It's the question we get most often from first-time Ireland golfers: do we base in Kerry or Clare? Both are world-class. Both will spoil you. They are not, however, the same trip.
The short answer
- Pick Kerry if you want variety, mountain scenery, and a longer list of bucket-list names.
- Pick Clare if you want to wake up next to the sea, walk to the first tee, and play three top-25 links in three days without ever driving more than 45 minutes.
What Kerry gives you
Kerry's golf is spread along the Ring of Kerry and the Dingle Peninsula, which means the scenery between rounds rivals the rounds themselves. You'll drive past Atlantic beaches, mountain passes, and pubs that haven't changed in a hundred years.
The signature stops:
- Ballybunion Old — top-10 in the world, hands down.
- Waterville — bucket-list links at the end of the Ring.
- Tralee — Arnold Palmer's cliff-top design.
- Killarney (Killeen) — parkland on a lake, framed by mountains, for a softer mid-trip day.
- Dooks — under-the-radar links that locals love.
Downside: distances. Ballybunion to Waterville is two and a half hours if you don't stop, and you should stop. Plan for one big drive or split your base between Killarney and Kenmare.
What Clare gives you
Clare is denser. Three of the world's great links sit within a 40-minute radius of Lahinch village: Lahinch, Doonbeg, and the surf-and-pubs charm of Lahinch itself as your basecamp. You can play four rounds in four days without a single drive over an hour.
Add the Cliffs of Moher, the Burren, and trad sessions in Doolin between rounds, and Clare punches above its weight as a complete trip — not just a golf trip.
The signature stops:
- Lahinch — Old Tom Morris meets MacKenzie, in a village built around the course.
- Doonbeg — Greg Norman links in epic dunes.
- Ballybunion is a 90-minute drive south, so Clare-based trips can poach Kerry's headline course as a one-off.
Downside: less variety. Three days of links into a stiff Atlantic wind is heaven for some, attrition for others. Build in a parkland round or a non-golf day.
Combine them — the seven-day classic
The trip we recommend most often: fly into Shannon, base two nights in Lahinch, two in Killarney, two in Tralee. Play Lahinch, Doonbeg, Ballybunion, Waterville, Tralee, and one rest day. That's the highest concentration of bucket-list links anywhere in the world, in a route the AI Trip Planner can lay out with realistic drive times.
How to decide
- First-time visitor with one week? Combine them, as above.
- Returning visitor or shorter trip? Pick one — Clare for compactness, Kerry for variety.
- Non-golfers in the group? Kerry. The non-golf experience is richer.
Either way, read our guide on when to play golf in Ireland and check handicap requirements before you finalise tee times.