8 Day Southwest Ireland Golf Itinerary
Eight days down the wildest, greatest stretch of links golf on earth, from the dunes of County Clare to the cliffs of Cork. This is the full southwest tour: Lahinch, Doonbeg, Ballybunion, Tralee, Waterville and Old Head, flown in to Shannon and out of Cork so you never double back. From Old Tom Morris to Greg Norman, here is the trip of a lifetime, with indicative 2026 green fees and drive times.
Photograph: Ballybunion Golf Club, County Kerry, via Google
Who this trip suits
This is the southwest of Ireland done properly, the buddies trip or once in a lifetime pilgrimage that links the finest run of seaside golf anywhere. Eight days gives you six marquee rounds with enough breathing room for the long coast drives, the scenery of the Ring of Kerry and the recovery that links golf in the wind demands. It suits the committed group that wants the headline names rather than a gentle resort week, golfers happy to walk firm fairways into a breeze and to trade a little weather risk for the most atmospheric golf in the game.
We have routed it from north to south, flying into Shannon beside the Clare links and out of Cork near Old Head, so the trip flows in one direction with no backtracking. The order can flex to chase tee time availability at the famous clubs, and any round can be swapped for a quieter gem such as Dooks, Tralee's neighbour, or Lahinch's Castle course to ease the pace or the cost. A hire car is essential, and the evenings belong to the pubs, the seafood and the Wild Atlantic Way.
The 8 day plan
Land in County Clare
Fly into Shannon, collect the hire car and drive an hour west to Lahinch, the spiritual home of golf in the southwest. Settle into the village, shake off the flight on the beach or the practice ground, and have your first pint of Guinness looking out at the dunes you play tomorrow.
Lahinch Golf Club, Old Course
Open the trip on the grand old links of Clare, laid out by Old Tom Morris in the 1890s and reworked by Alister MacKenzie in 1927. The blind Klondyke and Dell holes are quirks the game no longer builds, the goats forecast the weather, and the whole place hums with history. An indicative 450 euros in peak summer 2026 and one of the warmest welcomes in Irish golf.
Trump International, Doonbeg
A short drive down the Clare coast to the big dunes of Doonbeg, a dramatic Greg Norman links opened in 2002 and wrapped around a crescent beach. Towering sandhills, a famous short par 3 in a natural amphitheatre and a five star resort to stay or lunch in. An indicative 435 euros, and an easy second night in Clare before turning south into Kerry.
Ballybunion Golf Club, Old Course
Cross into Kerry, by the Killimer car ferry or the road, for the round many rate the finest links in the world. Ballybunion's Old Course runs through colossal dunes along the Atlantic, every hole framed by the sea, the par 4 eleventh a contender for the best hole in golf. Tom Watson's favorite, refined by Tom Simpson in the 1930s, an indicative 450 euros and the emotional high of the trip.
Tralee Golf Club
Down the Kerry coast to Tralee, Arnold Palmer's first design in Europe, opened in 1984 on the spectacular cliffs and dunes of the Barrow peninsula. The front nine plays along the shore, the back climbs into wild dunes, and the views to the Dingle peninsula are extraordinary. An indicative 275 euros and a relative value among the marquee names. Base in Killarney or Killorglin for the nights that follow.
Waterville Golf Links
Drive the Ring of Kerry to remote, beautiful Waterville, an Eddie Hackett links from the 1970s later refined by Tom Fazio and long beloved of touring pros as a links warm up before the Open. Big dunes, a famous closing stretch by the sea and a sense of being at the very edge of Europe. An indicative 350 euros and worth every mile of the drive.
Old Head of Kinsale
Transfer southeast to Cork and the most photographed golf in Ireland, Old Head, laid out across a slender headland that juts two miles into the Atlantic with cliffs falling away on both sides. It is more cliff top spectacle than classic links, but nothing prepares you for the drama. An indicative 395 euros, and the perfect grand finale near Kinsale and the airport.
Fly home from Cork
A gentle final morning in Kinsale, Ireland's gourmet capital, before the short drive to Cork airport and home. With another day or two you could add Dooks or the Killeen course at Killarney, or push on to the southeast for more golf. Either way you leave having played the best of the southwest coast.
Green fees, drive times and logistics
| Round | Indicative 2026 fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lahinch, Old | Around 450 euros | About 1 hour from Shannon airport |
| Trump International, Doonbeg | Around 435 euros | About 40 minutes south of Lahinch |
| Ballybunion, Old | Around 450 euros | Into Kerry via the Killimer ferry or the road |
| Tralee | Around 275 euros | About 45 minutes south of Ballybunion |
| Waterville | Around 350 euros | On the Ring of Kerry, a scenic 90 minute drive |
| Old Head of Kinsale | Around 395 euros | About 2.5 hours east toward Cork |
Designers, dates and indicative fees verified June 2026 from club and golf travel listings. Fees vary by season and through packages and change without notice, so always confirm current rates and availability directly before booking. Find a Southwest Ireland base.
When to go and where to stay
Play the trip between May and September for the long days and the firmest links turf, with September a connoisseur's favorite for firm ground, thinning crowds and easing fees. Pack for wind and rain in any month, because the weather is part of the bargain on this coast. For lodging, base in Lahinch for the first two nights, then move into Kerry around Killarney or Killorglin for the central rounds, and finish near Kinsale for Old Head and the flight home. A hire car is essential, and a four ball can split the driving so no one loses a day to the road. Book the famous clubs and the best rooms six to twelve months ahead, because summer tee times at Ballybunion, Lahinch and Old Head go early.
Plan your Southwest Ireland golf trip
We hold the Lahinch, Ballybunion, Waterville and Old Head tee times, route the coast from Shannon to Cork with the right bases each night, and arrange the car, the ferry and the dinners. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Southwest Ireland itinerary questions
What is the best 8 day golf itinerary in Southwest Ireland?
An eight day trip down the southwest coast can play the cream of Irish links, flying into Shannon and out of Cork. The classic order runs Lahinch in County Clare, the Greg Norman links at Doonbeg, then south to Ballybunion Old in Kerry, Arnold Palmer's Tralee, the remote beauty of Waterville on the Ring of Kerry and the clifftop spectacle of Old Head in Cork. Six marquee rounds over eight days leaves room for the drives and the scenery. Always confirm current tee times and fees directly before booking.
How much do green fees cost for a Southwest Ireland golf trip?
The headline links are expensive in peak summer 2026: Lahinch and Ballybunion Old are around 450 euros each, Doonbeg around 435 euros and Old Head around 395 euros, with Tralee and Waterville lower at roughly 275 to 350 euros. Six rounds on this route run to roughly 2,000 to 2,400 euros per golfer in peak fees, falling sharply in spring and autumn and through packages. These are indicative figures, so always confirm current fees directly before booking.
Which airports do you use for a Southwest Ireland golf trip?
Fly into Shannon and out of Cork to play the coast in one direction without backtracking. Shannon sits minutes from Lahinch and Doonbeg in Clare, while Cork is close to Old Head at the southern end of the route. A hire car is essential for the coast roads and the drives between links. Dublin is a longer option if the schedule demands it. Always confirm flights and car hire well ahead, as summer availability is tight.
When is the best time to play golf in Southwest Ireland?
Late spring through early autumn is the window, roughly May to September, with the long days, the firmest links turf and the warmest, if never guaranteed, weather. September is a connoisseur's favorite for firm ground and thinning crowds, while shoulder months bring lower fees and more availability at the famous clubs. Pack for wind and rain in any month. Always confirm conditions and tee times before booking.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Indicative green fees and drive times verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.