The trip
Overview
Ireland's south-west holds four links courses that would each anchor a country's golf tourism on their own — Ballybunion's towering dunes, Tralee's Arnold Palmer drama above the beach, Waterville's remote perfection on the Ring of Kerry, and Lahinch, the St Andrews of Ireland, goats included. Playing them in one week is the golf trip serious players promise themselves, and the driving between them is part of the pleasure: the Wild Atlantic Way connects every round.
We structure it as a two-base week: four nights in Killarney — lively, central, full of music — for the Kerry rounds, then three nights in the Lahinch–Doonbeg corner of Clare for the finish, with the Cliffs of Moher thrown in on the transfer day. Rest days are built in, because links golf in Atlantic wind is a contact sport. Flights from Dubai run via a European hub into Shannon or Dublin; Shannon puts you forty-five minutes from the first pint.
Highlights
- ✦Ballybunion Old — the dunes course that humbled Tom Watson into loving it
- ✦Tralee’s back nine above the beach from Ryan’s Daughter
- ✦Waterville, the Ring of Kerry’s remote championship links
- ✦Lahinch Old with its blind holes, goats and village charm
- ✦Killarney evenings — music, stout and the national park next door
- ✦The Cliffs of Moher on the transfer north
Who it suits
- ●Links devotees assembling a world top-100 scorecard
- ●Groups of four to eight — this is the classic buddies trip, done properly
- ●UAE-based Irish and British expats overdue a summer home fixture
Why this journey works
- ✓Four courses of this rank within two hours of each other exists almost nowhere else
- ✓Two bases and a built-in rest day keep an Atlantic week enjoyable rather than gruelling
- ✓July in Kerry averages eighteen degrees — the perfect UAE summer inversion
Day by day
Day 1
Into the west
Fly from Dubai via a European hub into Shannon (or Dublin, adding two hours of green motorway). Transfer to Killarney, check in near the town centre, and let the first evening set the tone: live music, a slow pint, an early night. Hotel style: four- or five-star Killarney house hotel.
Day 2
Ballybunion Old
North to Ballybunion, where the Old Course rears through duneland that makes first-timers laugh out loud at the third tee. This is the round the week is measured against. Evening back in Killarney. Access unverified — confirmed at booking.
Day 3
Rest day on the Ring of Kerry
No golf — the Ring of Kerry deserves a clear head: Moll’s Gap, Ladies View, Sneem, and lunch over the water at Portmagee. Jaunting-car and lakes for those staying close. Legs recover; the wind forgets you.
Day 4
Waterville
The far end of the Ring hides Waterville, remote and immaculate, a links the professionals detour to before every Open. Long transfer, longer memories; dinner back in Killarney. Access unverified — confirmed at booking.
Day 5
Tralee, then north to Clare
Palmer’s Tralee in the morning — the back nine above Barrow beach is as dramatic as golf gets — then the transfer north via the Tarbert ferry across the Shannon to the Lahinch area. Check in for three nights by the sea.
Day 6
Lahinch Old
The Old Course at Lahinch: Klondyke and the Dell, blind shots called by a bell, goats forecasting the weather. A links with a sense of humour and a serious set of teeth. Village pubs afterwards — Lahinch is a surf town too, and the evening crowd shows it.
Day 7
Cliffs of Moher and a spare afternoon
A slow final day: the Cliffs of Moher at their quieter morning hour, the Burren’s limestone moonscape, and an optional extra round at Doonbeg for the insatiable — priced as an option. Farewell dinner overlooking the Atlantic.
Day 8
Home
Shannon is under an hour away — fly back to Dubai via the hub, scorecards safely exaggerated.
The golf
Rounds
4
Handicap
Handicap certificates may be requested at these links — Ballybunion and Lahinch commonly ask; bring proof of handicap
Buggies
Limited on links courses — trolleys standard; buggies subject to availability and medical need
Clubs
Check airline sports-baggage allowance on UAE departures; hire sets can be arranged but bring your own for a week this important
Ballybunion — Old Course
Day 2 — heaving duneland links, a fixture of world top-twenty lists. Access unverified — confirmed at booking.
Waterville Golf Links
Day 4 — remote Ring of Kerry championship links, a pre-Open favourite of touring professionals. Access unverified — confirmed at booking.
Tralee Golf Club
Day 5 — Arnold Palmer design above Barrow beach; the back nine is pure theatre. Access unverified — confirmed at booking.
Lahinch — Old Course
Day 6 — blind holes, bells and goats on Ireland’s most characterful championship links. Access unverified — confirmed at booking.
Tee times are requested and confirmed at booking — we never guarantee a tee time until the course has.
For non-golfers
When to go
May to September is the season; June gives the longest evenings, September the quietest tee sheets and a firmer, faster links. Atlantic weather is part of the purchase — a four-club wind can arrive any month, and waterproofs are not optional packing. Winter golf continues for locals but visitor infrastructure winds down from November.
Planning around seasons, regions and style? Read the full Ireland destination guide →
What’s included
- ✓Return flights from Dubai or Abu Dhabi to Shannon or Dublin via a European hub
- ✓Four nights in Killarney and three nights in County Clare
- ✓Four rounds of golf with pre-booked tee times once confirmed
- ✓Golf transfers on playing days and the mid-stay transfer
- ✓Daily Irish breakfast
- ✓PCT golf travel consultant support
Not included
- —Buggies and caddies unless stated
- —Golf club hire
- —Travel insurance
- —Personal spending
Ways to extend it
- +Fifth round at Trump International Doonbeg or Dooks
- +Two nights in Dublin on the way home
- +Dingle Peninsula day with Slea Head drive
Gallery
