A service member of staff will meet and greet golfers on arrival at the main gate. After a quick introduction, golfers will be directed to the car park and clubhouse. At the same time, the services team are notified of the group’s pending arrival. Where a merry golf cart will meet you to take your clubs to the practice ground and direct the group to check-in.
The layout of the clubhouse reception area is laid out similar to the shape of a hexagon. Wherefrom, the main reception, guests can access the downstairs leisure facilities & hotel suites, the restaurant & bar, the golf shop, the locker rooms, the member bars and the exit to the course.
Currently, there are nineteen standard suites overlooking the lighthouse and they are just beautiful. The typical size of the suites measures from 40 to 60 m² (430 to 650 ft²)! Also, there are another two larger suites 86 m² (925 ft²) in size, making a total of twenty-one suites.
Notably, the rooms can be set up for single, double and or twin occupancy. That is not all, Old Head is planning to build more accommodation capacity in the coming years.
The course is set up with 8 par 4s, 5 par 5s and 5 par 3s. The greens are spacious and not so undulated, but the slope of the greens is typically from back to front. Also, the greens are tricky to read and take the caddie’s advice. As I find it is easy to under-read greens.
Notably, there are five sets of tee boxes. Essentially, the Black Course is the longest and the Red is the shortest course to play. Consequently, the courses at Old Head measures from 7,137 to 5,413 yards in length depending on what course colour you play. But, since there are so many tee box options, it is unlikely that golfers would play the same course two days in a row.
Also, be mindful and play the course length that suits the group. The course starter will help with that decision, whereas the white course can play from 6200 – 6400 yard and from chatting to the starter, the white course is the most popular.
The course’s elevation from the sea shows really cool views. Plus, you can see the ocean from just about every hole. It is worth noting that ten holes border the ocean with spectacular views, and the views will not disappoint. Finally, click here for the up to date pricing and booking information at Old Head Links
From my experiences at Old Head, the main challenge is finding the right club to play. Mainly, this is due to the depth of the greens is long, the wind blows, and the course elevations can deceive my eyesight. The direction of the tee shot can be hard to trust because the landing areas are narrow.
The essential knowledge which holes should golfers play for position off the tee? A good example is the 5th Hole. The ball tends to kick hard right on the 5th and there is a chance of losing a ball in the junk on the right of the 5th hole. Also, the 10th hole is another good example where golfers can lose a ball by missing the fairway left on the 10th hole.
Sure the bunkers are deep and playing good bunker shots is essential for scoring. Also, chipping around the greens is not straight forward, but that is the game. Bring your chip and run game too!
Indeed, a good strategy to score at Old Head, is that I find that playing conservatively, aiming for the middle of greens or to the front of the greens is probably the best strategy. But, come on that is so boring! Grip it and tip the ball at the flag!
Amazingly, there are photo opportunities on every hole almost anywhere on the course from the 1st tee to the 18th. The picture location is down to you. However, a few examples are the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 7th, 12th, 13th,15th 16th & 18th tee boxes tee. Yep, that’s a lot!
Another couple of places to consider photo opportunities;
Notably, holes 4 and 12 are my top 2 holes for the best views. Please, do take the short route along the right side of the 4th hole, named the razor’s edge. It is a short sea walk that loops down towards the ocean and up to the 4th green. The 12th hole is breathtaking with the sea on the left and it is fair to say that to finish the 12th in par or better is a job well done.
Notably, each golf hole setting is completely different and I found that golfers remember the Old Head experience more than other golf course played in Ireland.
The Front Nine at Old Head Golf Links offers dramatic cliffside challenges and breathtaking views. From the demanding Sli Na Firinne opener to the strategic par-5 All Points, each hole tests precision, patience, and course management while rewarding bold play.
Starting off with a good shot up the left centre is a good line off the tee. A common mistake is that golfers second shot is too often too short of the green. It is easy to take an extra club to play but keep the ball short of the hole. Mainly the reasons are the green is quite deep and it is hard to see that from the fairway. Also, the green slopes dramatically from back to front and the green is raised.
If you have played the Old Head up to 2019, the green has moved to the right and it is a raised green where is it much harder to hit the green in 2 shots.
However, hitting the tee shot up the right side remains the same, and I would suggest based on the distance is try to lay up to the 100 yards to the centre of the green area. The green is raised again, but not that long, and there is more width to the green.
A left centre tee shot, and if the hole plays downwind, you may have an excellent chance to go for the green in two. If not, lay up to the right and ensure that the ball is well short of the fairway bunker on the right and the burial ground of the ancients. The green is one of the smoother greens to negotiate.
The closing stretch at Old Head is as thrilling as it is unforgiving. From the driveable 15th to the dramatic Lighthouse hole and the demanding Sanctuary finish, golfers face bunkers, winds, and ocean hazards. Playing the last four holes in par or better is a true achievement
The last four holes are not really for chasing the opposition as there are lots of places to lose balls. But, there are opportunities! Such as the 15th hole is a short par 4 and driveable, the 16th is medium length par 3 and nowhere is safe but on the green.
The 17th is a tricky par 5 where the tee shot and approach shot to the green need to be good. Finally, the 18th hole is approximately 400 yards from the white tees. However, keep the ball below the hole on the 18th, the green is really difficult to read and the pace of the green tends to be quick.
Please feel free to comment and make suggestions to Concierge Golf’s Old Head Golf Links Review. The purpose of the review is to talk about items that we are very likely to agree on which are the on-course views.
I firmly believe that a golfers review is entirely objective, and yes, the golfer’s opinion is what matters, because it was his or her experience. For that purpose, I do avoid negative comments about golf holes. That is not to suggest that Old Head has many or any negative points.
Finally, I find the service standard at Old Head to be what you would expect at a similar type of golf venue. Also, the course maintenance is kept to a very high standard. Yes, the course will more than likely be a little rough at the start of the year in April compared with May to October. However, overall, the Old Head Golf Links is possibly the best-golfing viewing experience in the world.
I would recommend hiring a caddy at Old Head. The service is pretty good, and the caddy entertainment is good fun.
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