Waterville vs Tralee
Two of the great links of County Kerry, a couple of hours apart on the wild southwest coast, and a question every Ireland golf trip has to answer. Waterville is the more complete championship test, an Eddie Hackett classic later refined by Tom Fazio. Tralee is Arnold Palmer's first European design, with a back nine through the cliffs and dunes that ranks among the most spectacular in golf. Here is the honest head to head, verdict first.
Photograph: Waterville Golf Links, via Google
The verdict
If you can only play one, and most golfers should play both, Waterville is the better golf course. Routed along Ballinskelligs Bay in the far southwest, it is a long, classic links of real strategic depth, opened in 1973 to Eddie Hackett's design and sympathetically refined by Tom Fazio in the 2000s. It became a beloved tune up for Payne Stewart, Tiger Woods and the American Ryder Cup team before the Open, a place where the golf, not just the scenery, holds up to the very highest scrutiny. From the par 3 Mass Hole to the soaring 17th, it is a complete and demanding examination, and one of the finest links in Ireland.
Tralee, though, has something Waterville cannot match: a setting of sheer cinematic drama. Arnold Palmer's first design outside the United States, opened in 1984, it occupies a stretch of cliff, beach and towering dune near where Ryan's Daughter was filmed, and Palmer himself said he may have built the front nine but God designed the back. The inward holes, the fearsome par 4 12th, the clifftop 16th over a chasm, are as thrilling as golf gets. The front nine is gentler and the wind can make it a brute, but for spectacle and that heart in the mouth Kerry coast feeling, Tralee is unforgettable. Pick Waterville for the better golf, Tralee for the bigger thrill, and ideally pick both.
Head to head
| Waterville Golf Links | Tralee Golf Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Waterville, on the Ring of Kerry, far southwest Kerry | Barrow, near Tralee on the Dingle peninsula side |
| Designer | Eddie Hackett, opened 1973; refined by Tom Fazio | Arnold Palmer, his first European design, opened 1984 |
| Par and length | Par 72, roughly 7,300 yards from the back tees | Par 72, around 6,975 yards from the championship tees |
| Character | Long, classic, strategic links of consistent quality across 18 holes | Gentler front nine, then a sensational clifftop and dunes back nine |
| Signature | The par 3 Mass Hole and the towering 17th, Mulcahy's Peak | The brutal 12th and the clifftop 16th over a ravine |
| Green fee, 2026 | Premium; peak indicatively around €300 plus (indicative; confirm) | Premium; peak indicatively around €250 to €300 (indicative; confirm) |
| Best for | The purest, most complete links test in Kerry | The most spectacular setting and the bigger thrill |
Course facts and indicative fee ranges verified June 2026 from the clubs and recognized course databases; fees vary by season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Who should pick which
Pick Waterville if
You want the better and more consistent golf course. Waterville is a long, classic links that holds up over all eighteen holes, the kind of strategic, wind exposed test the pros chose to sharpen up on before the Open. It suits low handicappers and links purists who value the quality of the golf above all, and who want to walk a course steeped in the spirit of Payne Stewart and the great names who loved it. The southwest setting on Ballinskelligs Bay is glorious in its own right.
Pick Tralee if
You want the most spectacular round of your trip. Tralee's back nine, threaded through cliffs, beach and giant dunes, is pure Kerry drama, and the views from the clifftop holes are the photographs you will show everyone back home. It suits golfers who want spectacle and adventure as much as a stern examination, and who do not mind a gentler opening nine and the chance of a stiff Atlantic wind. As the first Palmer design in Europe, it carries real history too.
Plan your County Kerry golf trip
Play both, add Ballybunion and the Old Head, and base around Killarney. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge secures the premium Kerry tee times, sorts the stay and the drives, and costs the whole trip to the head, with no obligation.
Waterville vs Tralee questions
Is Waterville or Tralee the better golf course?
Both are world ranked County Kerry links and most golfers play both. Waterville, an Eddie Hackett classic later refined by Tom Fazio, is the more complete and demanding championship test, a longer, more strategic links beloved by Payne Stewart and the pros who tuned up there before the Open. Tralee, Arnold Palmer's first European design, has arguably the more spectacular setting, with a clifftop and dunes back nine that few courses on earth can match for drama. Pick Waterville for the better golf, Tralee for the more breathtaking scenery.
How far apart are Waterville and Tralee?
Waterville and Tralee both sit in County Kerry in southwest Ireland, but they are around a ninety minute to two hour drive apart by road, with Waterville out on the Ring of Kerry in the far southwest and Tralee further north on the Dingle peninsula side. Most golf tours base around Killarney and play both over a few days, often adding Ballybunion. Allow for the scenic but slow Kerry roads when planning tee times.
What are the green fees at Waterville and Tralee?
Both are premium links and price accordingly in the summer high season, with peak green fees indicatively in the region of €250 to €350 per round in 2026, Waterville generally the dearer of the two. Shoulder season rates in spring and autumn are lower, and tour operators can bundle both into a package. These figures are indicative and move year to year, so always confirm current fees directly with each club before booking.
Should you play Waterville and Tralee on the same trip?
Yes. They are the two great links of County Kerry and complement each other beautifully, so most golf trips to the southwest play both, usually alongside Ballybunion and sometimes the Old Head of Kinsale or Dooks. A Killarney base puts both within reach, and three or four days lets you enjoy the golf and the Ring of Kerry scenery without rushing. Always book premium Kerry tee times well ahead for summer.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.