Bucket ListLinks ClassicWild Atlantic Way

Tralee Golf Club

Tralee, Co. Kerry · Designed by Arnold Palmer (1984) · Est. 1984

Tralee was the first golf course Arnold Palmer designed in Europe, opened in 1984 on the Barrow peninsula west of Tralee, where the Atlantic wraps around dunes, cliffs and a curve of white-sand beach. Of the work here Palmer offered one of golf's most-quoted lines: "I may have designed the first nine, but surely God designed the back nine." The front nine runs along the shore beneath the ruins of a medieval castle; the back climbs into towering dunes and plays along the cliff edge, fully exposed to the ocean.

The course measures 6,975 yards to a par of 72, and rewards control and imagination over brute length. Two par-3s define it: the 3rd, played to a green with the old castle ruins behind it, and the 16th — "Shipwreck" — which depending on the wind can be a flick or a driver. The Atlantic is in view, and in play, from the first tee to the last.

Tralee is managed today by Carr Golf and will host the 2026 Arnold Palmer Cup, the elite amateur match between the United States and an International team. It sits on the Wild Atlantic Way twenty minutes from Kerry Airport, and pairs naturally with Ballybunion, Waterville or the nine-hole links at Castlegregory for a Kerry links itinerary.

Holes worth knowing

116th "Shipwreck" (par-3) — played along the cliff edge above the Atlantic; into the wind it asks for a driver, downwind a short iron. One of the most exposed and photographed par-3s in Irish golf.
23rd (par-3) — a short hole played to a green framed by the ruins of a medieval castle on the shore. The first hint of what Palmer found in this stretch of Kerry coast.

Highlights

Arnold Palmer's first European course (1984)
2026 Arnold Palmer Cup host
Atlantic dunes and clifftop links on the Wild Atlantic Way

Good to know

→The back nine is the reason to come — Palmer's "God designed the back nine" is not just marketing. Save your energy for the clifftop stretch from the 11th.
→Tralee town is twenty minutes east; the Dingle Peninsula and the Conor Pass are within easy reach for a non-golf day. Kerry Airport (Farranfore) is the closest, about 20 minutes.
→Pair Tralee with Ballybunion (an hour north) and Waterville (south) for one of the great Kerry links runs. Castlegregory's nine holes, just up the coast, make a relaxed extra round.
→Visitor access is limited and the exposed holes are weather-dependent — book well ahead and keep the day flexible if a strong westerly is forecast.

Visitor Information

Getting There

20min drive

1h 30min drive

Common questions

Did Arnold Palmer really design Tralee?

Yes — Tralee was the first golf course Arnold Palmer designed in Europe, opened in 1984 on the Barrow peninsula west of Tralee. Of the work here Palmer offered one of golf's most-quoted lines: "I may have designed the first nine, but surely God designed the back nine."

What is the signature hole at Tralee?

The par-3 16th, "Shipwreck," played along the cliff edge above the Atlantic — into the wind it can need a driver, downwind a short iron. The par-3 3rd, played to a green framed by the ruins of a medieval castle, is the other one golfers remember. The ocean is in view, and in play, from the first tee to the last. The course is par 72 and measures 6,975 yards.

Is Tralee hosting the Arnold Palmer Cup?

Yes — Tralee will host the 2026 Arnold Palmer Cup, the elite amateur match between the United States and an International team. The club is managed by Carr Golf.

How do I get to Tralee and what should I combine it with?

The course is on the Barrow peninsula, about 20 minutes from both Tralee town and Kerry Airport, on the Wild Atlantic Way. It pairs naturally with Ballybunion (an hour north) and Waterville (to the south), with the nine-hole links at Castlegregory just up the coast for a relaxed extra round.