Hog's Head Golf Club
Robert Trent Jones II built his first Irish course on a headland above Ballinskelligs Bay, a private retreat on the Ring of Kerry founded on the ethos of built by friends, for friends. Opened in 2017, the par 72 of about 6,543 yards plays across clifftop and pasture with the Atlantic on one side and the MacGillycuddy's Reeks on the other. Access is among the most restricted in Ireland.
Photo: Hog's Head Golf Club via Google.
The verdict
Hog's Head is southwest Ireland's most exclusive modern course, and one of its least seen. Founded by the American financiers Bryan Marsal and Tony Alvarez and built around a tight, invitation only membership, it sits on a dramatic headland above Ballinskelligs Bay near Waterville, in the heart of the Ring of Kerry. Robert Trent Jones II, designing in Ireland for the first time, used the cliffs, the rumpled pasture and the Finglas River to shape a par 72 that feels both wild and unhurried.
The setting is the headline, with the Atlantic filling the view to the west and the MacGillycuddy's Reeks rising inland, and the golf is engineered to be enjoyed rather than survived, generous off the tee with interest around the greens. Because the club guards its calm so carefully, only a handful of arranged rounds are available on any day, which makes it a coveted add on for a serious Kerry trip rather than a course you can simply book. If you can secure a tee time, it is a rare and memorable day on one of Ireland's most beautiful coastlines.
Hog's Head at a glance
- Opened
- 2017
- Designer
- Robert Trent Jones II
- Type
- Clifftop headland
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 6,543 yds
- Access
- Private members
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from Robert Trent Jones II, the American Society of Golf Course Architects and leading course databases. The course was designed by Robert Trent Jones II as his first in Ireland and opened in 2017, a par 72 of about 6,543 yards on a headland above Ballinskelligs Bay. Hog's Head is a strictly private members club with very limited visitor access; there is no published public green fee, so always confirm access and any arranged rate directly before planning.
The holes worth the trip
Robert Trent Jones II routed Hog's Head to make the most of a spectacular but exposed site, with holes climbing onto the headland for the big coastal views and then dropping back through sheltered pasture. The Finglas River, known for its salmon and trout, threads through the property and comes into play to add strategy without overwhelming the round, and the wind off Ballinskelligs Bay is the constant that changes the course from one day to the next.
The design philosophy is playable luxury rather than punishment. Fairways are generous, the trouble is mostly visible, and the challenge sits in the approach shots and the green complexes, where position and pace matter more than raw length. It is a course a low handicapper can attack and a higher handicapper can enjoy, which is exactly the point of a club built for friends to have fun.
The clifftop stretches deliver the photographs and the drama, the inland holes give the round its rhythm, and the closing run brings you back toward a clubhouse pitched for long lunches and longer evenings. Hog's Head is as much about the experience and the view as the scorecard.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Strictly private members club; only a small number of arranged or sponsored visitor rounds are released on any day, usually through a member or a specialist golf travel partner |
| Green fee | No published public fee; any arranged visitor rate is set privately by the club (indicative, 2026) |
| Booking | Contact the club or a trusted Kerry golf specialist well in advance; a confirmed arrangement is essential, walk ups are not possible |
| On the day | Caddies and buggies can be arranged; the dress code and pace expectations are those of a high end private club |
| Getting there | Near Waterville on the Ring of Kerry, about a 90 minute drive from Killarney and within reach of Kerry Airport |
| Best months | May to September for the warmest, driest weather and the longest evenings on the southwest coast |
Access arrangements verified June 2026; Hog's Head is private and its policies change, so always confirm directly before planning a visit. Any fees are indicative for the 2026 season; always confirm directly before booking.
Where to stay nearby
Most visiting golfers base themselves in Waterville itself, a friendly links village with a famous golfing heritage, or a little inland at Kenmare, one of Kerry's most charming towns for food and lodging. Both put Hog's Head and the rest of the southwest's golf within an easy drive along the Ring of Kerry.
For a fuller trip, Killarney makes a comfortable hub with the widest choice of hotels and the parkland of Killarney Golf and Fishing Club on the doorstep. It is an ideal region to build a multi course Kerry itinerary around, pairing Hog's Head with Waterville, Dooks, Tralee and the wider links of the southwest.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Hog's Head.
Build a County Kerry golf trip
We pursue the rare arranged tee times at Hog's Head where access allows, pair them with the great links of the southwest and book the lodging around them. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Hog's Head questions
Who designed Hog's Head Golf Club and when did it open?
Hog's Head was designed by Robert Trent Jones II, his first course in Ireland, and opened in 2017 on a headland above Ballinskelligs Bay near Waterville in County Kerry.
What is the par and length of Hog's Head?
Hog's Head is a par 72 measuring about 6,543 yards, with multiple tees that let it play shorter or longer to suit the group and the wind off Ballinskelligs Bay.
Can visitors play Hog's Head?
Access is very limited. Hog's Head is a strictly private members club that allows only a small number of sponsored or arranged visitor rounds each day, usually through a member or a specialist golf travel partner. Contact the club well in advance.
Where is Hog's Head Golf Club?
It sits on the Ring of Kerry near Waterville in southwest Ireland, on a headland above Ballinskelligs Bay, close to the links of Waterville and the wider golf of County Kerry.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Tee time windows, course access changes and the trips worth taking. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; access notes indicative for 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.