The Dingle Golf Links, or Ceann Sibeal, is the westernmost golfing venue in the entirety of Ireland, based on the Dingle Peninsula in the southwest of the nation. 

 

The club has had three homes over its century long history, eventually settling on its current home just over 50 years ago. 

 

Eddie Hackett designed the original nine holes, with nine more added in the late 1980s, under the watchful eye of Christy O’Connor Jr.

 

  

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The original Dingle Golf Club dates back a century to 1924, with a 9-hole course in Ballintaggart. 1930 saw the club move slightly closer to the coast, but that land was eventually taken back by farmers three decades later. 

 

1973 saw the opening of a new 9-hole course, designed by the world-renowned golf course architect Eddie Hackett.  

 

15 years later, Christy O’Connor Jr supervised the addition of nine more holes to bring Ceann Sibeal up to being an 18-hole layout. 

The Dingle Golf Links at Ceann Sibeal provide a stern but fair test for golfers of all abilities, as long as you choose the right tees! It is a Par 72, with four par 5s and four par 3s, playing are more than 6,600 yards from the tips. A stream comes into play on 13 of the 18 holes, just for that added element of danger and trouble. The golf course can also be played in loops of nine. The front nine is in the southwestern section of the property, while the back nine plays further inland from the North Atlantic coastline. 

 

Ceann Sibeal begins with a gentle par 4, less than 400 yards. It is a straight hole, with just a few small bunkers on the left side of the fairway. The stream makes its first appearance in front of this green. Make sure you take enough club to find the middle of the green, even if the flag is at the front. The 2nd is a long par 3, which also plays over the stream. At 220 yards, getting the ball to the green is the main challenge on 2. The 3rd and 4th holes run parallel to each other with the stream coming into play more on the latter. It runs in front of the green, like on the opening hole.  

 

The par 3 5th brings you to the southwestern boundary of the property before turning north to play the longest hole on the course, the par 5 6th. At 550 yards from the tips, with seven bunkers dotted down the hole and with out of bounds down the right side, the 6th is certainly a tricky prospect. A trio of par 4s round out the front nine at Ceann Sibeal, with the 9th being the longest of those, and yet another hole where that stream comes into play. 

 

The back nine begins with alternating par 3s and par 5s. The 10th and 12th are the short holes – the latter being the shortest on the property at just 158 yards. 11 is the only par 5 over 500 yards on the back nine, while the 13th is the quirkiest hole. Carded at just 450 yards, you might be thinking that this is a birdie opportunity, or even an eagle. However, you have to choose between laying up to the dog-leg and where the stream cuts the fairway, or cutting the corner (over the boundary of the property) to reach the second section of fairway. The stream also cuts across in front of the green, for another level of danger on the 13th. 

 

The closing stretch at Ceann Sibeal features a quartet of par 4s before the closing par 5. 14 is the shortest of those at just 340 yards and with just a couple of bunkers for company. 16 and 17 both feature the stream, with it running in front of the green on the former. On the penultimate hole, the stream cuts through the middle of the fairway, making you choose whether you want to lay up or try and drive past it. The closing hole at Dingle is the last par 5 and one final birdie chance. At 500 yards, the longer hitters can certainly think about reaching the green in two, but a pair of greenside bunkers could scupper those plans.

Where is Ceann Sibeal located?  
The Dingle Golf Links at Ceann Sibeal is the most westerly golf course in all of Ireland. Located on the Dingle Peninsula in the southwest corner of the country, Ceann Sibeal is around ten miles from the town of Dingle and the start of the N86, the nearest main road that takes you east and back into the heart of the country. Killarney is 50 miles away, while Cork is just over 100 miles to the southeast. Ireland’s capital city of Dublin is around 225 miles to the east. 

 

Tralee and Killarney are the two nearest train stations to Ceann Sibeal, with Tralee being the last stop on the line. Both of these stops are around 50 miles from the golf club though, so guests would require either a taxi or bus to get them to Ceann Sibeal. 

What golf facilities does Ceann Sibeal offer?  
Along with the 18-hole layout, Ceann Sibeal is also home to a driving range. This is reached via the road leading into the golf course, with the range sitting by the 6th fairway. There is also a large putting green in front of the clubhouse and next to the 1st tee.

What are the green fees at Ceann Sibeal?  
The price of a green fee at Ceann Sibeal changes throughout the year, depending on the season. It is also different depending on whether it is a weekday or weekend. 

 

For more information on current green fees at Ceann Sibeal, visit their website here. 

 

  

Visit the Ceann Sibeal website here. 

Go Back To NCG's Top 100s Homepage.