Old Head Golf Links

At the edge of everything.

Some golf trips start with a scorecard. This one starts with the Atlantic. Old Head Golf Links covers almost the whole of a 220-acre, diamond-shaped promontory that pushes two miles out from the Cork coast, about 15 km south-west of Kinsale. A lighthouse stands at the tip, the cliffs drop sheer to the sea, and nine holes run right along the edge. It is a private club that opens to visitors from April to October, so a little planning goes a long way.

Old Head Golf Links green fees and tee times.

Old Head does not run an open online tee sheet. You request a time by emailing reservations@oldhead.com or calling +353 21 477 8444, and every player’s name, home club and official handicap must be supplied. The 2026 golf policy sets maximum handicaps of 24 for men and 36 for women. Full prepayment by card or bank transfer is required before a time is confirmed. Date changes are allowed, subject to availability, but cancellations made 30 days or more ahead earn only a 50% refund or transfer, and anything later is non-refundable. Singles and two-balls may be paired with other golfers. Children under 12 are not permitted on the course, and non-golfers are discouraged from walking with a group. Proper golf attire is required; denim is not allowed on the course.

The round, in perspective.

The course opened in 1997, the work of a committee rather than a single architect: Ron Kirby of Nicklaus Design, Eddie Hackett, Dr Joe Carr, Paddy Merrigan and Liam Higgins all had a hand. It is a par 72 with an unusual balance of five par 5s, five par 3s and eight par 4s, stretching from 5,413 yards to 7,150 yards from the back. Nine holes play along the clifftops, and the closing stretch heads back towards the lighthouse, with the 18th tee set close beneath it. Wind decides almost everything here. The fairways are generous by clifftop standards, but carries over chasms and approaches to greens perched near the drop reward a calm choice of tee. The club enforces a maximum of four and a half hours for 18 holes.

Make the trip work.

The season is short and demand is concentrated, so book golf before flights. Arrive at least 30 minutes before your tee time; the club may shift you slightly to absorb late arrivals. Because the green fee is prepaid and largely non-refundable within 30 days, travel insurance is worth having. There is a warm-up range, chipping area and putting green, so allow time to hit balls in the wind before you start. The de Courcey Restaurant serves breakfast from 7am and dinner; lunch is in the Lusitania Bar or on the Terrace, and The Turn serves food on the course.

Cork Airport is the nearest, about 45 minutes and 35 km by road. Shannon is roughly two hours away and Dublin about three. From Kinsale the drive out to the headland takes 20 to 25 minutes. Satnav users can enter the Eircode P17 CX88. The club also has a helipad for those arriving by air.

Where it is.

Nearby: 1. Cork Golf Club (35 km) · 2. Fota Island Resort: Deerpark Course (36 km) · Compare all South West Ireland tee times

Somewhere to settle in.

The club’s own Old Head Suites sit beside the clubhouse, and the golf policy recommends booking them at the same time as your tee time. Staying on site means dinner without a drive and an early start with the lighthouse outside the window; there is also a wellness spa. The alternative is Kinsale itself, a harbour town of narrow streets with a strong food reputation and a wide spread of hotels, guesthouses and self-catering. Note that children under 12 cannot stay in the suites.

Make a trip of it.

Kinsale Golf Club at Farrangalway, about 5 km from town, is a relaxed parkland second round with roots going back to 1880. Fota Island, east of Cork city, adds a championship resort with three courses. For a longer south-west trip, Ireland’s Kerry links are a two-to-three-hour drive away and deserve their own base. Off the course, the Lusitania Museum and Old Head Signal Tower stand on the approach to the headland, close to where the liner sank in 1915, and Kinsale’s Gourmet Festival runs each October.

Find your season.

Old Head opens in mid-April and closes at the end of October every year. High-season pricing runs from 22 April to 11 October in 2026, with a half-price window from 12 to 31 October when days are shorter and the weather less settled. If the course is declared unplayable, the club offers another date or a full refund.