Ring of Kerry Golf Club

From An Neidin to Grenane

The golf course at Ring of Kerry Golf Club opened in 1998 on rolling ground above Kenmare Bay. Eddie Hackett and Ron Kirby used more than 150 acres of hillside to create a course that moves between open heathland character and more sheltered, tree-lined parkland. The ground rises and falls throughout, so elevation changes influence club choice and the way each hole reveals itself.

Water is a recurring part of the design, adding shape and risk without defining every hole. The course's best-known sequence comes at the 13th and 14th. "An Neidin" is a long par three played from an elevated tee to a sloping green protected at the front by water. "Tahilla" follows as a demanding par four, with a narrowing fairway and a large bunker guarding the approach.

The finish is unusual. The 18th, "Grenane", is a par three, bringing the round to a close with the bay and mountains still shaping the view. The scenery and changing ground give Ring of Kerry an identity unlike the lower-lying links elsewhere in the region.