Co Kerry's Best 18 Golf Holes

Waterville's 'Tranquility' (par five 11th)

It’s never easy picking an ‘18 best holes’ selection… or the top 100 courses for that matter. There are so many factors involved and it’s a real scrum when it comes to pulling out the final 18.

Co. Kerry is a perfect example of this. I mean, Ballybunion, Tralee and Waterville are three links rated in the top 100 courses in the world, so how do you choose holes from anywhere else? And yet there’s Dooks, Killarney’s two courses, Ceann Sibeal and Hog’s Head to add to the mix.

Fortunately, the Irish Examiner gave me the opportunity to produce two 18s: the overall

best 18; and the silver medal, runner-up 18. It alleviated some of the challenges of choosing one hole – and one course – over another, but it still was not easy. There are just so many good holes.

Here are the 18 best holes – in my opinion – and I’ve included a link to the Irish Examiner article at the end which provides descriptors of each hole.

Ballybunion Old par four 6th

The new 6th green, shot from green to tee (by the hut, right of pic).
There is a steep fall-off on both sides of the green.

 Ballybunion Old par four 11th

The approach shot on 11. How well protected is that green!

 Ballybunion Old par three 15th

Ballybunion Old par four 17th

The 17th from green to dogleg. Tee is up in the dunes to the right.

Ballybunion Cashen par five 15th

Dooks par three 4th

Hog's Head par four 17th

Killarney Killeen par four 8th

Killarney Killeen par four 18th

 Killarney Mahony's Point par five 16th

Killarney Mahony's Point par three 18th

Tralee par four 8th

Tralee par four 12th

Tralee par three 16th

Waterville par five 11th

Waterville par four 16th

Waterville par three 17th

Waterville par five 18th

Click this link for the Irish Examiner Best 18 Golf Holes in Co. Kerry, and feel free to list your own favourite Co. Kerry holes in the Comments section below.