Old Head Golf Links: Golf on the Cliffs of Kinsale
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Old Head
Some courses are defined by their bunkering, others by their greens. Old Head of Kinsale is defined by the ground it stands on. The course occupies a 220-acre diamond-shaped headland that reaches more than two miles into the Atlantic, with cliffs that rise in places to more than 300 feet above the sea and an active lighthouse, built in 1853, standing behind the 18th tees.
Old Head Golf Links at a glance
Location: near Kinsale, County Cork
Opened: 1997
Lead architect: Ron Kirby
Par: 72 (five par 5s, five par 3s, eight par 4s)
Back-tee length: 7,150 yards
Nine holes play along the cliff tops; all 18 offer views of the Atlantic
Season: generally late April to the end of October (dates vary annually)
Caddies: strongly encouraged; one of Ireland's largest caddie programmes
Carts: by advance arrangement, subject to availability and conditions
From Kinsale: about 20 to 25 minutes by road
A course unlike any other
Old Head was led by architect Ron Kirby, working with an unusually distinguished team that included Eddie Hackett, Joe Carr, Paddy Merrigan, Liam Higgins and Haulie O'Shea. The par 72 stretches to 7,150 yards from the back tees, with five par 5s, five par 3s and eight par 4s. Although styled as a links, Old Head is fundamentally a dramatic clifftop course rather than a traditional dune-land links, and its exposed position, elevation changes and shifting wind make it unlike any other major course in Ireland.
What the golf demands
The setting does much of the intimidating, and the wind does the rest. It is exposed, and a shift in the breeze can change the effective yardage of a hole dramatically. The visual drama often exceeds the actual carry required, so a clear head helps as much as a long drive. With five par 3s and five par 5s the rhythm is unusual, and most visitors score better by choosing a sensible set of tees rather than treating 7,150 yards as an aspiration. A caddie, who reads the wind and the lines the eye cannot, is central to the experience.
The setting and its history
For centuries the headland has been a landmark for shipping off Ireland's south coast. On 7 May 1915 the Lusitania was torpedoed and sank several miles off the Old Head, within sight of the headland, and the connection remains part of the club's identity, including the clubhouse's Lusitania Bar. Standing on the tee with the lighthouse behind and the ocean on three sides, the sense of place is every bit as strong as the golf.
Our view
Old Head is not the purest traditional links in Ireland, and it does not set out to be. Its value is in the scale of the setting, the sense of occasion and the service around the round. For a first South West trip it works beautifully as a dramatic opening round from Kinsale, or as the visual finale before the drive on towards Kerry. It rewards golfers who value scenery as highly as architecture, and mixed groups who want one unforgettable day above par-chasing.
Where it fits a South West trip
Old Head pairs naturally with a night or two in Kinsale, a harbour town whose restaurants and hospitality suit couples and mixed parties as much as golfers. It sits closer to Cork than the marquee Kerry links, which makes it a natural start or finish to a route that takes in Ballybunion, Tralee, Waterville and Lahinch. It is less of a casual out-and-back from Killarney than some suggest, so it is best built into the shape of the trip rather than bolted on.
Is Old Head worth it?
For spectacle, service and a sense of occasion, yes. A purist whose priority is classic natural links architecture may rank others higher, and Old Head is a deliberate centrepiece rather than a routine inclusion. For first-time visitors, mixed-interest groups and anyone who values a view as much as a card, few days in golf compare.
Frequently asked
When is Old Head open? Generally from late April to the end of October, with exact dates varying by year.
Do you need a caddie? A caddie is not strictly required, but is strongly encouraged and is central to the experience.
Can you use a golf cart? Carts are available by advance arrangement, subject to availability and course conditions.
How far is Old Head from Kinsale? About 20 to 25 minutes by road.
Old Head is one of the great set pieces of Irish golf, and we build it into private South West Ireland journeys with secured tee times, carefully chosen hotels and chauffeured travel. Tell us when you hope to travel and which courses matter most. Plan my Ireland golf trip.