Old Head Tee Times and Booking
Old Head is a private clifftop links on a headland above the Atlantic near Kinsale, and one of the most spectacular and most expensive rounds in Ireland. You cannot turn up and play; a confirmed tee time is required to get through the gate. Here is exactly how to book, what it costs in 2026, when the season runs, and how to build a trip around it.
Photo: Old Head Golf Links via Google, by Shane McDonagh.
The short answer
Old Head is booked directly with the Kinsale clubhouse, by email to the golf office or by phone, and many visitors arrange it through an approved golf tour operator who can package the round with a stay. This is a private course on a dramatic promontory, so a confirmed tee time is not a formality but a requirement; you will not get past the gatehouse without one. There is no daily ballot, so you reserve a set time in advance. The season is seasonal in the truest sense, reopening on 22 April for 2026 and running through the autumn.
The other thing to know is the price. Old Head sits at the very top of the Irish green fee scale, with an indicative high season fee that has been around 475 euro per round and caddie or buggy on top, reflecting a setting that has no equal in the country. The club publishes current 2026 rates and availability on request rather than online, so everything below was checked in June 2026 and is indicative; always confirm the current fee, opening dates and arrangements directly with the club before travelling.
How to book Old Head, at a glance
The booking picture for a private clifftop links where a tee time is the price of entry. A stay and play package is often the smoothest way in.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Where to book | Direct with the Old Head golf office by email or phone, or an approved golf tour operator |
| Ballot or reservation | Confirmed advance reservation; there is no daily ballot, and a booked time is required to enter |
| Indicative green fee | Around €475 per round in high season, with caddie or buggy on top (2026 indicative) |
| Season | Seasonal links; 2026 season opens 22 April, peak late April to mid October |
| Stay and play | On site suites, dining and wellness; a stay and play package eases logistics |
Booking and fee details verified in June 2026 from Old Head and recognized golf media information and are indicative. The club handles 2026 rates and availability directly. Always confirm current arrangements before booking. Check Old Head tee time availability.
Booking your round, step by step
Begin with your dates and contact the Old Head golf office to confirm availability and the current rate, or ask an approved operator to package the round with accommodation and transfers. Because this is a single, premium round rather than a public tee sheet, prime summer times on a fine weather day are limited and worth securing well ahead. The course is a par 72 stretching toward 7,100 yards from the tips, with a minimum of six tees on every hole, so it can be set up for any standard, but the wind on an exposed Atlantic headland is the real defense and a caddie or buggy is money well spent.
Confirm whether you want a caddie or a buggy when you book, since both carry a fee on top of the green fee, and ask about stay and play rates if you intend to use the on site suites. Read the deposit and cancellation terms carefully, because a premium seasonal links sets firm conditions, and weather can affect play on the headland. Keep your confirmation to hand for the gatehouse on arrival. For the full hole by hole, see the Old Head Golf Links course profile.
Building a trip around Old Head
Old Head pairs naturally with the great links of the southwest and a few days in Kinsale, one of Ireland's best food towns, on the County Cork coast. From here it is an easy run to the links of Kerry and the wider southwest, so a single spectacular round becomes the centerpiece of a complete trip rather than a detour.
For the options, our roundup of the best golf courses in Ireland sets out the surrounding links, and a tailored Ireland golf holiday can handle the Old Head booking, the caddies and the driving for you. Couples in particular tend to love the setting; see our pick of the best golf for couples in Ireland.
Plan an Old Head golf trip
We know how to secure an Old Head tee time, when the headland plays best, and how to pair it with Kinsale and the links of the southwest. Tell us roughly when and how many are travelling, and we will book the round and build an itinerary that matches the rounds to the budget, with no obligation.
Old Head tee time questions
How do you book a tee time at Old Head Golf Links?
Old Head is booked directly with the Kinsale clubhouse, by email to the golf office or by phone, and many visitors book through an approved golf tour operator. The course is a private clifftop links and you cannot turn up and play; a confirmed tee time is required to get through the gate. There is no daily ballot, so you reserve a set time in advance. The 2026 season runs from late April, and the office handles current rates and availability directly. Always confirm arrangements directly before travelling.
How much does it cost to play Old Head?
Indicatively, the Old Head high season green fee has been around 475 euro per round, with caddie or buggy fees on top, in the peak window from late April to mid October. It is one of the most expensive rounds in Ireland, reflecting the unique clifftop setting on a headland above the Atlantic. The club publishes current 2026 rates on request, so treat this as indicative and always confirm the green fee directly before booking.
When is Old Head open?
Old Head is a seasonal links that closes over winter and reopens in spring, with the 2026 season starting on 22 April. High season runs from late April to mid October, when the headland is at its best and tee times are most in demand. Outside those months the course is closed. Always confirm the current opening dates and availability directly with the club before planning travel.
Can you stay at Old Head Golf Links?
Yes. Old Head offers on site accommodation in suites overlooking the links and the Atlantic, along with dining and wellness facilities, which makes a stay and play package a natural fit for a round here. Staying on the headland also eases the logistics of an early or late tee time. Always confirm current accommodation availability and stay and play rates directly with the club before booking.
Related
The Tee Sheet
Course access, booking windows and the tee time tips that matter. Every other week.
Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Booking, season and fee details verified from Old Head and recognized golf media information in June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.