Golf holidays - Cork and Kinsale
Cork is Ireland's second city and quite a bustling metropolis, but happily the city hasn't lost any of its Irishness, quaint quirkiness, country feel or its unique sing-song accent - which can be a little hard to comprehend - until you are in tune too! As a busy city, Cork doesn't really have any high or low seasons; this means that there is plenty of life all year round. Bars, shops and restaurants will all be plying their trades whenever you choose to visit. Being close to the coast, it hardly ever freezes and the golf courses are used to dispelling water: it's a bad day indeed when you can't play golf in County Cork.
A few miles South of Cork, Kinsale is a picturesque little fishing port almost jutting out into the Irish Sea. Over the years it has become the haunt of well-off citizens from Cork and has attained a very relaxed, quasi-bohemian atmosphere. The old narrow streets and cobbled lanes throng with bars, restaurants and artisinal boutiques - a very pleasant place to stroll away a carefree hour or two.
Cork & Kinsale - Golf Clubs
The Golf Clubs of Cork bsplit broadly into two categories: big names and little names. The big names are headlined by the Old Head of Kinsale - one of the most exceptional courses in the world without question. Next on the big name list would be Fota Island with its record of hosting the Irish Open on several occasions.
For the very essence of golf in Cork though, make your way over to the Little Island and along to the enchanting Cork Golf Club where a thing of great beauty slowly reveals itself through the woods and along the banks of Lough Mahon.
However there are golf courses in Cork's 'second-tier' are not only well worth playing but well worth their lower Green-fees too! There are so many friendly little local Golf Clubs between Cork and Kinsale that you may never have heard of; we would pick-out in particular: Monkstown, Douglas, Kinsale, Lee Valley and a little further afield Muskerry, beautiful Bantry Bay on the way over to Killarney or the new resort at Castlemartyr heading east towards Rosslare.
Cork & Kinsale - Where to stay
The city of Cork makes a superb base for a 'real' Irish golf holiday, the city is less cosmopolitan than Dublin and less touristy than Killarney: you'll feel the real warmth of the country down in Cork. There are plenty of top-class golf courses to play within an hour's drive at most and the city functions all year round so there will always be plenty of places open to dine and drink (and sing!).
Kinsale is a much smaller coastal town filled with sailors, fisherman and escapees form the city. Golf wise its huge attraction is its proximity to The Old Head and it's not too far from Kinsale to the other golf courses south of Cork. The restaurants in Kinsale are exceptional, in fact it's often referred to as the 'Gourmet Capital of Ireland' and here you can feast on the finest and freshest fish and seafood caught that very morning and landed in the wee small hours at Kinsale's active harbour.
Cork & Kinsale - What to see, eat, drink and do
The scenery around Cork is outrageously beautiful: towering limestone cliffs plunge vertically into the blue Atlantic Ocean. Above, herds of Fresians munch their way across the bright green fields spread like a deep-pile carpet across the rolling hills, out to sea yachts sally forth from the numerous harbours to scud the Atlantic blue. A drive along the coastal roads is a must - don't forget your camera!
Every evening on returning to Cork from the golf courses you will find a huge choice of places to eat and drink, both traditional and trendy. Down in Kinsale it is more traditional, Irish bars serving Stout and food, the fish has to be amongst the finest in the world - no exaggeration.
If you enjoy fish and seafood you are in for a real treat when it comes to dinner time. Kinsale crab, lobster and langoustine (not to mention all varieties of fish) are served in the best restaurants all over Ireland: so why not enjoy it as fresh as possible close to the dockside where it was landed?
Another delightful little town is Cobh (pronounced 'cove') handily placed for a stop-off before or after several golf courses it is a pretty harbour town bedizened by brightly painted houses all along the quay.
Getting to Cork & Kinsale
There are plenty of direct flights to Cork from all across Europe or you can drive down in a couple of hours from Dublin (there's even a stretch of motorway!). If you are heading down to Kinsale, Cork airport is conveniently palced on the south side of town so it will only take half-an-hour to get down to the seaside.
Of course, you can also travel over with your own vehicle via P&O or Stenaline from Fishguard to Rosslare (sadly the Swansea-Cork ferry is no more). We can of course include any of these crossings in your golf holiday at our reduced rates.
