Ireland - Southwest

[Chris Moore]

Upcoming trip includes:

Lahinch
Old Head
Doonbeg
Dooks
Ballybunion
Waterville

Any suggestions on other courses not to miss in the Southwest?

[Jack_Marr]

You could add Tralee to that list, I suppose, but you've got all the major ones covered.

[cary lichtenstein]

Suggest you play the new Ballybunion course: Cashen

I think it is way underrated and a better golf experience than Dooks or Old Head

[Ed Tilley]

There are some pictures of the Cashen course at Ballybunion on this thread. It's wild, wild, wild. Too severe to be considered a top notch course but I absolutely loved it. If you are at Ballybunion you really should play it.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forums2/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=27169;start=msg514186#msg514186

Tralee is also great fun. Stunning scenery and a magnificent back nine. Only Dooks has the edge on it in terms of scenery but Tralee is a better course.

You could also play Killarney but you're probably coming over to play links golf so I wouldn't recommend it unless you are actually staying in Killarney and want a hassle free day.

[Ed Tilley]

Some pictures of tralee - all from www.golfarchitecturepictures.com

[Kevin Pallier]

Chris

You've got the cream covered - from what I hear Dingle is nice and if you want to try a parkland course in the area with a tranquil setting - Killarney would be a good bet.

[Dan Herrmann]

Be sure to let us know how your trip went.  I'm especially interested to see how Old Head stacks up, being a relatively new course on what seems to be wonderful property.

[Jonathan Cummings]

Ring of Kerry and Kenmare are a couple of other second echalon, but worthwhile courses.  JC

[Doug Bolls]

I would not miss Tralee - I second it.
DB

[K. Krahenbuhl]

Tralee was the most fun I've had in a downpour with 40 mph winds.

[Doug Siebert]

I highly recommend, it is an awesome course.  In your list I'd rank it ahead of Waterville and perhaps Old Head as well (less dramatic but more linksy than Old Head)  Haven't played Dooks or Doonbeg so can't comment on how it compares to those.  Tralee starts out on the flat part of the property but is very challenging when the wind's up, which it almost always is in SW Ireland, and then you move into the dunes and giant dunes are something SW Ireland is not lacking!  It is like two different courses, each wonderful in their own way.

I'd skip Killarney's courses with the possible exception of a "just off the plane at noon and want a warm up round" game at Killarney Killeen.  I've played it twice that way since it just worked out due to schedule and my dad likes that course for some reason, but if it were up to me I'd think there ought to be some lesser known hidden gem in the area that would provide a course more unlike what is not hard to find in many parts of the US.  I played Mahoney's Point last trip for the first time and it will definitely be my last time.  Its not a bad course, but why travel to Ireland to play what I can find here in Iowa, let alone in the golfing mecca parts of the US?  I'd rather play something I've never heard of before and hope I stumble upon the Painswick of SW Ireland!

[Evan_Smith]

My brother really liked Tralee and I've heard good things about Dingle.  My Dad liked Waterville, but his golfing buddies hated it (for the price).  They said they wouldn't go back.  They all really liked the Cashen course though!

[Mark Chaplin]

Old Head at £200 or $400 a round, this is another pretty big money course that survives because overseas visitors pay the money. Personally I'd visit a 2nd division course in a nice area and have a wonderful meal and bottle of wine afterwards.

PB and Pinehurst are dead expensive but unlike Kingsbarns and OH they have history and pedigree. There are dozens of great venues in GB&I with plenty of pedigree and history that will give you a brillant golfing experience with a little value for money as well.

Only when American and Japanese golfers give the ultra high money venues a wide berth will the prices return to reality.

[Donal Breasail]

Dont pass on Old Head.Alot of people on here are anti-old head which is their loss.Unless you have played it recently you cant really comment on it as it has changed so much since 2005,plus sergio did his pre-open practise there a couple of weeks ago when he went to Ireland for 4 days and the only course he played was old head every day.I am sure if its good enough for El Nino it cant be as bad as some make it out to be.

[Dan Boerger]

I've played all the courses you mentioned, and might only suggest an inland course for variety (I played Fota Island and found it to be a great relief).

