Old Head vs Tralee for Golf
Two of the most spectacular clifftop rounds in Ireland, an hour and a half apart on the southwest coast. Old Head of Kinsale occupies a private headland in County Cork, nine holes strung along cliffs up to 300 feet above the Atlantic, the most jaw dropping piece of golf real estate in the country. Tralee, in County Kerry, was Arnold Palmer's first design in Europe, a links and clifftop test whose back nine through giant dunes is pure theatre. Here is the head to head, with our verdict up front.
Photograph: Shane McDonagh, via Google
Our verdict
For the once in a lifetime spectacle, Old Head wins outright. Nothing in golf looks like it: a slender promontory thrusting two miles into the Atlantic, a lighthouse at its tip, and nine holes routed along cliffs that fall hundreds of feet to the sea. It is exclusive and expensive, an indicative 475 euros per round plus a caddie in the 2026 high season, and the experience is sold as much on the setting and the seclusion as on the golf. You play it once and never forget it.
For the better pure golf and the better value, Tralee is our pick. Arnold Palmer's first European design, opened in 1984, gives you a genuine links front nine and a back nine that climbs through some of the biggest dunes in Ireland, at an indicative 210 to 250 euros, roughly half the Old Head fee. It also sits in the richest golf county in the country, an easy drive from Ballybunion, Waterville and Dooks. Old Head is the photograph; Tralee is the round you will want to play again.
The head to head
| Old Head of Kinsale | Tralee | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A clifftop course on a private Atlantic headland, not a true links, sold on spectacle and seclusion | A genuine links and clifftop course, Arnold Palmer's first design in Europe |
| Designers and year | Joe Carr, Eddie Hackett, Ron Kirby and Paddy Merrigan, opened 1997 | Arnold Palmer with Ed Seay, opened 1984 |
| Par and yardage | Par 72, around 7,200 yards | Par 72, around 6,991 yards |
| The drama | Nine holes along cliffs up to 300 feet above the Atlantic, with a lighthouse at the headland's tip | A links front nine, then a back nine through towering dunes above the Atlantic strand |
| Indicative green fee | Around 475 euros per round plus caddie in the 2026 high season, with a cheaper late October window | Around 210 to 250 euros per round, roughly half the Old Head fee |
| Where it sits | Near Kinsale in County Cork, a scenic harbor town | Near Tralee in County Kerry, the heart of southwest links country |
| Trip building | A standalone bucket list round, paired with Kinsale's restaurants and the Cork coast | One of a cluster: Ballybunion, Waterville, Dooks and Killarney all within reach |
| Best for | The view, the occasion and the photograph of a golfing life | The keenest golfers who want the best links round for the money |
Indicative 2026 high season figures from club and booking sources, shown to set expectations only. We are a guide, not an operator, and never quote our own pricing. Always confirm directly before booking. Check Ireland tee time availability.
Who should pick which
Pick Old Head if
You want the single most spectacular round in Ireland and the budget is not the deciding factor. The headland setting is unmatched anywhere in golf, the seclusion and service are part of the price, and a stay in the lodges with Kinsale's harbor and restaurants nearby makes a memorable couple of days. Treat it as a bucket list experience rather than the heart of a links trip.
Pick Tralee if
You want the best golf for the money and a base in the richest links county in Ireland. Palmer's back nine through the dunes is world class, the fee is roughly half Old Head's, and Ballybunion, Waterville and Dooks are all close enough to build a proper week. For the travelling golfer who came to play, Tralee is the smarter anchor.
Or play both
Cork and Kerry adjoin each other, and a southwest Ireland golf trip can take in both clifftop courses without strain. Old Head sits near Kinsale on the Cork coast, Tralee is about ninety minutes west into Kerry, and the road between them runs through some of the finest scenery in the country. Open with Old Head as the spectacular set piece, then move west to base in Kerry for Tralee, Ballybunion and Waterville. The season is shared and the contrast is the point. Tell us your dates and the must play rounds and we will route the week.
Plan your southwest Ireland trip
Tell us whether it is the Old Head spectacle, Palmer's Tralee, or a Cork and Kerry week that takes in both with Ballybunion and Waterville, and roughly when. One concierge handles the tee times, the caddies and the bases, and costs the trip to the head, with no obligation.
Old Head vs Tralee questions
Is Old Head or Tralee the better golf course?
They offer different things. Old Head of Kinsale is the more spectacular setting, a clifftop course on a private Atlantic headland that sells on the view and the seclusion as much as the golf. Tralee, Arnold Palmer's first European design, is widely judged the stronger pure test, especially its back nine through huge dunes, and it costs roughly half as much. For spectacle choose Old Head; for the golf and the value choose Tralee.
How much does it cost to play Old Head and Tralee?
Indicatively in the 2026 high season, Old Head of Kinsale is around 475 euros per round plus a caddie, with a cheaper window in late October, while Tralee is around 210 to 250 euros per round. Old Head is among the most expensive rounds in Ireland and Tralee offers far better value. Both change by season, so always confirm directly before booking.
Is Old Head a links course?
Not strictly. Old Head sits on a clifftop headland rather than among coastal dunes, so while it plays in links like conditions in the wind, purists class it as a spectacular clifftop course rather than a true links. Tralee, by contrast, has a genuine links front nine and a duneland back nine, which is part of why keen golfers rate its golf so highly.
Can you play Old Head and Tralee on the same trip?
Easily. Old Head is near Kinsale in County Cork and Tralee is about ninety minutes west in County Kerry, so a southwest Ireland trip can include both along with Ballybunion, Waterville and Dooks. Old Head works as the standalone spectacle near the start, with Kerry's links filling the rest of the week. We route this combination regularly.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, access and fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.