Old Head Golf Links Course Review - This spectacular track, combining elements of links and cliff-top golf, has arguably the most dramatic setting of any course in the UK&I
Old Head Golf Links Course Review
Green Fee Range: €200-€350
Medal Tee: Par 72 – 6,450 Yards
Visitor Times: Guests are invited throughout the week subject to availability but Old Head is very much a private members course with limited outside play and prior booking is essential
Website: www.oldhead.com
Old Head Golf Links Course Review
Set on a 220-acre promontory in County Cork, Old Head Golf Links provides some of the most spectacular golf anywhere in our isles or further afield. Over half the holes play alongside towering cliffs with the churning Atlantic hundreds of feet below – the hazards here are truly that! Many of the holes at Old Head are simply breath-taking but it’s after the turn that the “wow” factor really ramps up. The 12th is a sprawling par 5 played along a narrow spit of land and the new 13th is an incredible par 3 with the undulating green perched on the cliff’s edge.
It would be no exaggeration to say that it is blessed with the most dramatic location of any course in the Golf Monthly Top 100 Courses rankings. Indeed, there is not a course in the whole of the UK or Ireland with more of a wow factor.
Related: Golf Monthly UK&I Top 100 Courses
Following a gentle shoulder-opener at the 1st, the jaw drops for the first time on the 2nd tee, with a dogleg left that hugs the clifftop.
From then on, the course offers a rollercoaster ride up, down, over and along the promontory. In places, the cliffs rise to 300ft above the sea, but despite the undulations, the walking is never hard and the golfer will constantly be drawn forward to see what is waiting in store.
The 12th is not just one of the most memorable holes here, it is one of the most memorable in golf. From a thrilling tee cut into the vertiginous cliffs you play uphill to a hidden fairway, before a tightrope walk to the green, which is perched precariously 150ft above the Atlantic.
The closing stretch is almost as captivating, and with the on-site accommodation and spa, Old Head has the lot.
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Course changes since previous ranking
New extensive practice range and short game area with views across the Atlantic Ocean
Proposed course changes
None planned
Golf Monthly Verdict
Incredible setting, jaw-dropping holes and very fun to play.