Old Head of Kinsale: 2026 Access and Booking Update
On a slender headland that juts two miles into the Atlantic off the coast of County Cork, Old Head of Kinsale is one of the most dramatic rounds of golf anywhere on earth. Here is where access, conditions and booking stand in 2026, and how to build a southwest Ireland trip around it.
The news: still a bucket list round
The story for 2026 is continuity. Old Head opened in 1997, the work of a remarkable team that brought together Ron Kirby, the late Eddie Hackett, Paddy Merrigan, Liam Higgins and the amateur great Joe Carr for owners the O'Connor brothers. Nearly thirty years on, it remains one of the most photographed and sought after rounds in the game, and the reason many golfers route a southwest Ireland trip through Kinsale at all.
What has not changed is the access model. Old Head is a privately owned clifftop course that runs a seasonal calendar and welcomes visitor and stay and play golf, with a boutique lodge on site. For 2026 it continues to open through the warmer months, and tee times remain limited and prized, so it rewards golfers who plan and book well ahead rather than hope for a walk up.
The course: clifftop golf on a diamond headland
The defining feature of Old Head is the land it occupies. The course is laid across a narrow promontory ringed by cliffs that fall straight to the ocean, so several holes play along the very edge with the Atlantic hundreds of feet below. Par is 72 over roughly 7,200 yards from the back tees, and the wind, which can swing from a breeze to a gale within a round, is the dominant defense rather than length or bunkering.
It is not a traditional links in the strict sense, more a clifftop course of extraordinary drama, and opinions differ on whether the setting outshines the architecture. What is not in doubt is the spectacle: the run of holes around the point, with the lighthouse beyond and the sea on three sides, delivers a sequence of tee shots few courses anywhere can rival.
How to play it in 2026
Old Head sits a short drive beyond the harbor town of Kinsale and is roughly forty minutes from Cork airport, which makes it an easy addition to a tour of the southwest. The natural approach is to base in or around Kinsale and pair Old Head with the great links further west over several rounds, using the food and harbor scene of Kinsale itself to fill the off hours.
The booking notes for 2026 are important. The course operates a seasonal calendar, typically spring to late autumn, and visitor tee times are limited, so reserve well ahead, especially for summer. Green fees here sit at the very top of the Irish range and vary sharply by season, with the shoulder weeks notably cheaper than peak; treat any quoted figure as indicative for 2026 and always confirm directly before booking. Southwest Ireland plays best from May to September, with the headland exposed to Atlantic weather throughout.
Our take
Our take is that Old Head is a genuine bucket list round and one that almost every travelling golfer wants to play once, weather permitting. It is expensive, it is exposed, and on a bad day the wind can make it close to unplayable; but on a calm, clear morning there is simply nowhere like it, and the photographs do not lie. We rate it as an experience first and a golf course second, and that is no criticism.
For 2026, treat it as the centerpiece of a wider trip rather than the only round, pair it with the great links of Ireland and the southwest, and time it for the long days of summer with a flexible weather plan. Book early for the prime windows, read our southwest Ireland 2026 season outlook, and pray for a still morning.
Plan your southwest Ireland golf trip
From Old Head of Kinsale to the great links of the southwest, tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs the trip, with no obligation.
Questions
Who designed Old Head of Kinsale?
Old Head was created by a team that included Ron Kirby, Eddie Hackett, Paddy Merrigan, Liam Higgins and the late amateur great Joe Carr, working for owners the O'Connor brothers, and opened in 1997. It plays to a par 72 of roughly 7,200 yards from the back tees on a clifftop headland in County Cork.
Can visitors play Old Head of Kinsale in 2026?
Yes. Old Head is a privately owned clifftop course that welcomes visitor and stay and play golf through its season, which runs roughly from spring to autumn. Tee times are limited and prized, so book well ahead and confirm current green fees and accommodation directly before booking.
When is the best time to play Old Head of Kinsale?
The course operates a seasonal calendar, typically opening in spring and closing in late autumn, and southwest Ireland plays best from May to September. The headland is exposed to Atlantic weather year round, so build in flexibility and book the prime summer dates early.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, designers, opening dates, access rules and indicative green fees verified June 2026 from club, tour and golf travel sources; conditions, access and fees change through the season, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.