When we left Waterville, we took off for what would be the most enjoyable stay of our trip, the gorgeous seaside town of Kinsale.  For the sake of time, the best route would be back up north to Killarney, and then all the way east to Kinsale, which is on the southern coast of County Cork.  Instead, we decided to mostly hug the coastline, getting a small taste of the Ring of Kerry.  It took just under four hours before we finally pulled into Kinsale, but when we did, it was well worth it.

The beautiful fishing and sailing village of Kinsale.

The sister town of Newport, Rhode Island, is just what you would expect from an ancient sailing and fishing village.  There is a harbor filled with beautiful sail boats, and stucco houses that are painted in bright, pastel colors.  This is the type of place that the Irish come to on vacation, and it’s easy to see why.

We stayed the first night at the perfect location, a place called Actons Hotel, looking out over the harbor.  It was modern and sleek, and it was clear why there were three weddings going on there that weekend.  We spent the second night at The Old Bank Townhouse, directly in the center of the bustling town, and it was cozy and warm and put us right in the middle of the action.

But Kinsale is best experienced outdoors, and we were lucky enough to have two spectacular days of weather while there.  We took a one-hour boat tour of the harbor, which brought us around the remnants of two 17th-century forts, the stonework still a wonder to see as we passed by.  We spent many hours walking up and down the narrow and winding cobblestone streets, poking into stores and pubs.  I had arguably the best fish-and-chips I’ve ever had at a small storefront restaurant on the water, and it was followed later by some delicious lamb chops at a bistro up the street.

Just when I thought it couldn’t get any nicer, I drove the 20 minutes to Old Head Golf Links, and my heart races just thinking about it.

The fourth hole at Old Head, with a nice backdrop.

Old Head is not the best golf course in the world, but it is unquestionably the most spectacular place that I have ever played golf.  That is a necessary distinction when taking into account the following verbiage for a place that is beyond beautiful.

Just south of Kinsale, the land comes into a small narrow, and then out into a bulbous peninsula that is all the property of Old Head.  The course is relatively new, built in 1997 over 220 acres that used to be a farm, jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean.  It is bordered on all sides by huge cliffs, some as high as 300 feet, and underneath are caves, some that run straight through.  At the southern-most point is a lighthouse, in view on about half the holes.  The property rolls in some gentle hills, and as could be expected, using all of the cliff-side borders to give a feeling like you’re often about to fall off.

The tee shot at No. 12, up to the monolith (small object right).	The approach at No. 12. No bunkers needed.

Although the place itself is a marvel of modernity, the land is ancient.  The story goes that when they were excavating, getting ready to build the course, they found some monoliths.  Now scattered around the course are these dark stones, about seven feet high, that have a hole carved into the middle about one foot in diameter.  There is one next to the first tee, when the starter makes you and your playing partners shake hands through the hole — what used to solidify a trade deal, and now solidifies your groups commitment to enjoying the day of golf.

The tee shot and the green at No. 16 at Old Head.

Which is almost impossible not do to.  The front nine might be a little less dramatic, but there is no shortage of beauty.  The first is a rather simple par-4, but the second already juts out into the ocean, a dogleg left par-4 that would be one of the best-looking holes anywhere — and is immediately eclipsed by the third, one of the four par-3’s on the course that is carved into the cliffside.

“Wait,” our caddie said, “the course has hardly begun.”

Things get historically interesting on the par-5 10th, which doglegs right around a big mound, and then the green is fronted by an ancient burial ground, surrounded by a short stone fence.  It used to be a hazard, and you can still take an unplayable, but you can also chose to go in and hack out your cursed Titleist, if you choose to be so daring.

As we were walking back to the 12th tee, the caddie started whistling.  “Here we go,” he said.  I was unsure what he meant until we crested the hill, walked to the tee, and looked up.  It’s hard to think of another place in the world of golf as utterly dramatic as this — nothing but cliffs falling down into water in front of you as the land rises to the fairway, a dogleg-left cape-hole drive with nothing to aim at but a walking path and one of the stone monoliths sitting in the right side of the fairway.  One is tempted to say, “Bite off as much as you can chew,” but it’s hard to put such a cliche on a such a magnificent piece of Earth.  Once up in the fairway, everything comes to a tight narrow as you go back downhill to approach the green, mounds on the right and cliff on the left leaving little room for error as the skinny putting surface retreats.  At this exposed juncture, the wind howls, and the nerves make it hard to hold the club with any proficiency.  Enjoy the views on one of the most spectacular holes anywhere.

The approach to No. 17 at Old Head.

Some recent rerouting and redesign made the 13th another par-3 carved into the side of the cliff.  It’s a very difficult thing to say, but with all four of these par-3’s being about the same length and same personality, it almost feels repetitive.  Any one of them would be the best hole on 99-percent of the golf courses in the world.  And the temptation to build a hole like this has to be overwhelming. But here, a little more variety could have helped the experience, as the shot becomes a little less exhilarating every time you hit it.

The 15th is a really good short par-4, with a semi-blind tee shot down a hill, and after another cliff-carved par-3 at 16, the 17th is a whirling dervish of a par-5, 623 yards from the back that is a double-dogleg with the water all along the right and a green set well below among the rocks.  The walk back to the 18th tee is the one last great moment here, as the boxes are cut just underneath the lighthouse.  The final hole is a dogleg left cut back over the cliff and up a hill to the modern clubhouse, a terrific way to end what is surely one of the most unique golf experiences anywhere in the world.  It’s hard to think that there is anywhere more spectacular to spend a day playing golf than out at Old Head.

The walk back to 18 tee at Old Head.	What the drive on No. 18 at Old Head looks like from the back tee.

A look from the clubhouse down the 18th hole at Old Head.