote name='cotierotie' timestamp='1358219059' post='6229889']
[quote name='puttnforthe8' timestamp='1358218070' post='6229743']
Need more info...how far are you willing to drive most importantly?

Obviously Old Head is right there.

Fota Island is a great choice. Cork Golf club is there too.

You have Waterville, Ballybunion, Doonbeg and Lahinch west.
[/quote]
An hour drive would be OK..............any transportation availabel other than my rented car? Heard nice things about Ballybunion.
[/quote]

Not really...Taxis would be quite expensive. You could hire a bus, but likely expensive too.

An hour...hate to say it but you are going to be real restricted by that. Old Head, Fota and Cork would be where you are playing then. Have the steak at Cork golf club!(massive)

The others are about 2.5. But if you are not going to get back anytime soon...I would make the drive to Ballybunion at the very least. 2 courses!

[puttnforthe8]

oh...to answer your other ??'s: Take your clubs! Costs are going to be ~50e for Fota and Cork....Old Head is above 150e.

[duffer987]

OP: Where are you flying into?
Where are you flying out of?
Is this a family trip and you only have 1 morning/afternoon to sneak off for some golf?
How many rounds do you want to play?
I'd never want to play a top notch course without my own clubs and would lug 'em.

Old Head is the obvious choice, it is only 20mins drive and is the most bonkers situated golf course you are likely to play. I've been fortunate enough to play a lot of the links course in Ireland and you really have to play it to believe it. I remember the first time I played it in '98 at twilight it cost me something like 35 punts... gone up a bit since then. I see it'd be 200 EUR at twilight with rented clubs when you'll be there.
I don't think it's as good as Ballybunion, Lahinch, Waterville, Tralee, or most of the other top tier tracks, but really you'd still have a cracking time

If not there, you are looking at 4hrs round trip to Tralee and more like 5hrs round trip to any of the other big names links. Two options that would come in around the 3hr round trip mark are Killarney and Gold Coast in Dungarven.

[RedDevil99]

If you are looking at links courses you should make the time to play Waterville and Tralee. Ballybunion may just be too much of a stretch if your base is Kinsale. When visiting that part of Ireland best to base yourself in or near to Killarney to play the links courses north and south thereof in Kerry and you can catch Fota or Old Head inbound or outbound to or from Cork Airport. I was born in Ireland but raised in London and never tire of visiting Kerry to play its great links courses. You can even throw in Killarney's own Killeen course ( where Irish Open has been played many times ) , a parkland course set against beautiful backdrop of Kerry mountains and the lakes of Killarney and for a change of pace a nice little links is Dooks which is on the Ring of Kerry, not as testing as any of the " name " links courses elsewhere in Kerry. If you do make it to Ballybunion I would only play the Old course. The Ballybunion New can spoil anyone's day as it is just too full of blind or very narrow fairways where a straight ball doesn't mean you are even guaranteed to find it!