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Ring of Kerry Golf Club

Kenmare, Co. Kerry · Designed by Eddie Hackett / Ron Kirby (1998)

Ring of Kerry Golf Club was designed by Eddie Hackett and Ron Kirby and opened in 1998 — one of Hackett's final projects before his death, on 150 acres of natural hillside terrain above Kenmare Bay. The club describes it as "the most spectacular heathland course in Ireland": MacGillycuddy's Reeks to the north, the Caha Mountains and Beara Peninsula to the south, the bay visible from virtually every hole. The greens are built to US PGA specification and consistently rated among the best putting surfaces in Kerry.

Kenmare (Irish: *An Neidin*, "the little nest") sits sheltered between those two mountain ranges at the head of the bay — a name that exactly describes its geography. In the town itself, a five-minute walk from the square, stands one of the most accessible megalithic monuments in southwest Ireland: a Bronze Age stone circle of 15 boulders surrounding a giant capstone dolmen, measuring nearly 18 metres across and dating to roughly 2500 BCE. It is simply there, behind a hedge, free to visit. The town's restaurants are consistently rated better than Killarney's, with less tourist infrastructure and more places that actually feed local people.

The course finishes on a par 3 — an old-fashioned touch — and the back nine's 13th and 14th are played consecutively as the hardest stretch. Kenmare makes the best base on the southern Kerry circuit: quieter than Killarney, half an hour from Waterville, and on the road to the Skellig Ring.

Holes worth knowing

113th "An Neidin" (par-3, 233 yards) — named after Kenmare's Irish name, "the little nest." Elevated tee, sharply sloping green, water protecting the front. The course's most photographed hole.
214th "Tahilla" (par-4, 433 yards, SI 1) — slightly uphill, dogleg left, narrows to a tree-framed green with a large bunker in front. The hardest hole on the card immediately after the hardest par-3.
318th "Grenane" (par-3, 183 yards) — an unusually old-fashioned finish: the course closes on a par 3. Memorable precisely because it breaks the expected pattern.

Highlights

MacGillycuddy's Reeks & Kenmare Bay views
Bronze Age stone circle in town
Best base for southern Kerry circuit

Good to know

→Packie's on Henry Street is the classic Kenmare restaurant — seafood-focused, open evenings, long-established. Book ahead.
→The Horseshoe on Main Street is the right pub: old-world charm, traditional food, locals at the bar. The kind of place golfers like.
→The Bronze Age stone circle is 5 minutes from the town square — 15 boulders, a giant capstone dolmen, and 4,500 years old. Free to visit and almost empty mid-week.
→Kenmare is 30 minutes from Waterville — the most natural two-day Kerry pairing for golfers who want a world-class links after a scenic heathland round.
→Stay in Kenmare rather than Killarney for the southern Kerry circuit: quieter, better food, closer to Waterville and the Skellig Ring.

Visitor Information

Getting There

45min drive

1h 30min drive

Common questions

What is Ring of Kerry Golf Club like?

Ring of Kerry Golf Club is a parkland course perched above Kenmare Bay near the town of Kenmare, with views across the bay to the Caha Mountains and Beara Peninsula. The mountainous backdrop and the sea light make it one of the more scenic parkland courses in Kerry. It is a comfortable complement to a Ring of Kerry driving itinerary — a round here combined with Killarney and Waterville gives a well-rounded Kerry golf trip.

Is Ring of Kerry Golf Club on the Ring of Kerry driving route?

Yes — the course is near Kenmare, which sits at the eastern end of the Ring of Kerry loop. It makes a natural golf stop for those driving the Ring, particularly golfers who want to combine the scenic road with a round. Kenmare town itself is one of the best-served small towns in Kerry for food and accommodation.

How do I book Ring of Kerry Golf Club?

Ring of Kerry books through GolfNow with reliable online availability.

What should I do in Kenmare besides golf?

Kenmare is one of the most pleasant towns in Kerry — compact, without the tourist volume of Killarney, and with notably better restaurants. The Lime Tree on Shelbourne Street is worth booking for dinner — a listed building from 1832 with a menu built around Kerry lamb and local seafood. For a more casual evening, Mulcahy's on Main Street does good food and draws a local crowd. The stone circle on the edge of town is one of the largest in Ireland. The Healy Pass drive over into Cork and back via the Beara Peninsula is manageable in an afternoon and one of the finest short drives in the southwest.