Waterville Golf Links
Waterville is the magnificent monster, the phrase Sam Snead gave it, a towering links wrapped around Ballinskelligs Bay at the far end of the Ring of Kerry. Eddie Hackett routed it through the biggest dunes in Ireland, Tom Fazio later softened the front nine, and the back nine remains one of the most exacting and beautiful stretches in the game.
Photo: Waterville Golf Links via Google, contributor Waterville Golf Links.
The verdict
Waterville rewards the long drive to the south west of Kerry many times over. The setting is sublime, a horseshoe of dunes around a beach with the MacGillycuddy's Reeks behind, and the golf is genuinely championship class. The front nine, reworked by Fazio in the 2000s, now matches a back nine that was always among the finest in Ireland, so there is no longer a weak half to the round.
It is a course for the better player to relish and the higher handicapper to respect, long off the back tees and exposed to the Atlantic wind, with several holes that live in the memory long after. Pair it with Ballybunion and Tralee and you have the classic south west Ireland links trip, with Waterville often the favourite of the three.
Waterville at a glance
- Founded
- 1973
- Designer
- Eddie Hackett 1973, Tom Fazio 2006
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- 7,378 yds
- Green fee
- Around €300
Designer, par and yardage verified June 2026. The modern Waterville was laid out by the Irish architect Eddie Hackett for founder John A. Mulcahy and reopened in 1973, with Sam Snead calling it a magnificent monster. Tom Fazio renovated the layout in the 2000s, reshaping the front nine and adding new holes. It plays par 72 at around 7,378 yards from the championship tees. Indicative 2026 high season green fee is around 300 euros, with lower shoulder season rates. Always confirm directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
Waterville saves its greatest holes for the inward half, but the Fazio reworked front nine now gives the round a strong opening, winding out toward the bay with the dunes growing taller at every hole. The early par 3s and the turn set up the drama to come.
The eleventh, Tranquility, is the signature, a long par 4 that threads a valley between two ranges of dune, a beautiful and demanding hole with no bail out. The twelfth, the Mass Hole, is a par 3 played across a deep hollow where Mass was said in secret during the penal times, a green ringed by trouble that asks for a committed strike.
The finish is unforgettable. The seventeenth, Mulcahy's Peak, is played from a tee perched high on a dune, named for the founder who chose this spot, and the long eighteenth runs home along the water. It is a closing stretch worthy of the long journey to the end of the Ring of Kerry.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Open to visitors, a destination links that welcomes travelling golfers; Waterville House nearby offers stay and play |
| Green fee | Around 300 euros for an 18 hole round in high season, April to October, with lower shoulder season rates in 2026 (indicative) |
| Booking | Book well ahead in summer; the course is a fixture on south west Ireland golf tours and tee times go early |
| On the day | A walking course with caddies and buggies available; the par 3 nine and the practice ground are excellent, and the welcome is warm |
| Getting there | At the end of the Ring of Kerry near Waterville town, about 1 hour 30 minutes from Killarney and around 2 hours from Kerry airport |
| Best months | May to September for the best weather and firm turf, though the Atlantic wind is part of the test year round |
Access and indicative green fees verified June 2026; they change without notice, so always confirm directly before booking with the club or your trip planner. Check tee time availability.
Where to stay nearby
Waterville House, the founder's old residence beside the links, is the address for the full occasion, a country house with its own fishing and a stay and play arrangement with the course. The town of Waterville offers comfortable hotels and guest houses on the bay.
Most groups base themselves in Killarney, a lively tourist town about ninety minutes away with the widest choice of hotels and restaurants, and use it as a hub for Waterville, Ballybunion, Tralee and Dooks on a south west Ireland week.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Waterville.
Stay and play Waterville and south west Ireland
We book Waterville at the right time of year, pair it with Ballybunion, Tralee and Dooks, and sort a base in Killarney or on the bay with transfers along the Ring of Kerry. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Waterville questions
Who designed Waterville Golf Links?
The modern Waterville was laid out by the Irish architect Eddie Hackett for founder John A. Mulcahy and reopened in 1973. Tom Fazio renovated the course in the 2000s, reshaping the front nine and adding new holes while keeping the celebrated back nine.
What is the par and yardage of Waterville?
Waterville plays as a par 72 of around 7,378 yards from the championship tees, with several sets of tees for all standards. Its defence is its length, the Atlantic wind and a back nine routed through towering dunes.
How much does it cost to play Waterville?
The indicative 2026 high season green fee is around 300 euros for 18 holes, with lower shoulder season rates. Fees change by season and year, so always confirm directly before booking.
Where is Waterville Golf Links?
Waterville is at the far south west of Ireland on Ballinskelligs Bay, at the end of the Ring of Kerry, about an hour and a half from Killarney and around two hours from Kerry airport.
What are Waterville's most famous holes?
The eleventh, Tranquility, threads a valley of dunes; the twelfth, the Mass Hole, is a par 3 over a deep hollow used for secret Mass in penal times; and the seventeenth, Mulcahy's Peak, is played from a high dune named for the founder.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Founding year, designer, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.