Southwest Ireland Advice

[Beretta_Shooter]

Hi All,

I am taking my wife to SW Ireland next May. I have been there before with buddies so all we were concerned about was playing golf and drinking.

This time around I was thinking about renting a house and inviting another couple. He golf she does not. My plan is to rent two cars so in the morning my buddy and I can go out to play while the two girls go sight see. If we wanted to play Ballybunion, Tralee, Old Head and Waterville, would it make sense to rent a little place in Killarney? Would this give us a good proximity to those courses and allow our wives access to good sightseeing and stuff to do?

Any and all opinions are welcome!

Thanks!

[kmarkham]

Originally Posted by Beretta_Shooter

Hi All,

I am taking my wife to SW Ireland next May. I have been there before with buddies so all we were concerned about was playing golf and drinking.

This time around I was thinking about renting a house and inviting another couple. He golf she does not. My plan is to rent two cars so in the morning my buddy and I can go out to play while the two girls go sight see. If we wanted to play Ballybunion, Tralee, Old Head and Waterville, would it make sense to rent a little place in Killarney? Would this give us a good proximity to those courses and allow our wives access to good sightseeing and stuff to do?

Any and all opinions are welcome!

Thanks!

Old Head is the fly in the ointment as it's a fair distance from Killarney - you're looking at two hours of not particularly good roads. That said, I appreciate that two hours' travel in the States is no big deal, so maybe that doesn't bother you. Other than that, I'd say Killarney is an excellent place to base yourself. Waterville and Tralee have some of the best views in Ireland (from a golf course), only surpassed by Dooks which is very close to Killarney on the Ring of Kerry. As for sightseeing - more than enough to keep your partners happy.

[stealthduffer]

Did a tournament 10+ years ago with my father in Ireland.  We played 3 of those courses (Old Head, Waterville and Ballybunion) and stayed in Killarney.  Accessible for all of them though a couple of longer drives.  We rode buses so was nice that we were able to talk, nap or have a beer on the way back.

You might want to consider hiring a driver for some of the trips to the courses or for the wives' sightseeing.  Would make it easier than having 2 cars to deal with and maybe a little less stressful.

BTW - the 3 courses we played were all fabulous - can't go wrong with your agenda.  Have a great time - I'm still trying to figure out how to get back and play some more golf.

[FLOG4]

I would take slightly different approach to your trip. Stay at the Fairview Guesthouse very reasonable and internet specials. Play the rotation you mentioned but spend the last day in Kinsale near Old Head...The gals will love spending a day there.  And you may get to tour the course twice.....Having two cars sounds good as long as the 2nd driver is up to the challenge of driving....What type of sightseeing will gals want to enjoy? Killarney has some great hiking trails.  Castles?  Enjoy....

[Artimas]

I've played at Doonbeg. Very nice course.

http://www.doonbeglodge.com/golf-course-ireland.html

[cdnglf]

When I was in Ireland, we played a round at Ballybunion, drove to Old Head, and played the front 9 at dusk. Not something I'd recommend, though. Its a pretty long drive, and driving in Ireland requires a lot more attention than driving in North America. (Narrow, twisty, roads that you share with tractors and even sheep; and don't forget you're driving on the other side of the road).

As another poster mentioned, the accommodation at Old Head is excellent, and not too expensive (relatively speaking).  When I was there in 2009, it was $299 Euro/night, including unlimited golf. While I wasn't particularly impressed with the layout, it is perhaps the most visually spectacular course I've ever played.

[Beretta_Shooter]

I am bringing this thread back from the dead as we leave this Friday for Ireland. The group is playing Killeen at Killarney, Tralee, Waterville and Ballybunion. On the day off  from golf my wife(non golfer) actually wanted to go to Kinsale spend the day shopping and eating, and then head over to Old Head to play a twilight. She saw pictures and actually insisted that she check it out. Here in Florida she likes to ride in cart, have cocktail and enjoy the scenery. Though it is a sin to ride a cart over there, if it means I get to play Old Head, I will make the sacrifice.

I am really stoked!!