I played Tralee on a brutally windy day ... so much that it really took away from the enjoyment and with gusts over 45 mph, it was nearly unplayable.

I played Old Head a few weeks ago (it was my second time there), and also think it's an excellent track -- nice variety, some outstanding holes and an almost surreal piece of property. Given its age, I think it's unfair to hold history and pedigree against it.

[Mark Chaplin]

Dan/Don - I'm not being critical of the course, I'm being critical of the pricing structure v history and pedigree. PB and Pinehurst maybe very expensive but they are US Open venues.

OH and Kingsbarns are 40% more expensive than TOC which has held numerous Opens. Places like Muirfield, Hoylake and Sandwich are not cheap but they are proven major championship venues and brimming with history and tradition, yet a 36 hole day at these venues is around 50% of the price of a similar day at OH.

[Dan Boerger]

Sean/Mark - It's difficult to defend the price/value relationship at Old Head, but for a visiting Yank, when you consider what most of all already have invested in the trip, transportation, lodging, etc. the marginal cost is important to keep in perspective.

Of all the course I played in Ireland, I really enjoyed Waterville and would rank that the highest. I also felt Dooks offered me the least non-tourist experience. -Dan

[David Stamm]

What is the typical drive time from the area where Ballybunion and Lahinch are to Northern Ireland (RP, RCD). Would this be too much (time invested to get there) for one trip?

[mike_malone]

 Has Castlegregory been expanded to 18? The 9 I played a few years ago was set in a beautiful spot and the course was difficult.

[Kirk Gill]

If those of you who mentioned "Dingle" above meant Ceann Sibeal, I can say that while I enjoyed it, and remember it fondly, it does not, perhaps, live up to the heights of Ballybunion or Lahinch. The Dingle peninsula itself was a highlight of our trip, but not necessarily from a golf perspective.

[Sean Leary]

Funny what different people like and dislike.  I hated The Cashen Course and love the experience at Old Head no matter what the cost. OH-Good golf course, out of this world setting.

If I could only play one course in Ireland for the rest of my life it would be Lahinch.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Play the Cashen Course, just don't worry about your score.  It is great fun.  Waterville is way overrated.  Some of the holes on the back nine are excellent but I take issue with the generally soft conditions that make it play more like a parkland course on the water.  Tralee is a better choice.  Old Head is on a remarkable piece of property but is a long hike from The Ring of Kerry.  

Ceann Sibeal will give you a wondeerful welcome and is on one of the most scenic parts of Dingle, overlooking the ocean and Skellig Michael.  The course, on the other hand, is a let down.

I played Ring of Kerry and found it to be like 1000 course here in the US.  It is on the way to Old Head so stop in.  The view is nice and the people warm and welcoming.

[Doug Bolls]

There is an old quote that goes something like this - "The quality of the product will be long remembered after the price you paid."
I have been to Ireland only once (so far) - and we paid big prices for Old Head, Doonbeg, Trailee, Lahinch, etc.  But, I wouldn't trade it for anything - if you are going, plan to spend the money necessary to play the top courses.  It does seem out of line at times (have you priced the Kohler courses lately?) - but you are going for a once in a lifetime Irish golf experience - do not sweat a couple hundred $$$ and miss the courses you wish you had played.
Doug

[Doug Siebert]

I really enjoyed Old Head but certainly can see the point people make about the price.  I'd say if you haven't played it before, play it once.  If you think it is worth it again then you can play it next time, if not at least you've seen it.  I'll probably play it again since I liked it, and especially since I played it in 2004 and I am curious to see the changes that have been made since then.

Perhaps Old Head will end up being unable to support those types of greens fees in the future (or won't be able to increase them at a pace comparable to other courses) once most visitors have already played it on a previous visit and have already taken pictures and checked it off their "hit list" of top courses they have to play.  A course like Ballybunion Old and Lahinch you play every time you visit, or at least I will.

[Jack_Marr]

Skellig Bay golf club is another option. I haven't played it, but the photos look great. I think Aidan may have photographed it.