Overview
Holes 8 through 16 run along the top of 100-foot cliffs above Ballinskelligs Bay, and that stretch is the reason to play Hogs Head. It’s Robert Trent Jones Jr.’s first course in Ireland, laid out on the Iveragh Peninsula just south of Waterville on the site of the old Skellig Bay links, which closed in 2006. There was a soft launch in July 2017 and an official opening in April 2018, and Golf.com voted it Best New International Course.
Fair warning up front: this is not a casual round. The club is private, visitors are taken on weekdays only, the 18-hole green fee was €275 in 2023, and a caddie is mandatory on top of that. If you want the same cliffs and bay views without the bill, the 14km Hogs Head Loop walks the headland for nothing.
History & development
The property was developed by New York-based restructuring specialists Bryan Marsal and Tony Alvarez, who set out to build a golf destination ‘built by friends, for friends’. They reimagined the closed Skellig Bay Course into a modern links that follows the natural fall of the land.
Robert Trent Jones Jr. designed the course – his first in Ireland. The resort buildings were designed by Dublin firm Henry J Lyons with interiors by Robert Rizzo, built in locally quarried Kerry stone with slate roofs and oak detailing.
Golf course
The championship layout measures 7,140 yards from the back tees (par 72, and par 72 off the club and front tees too). It plays hard and fast, with firm fescues, deep bunkers and the small Finglas River running through the property.
Course highlights
- Holes 8 to 16: the run that defines the course, hugging 100-foot cliffs with views over Ballinskelligs Bay and, inland, MacGillycuddy’s Reeks.
- The 11th (‘Gail’s Dare’): built around a 2,000-year-old sundial.
- The 13th (‘Kathleen’s Choice’): a par-3 with two cliffside greens, so you effectively pick your target and your risk before you swing.
- The 6th: a ‘Biarritz’ green, the narrow, elevated putting surface named for the famous hole in France.
Caddies & access
Caddies are mandatory, one per player: €100 for a single bag, €140 for a double, gratuity included. Buggies are available for anyone who can’t walk. The club is private and weekday-focused, releasing a limited number of tee times to non-members, so book well ahead – especially in summer. The €275 green fee is 2023 data; confirm the current rate when you book.
Facilities & practice areas
The clubhouse has a stocked pro shop and full practice facilities: a covered driving range that keeps the Atlantic wind off, a short-game area and a putting green. A swing-analysis suite is available for lessons with PGA professionals. The club can also arrange private car tours of South Kerry, and runs three ‘Hog Helicopters’ for aerial trips over the Ring of Kerry, the Dingle Peninsula and the Skellig Ring, plus heli-golf packages that pair Hogs Head with Waterville Golf Links.
Accommodation
The Lodge
The Lodge is an S-shaped building of 48 guest rooms and two owner suites, one named for Robert Trent Jones Jr. Large windows frame Lough Currane and the mountains behind it.
Private cottages
Five four-bedroom cottages suit larger groups or families. Each has en-suite bedrooms, a private fire-pit, a living area and a full kitchen, with full access to club facilities.
Dining & leisure
Restaurants & bars
- Lough Currane Bar & Restaurant: floor-to-ceiling windows over the lake and greens, with a menu built around local seafood.
- McCarthy’s Bar: the clubhouse bar, with whiskey, cocktails and Irish fare, looking out on the 18th green.
- Private Dining Room & Wine Cellar: an intimate room for wine tastings and special occasions.
Gail’s Spa
Gail’s Spa has four treatment rooms, a hair salon, indoor and outdoor relaxation areas, and separate male and female thermal suites with sauna, steam room, hot tub, heated loungers and a neck massager. A Technogym fitness centre is available to guests, and family packages include parent-child massages.
Hogs Head Loop walk
For non-golfers, or anyone who’d rather keep the €275, the Hogs Head Loop is a 14km waymarked walk from Waterville village. It’s a moderate route of roughly 4 to 6 hours on quiet back roads and coastal paths, and it forms part of the wider Kerry Way, so you can join or leave the national trail here.
Walk highlights
- Loher Stone Fort: an early 9th-century dry-stone ringfort with walls up to 3m high.
- Coastal lookouts: views over Ballinskelligs Bay, Bolus Head, the Skelligs, Derrynane Bay and Lambs Head.
- Derrynane National Park: the loop passes through this protected coastal parkland.
The route has uneven terrain and modest ascents, with a high point around 138m and roughly 380m of total climb. If you’re walking the Hogs Head headland itself rather than the golf course, note there’s no dedicated car park – you park on the verge next to the road.
Practical information
Getting there Hogs Head is about 5km south of Waterville village on the N70 Ring of Kerry road (address: Baslicon, Waterville). Kerry Airport (KIR) is roughly 30km away, with car hire and shuttle options. The club’s number is +353 (0)66 947 4133; the Director of Golf is Brady Sherwood.
Booking Tee times, rooms and spa appointments are booked directly through the club’s website.
Accessibility The clubhouse, restaurants and Lodge are wheelchair-accessible. The course is walking-only. The Hogs Head Loop has uneven terrain and suits walkers with moderate fitness.
Season The course plays year-round, with May to September the busiest months for daylight and milder breezes. Winter brings tougher, wetter conditions.
Nearby attractions Along the loop you’ll pass the stone forts; Cahersiveen to the north has its ruined 16th-century castle, and boats for the Skellig Islands run from nearby Portmagee in season. The Gap of Dunloe is a longer drive but pairs well with a wider day out in County Kerry.
If you’re not a member and don’t fancy the green fee, walk the loop instead: it shares the same headland, the same cliffs and the same view of the bay, and it costs nothing.
Useful links