Berehaven Golf Club, Co. Cork

The Beara Peninsula is known for a few things, O’Sullivan Bere and his march up the country, Allihies copper mines and the link to Butte Montana, the Puxley family and their mansion which was burnt down by the IRA. It is also known for its beauty and its scenery. But it’s not known for its abundance of golf courses. However, in 2021, the members of Berehaven Golf Club put the area right on the map by becoming the national champions of one of Irelands most prestigious golf trophies.

Being from the neighbouring golf course (and a local rival), I was eager to revisit the club after their victory and see why the players had been able to conquer some of the best in Ireland.

This is my review of Berehaven Golf Club.

 

Course layout (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆)

Berehaven Golf Club is a 9-hole course on the coast of the Beara Peninsula in Co. Cork. It consists of two par 5’s, ten par 4’s, and six par 3’s.

The course has a great variety of holes. It has reachable par 5’s, long par 4’s, and par 4’s you can almost get to. It’s a course you can easily play every club in your bag.

Some holes have a different tee box on the back nine compared to the front nine to spice it up a little. You could be playing a totally different hole on the back to what you played on the front! On the back nine two of the holes even change their par to accommodate the change in length!

The last three holes are a great test of skill and anyone who walks away with pars in these can be very happy! With four shots over the sea in these holes, your scorecard can quickly be destroyed! Especially if the wind is not in your favour!

Having no bunkers is not something common on a golf course, but things are tough enough here without having to worry about them too! Two of the par 4’s, even though short, have blind shots to the green. It’s a wise choice to walk up and pick a landing spot when playing your approach shot to these!

Various Tees

One thing I did like about Berehaven Golf Club was that there are also tees available if you cannot for some reason play the long water shots. It takes a good solid strong hit to get over the water. It’s good to have an option for golfers that don’t want to take the water on. Whether due to a lack of length or consistency of ball striking in their game.

The holes themselves are challenging and there are no easy holes on the course. If you’re a tactical player who likes to plan your way around a golf course, Berehaven Golf Club is ideal for this.

Course condition (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆☆)

The course itself was in good condition. Some fairways were being cut the day that I played. But you could see that the course was being looked after well.

The greens are stunning. In my opinion they were the best part of the course. They were cut nicely and rolled beautifully. If you mess up your score because of putting, then you most certainly cannot blame the greens!  

The rough can be quite thick and dense in places, especially if it has been raining. But it is not so long that you can’t find your ball. It is punishing if you go in there, but it is not unfair.

The tee boxes did have a few divot marks when I played but in all honesty it was a couple of days after a golf classic, and there had been a lot of traffic on the course.

You may notice one very important thing missing from my usual list of “course condition” items, bunkers! Berehaven Golf Club has not one single bunker on the course! Are you a golfer who struggles out of bunkers? Then you’re certainly going to enjoy yourself here!

Possible Issues

One thing I do think could be improved is directional signage or a tee-box map of some type to show people where to go to the next tee and where the hole goes. I encountered a couple playing one hole who were playing it totally wrong as they didn’t have any idea where the hole actually went.

Facilities (⭐⭐⭐☆☆☆☆☆☆☆)

One of the major facilities in the grounds is the camper van park located adjacent to the clubhouse. It’s useful if you happen to be a golfer who is doing a bit of touring in your camper van. You certainly won’t have far to travel to the course in the morning!

There is a clubhouse with a large bar area upstairs but at the time I played it wasn’t open. Previously there was also a restaurant in the same bar but this is also presently closed. It’s better to bring your own drinks or snacks as when I was there the clubhouse was unserviced.

For practice facilities there is a putting green located across the road from the 1^st tee. Take a few practice putts on this and at the same time take in a nice view of the 7^th hole which will be awaiting you on the course.

 

Price (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐🌟)

The cost for 18 holes in Berehaven Golf Club is €20 during summer and €15 during the winter. This is a very fair rate, and you get will lots of enjoyment out of it. It’s a good quality course and excellent value for the money.

 

Setting & Course location (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆)

The course is located on the Beara Peninsula about five minutes drive from Castletownbere and 25 minutes from Glengarriff in West Cork.

With some beautiful views out over the bay with Bere Island in the background, and Hungry Hill on the other side it’s a nice scenic course. The last three holes have lots of good picture opportunities! 

For the location on Google Maps please click here.

 

Conclusion

Berehaven Golf Club is a great test of your skill. Playing the course often will hugely increase your all-round scoring in other courses. It’s a course that requires a certain degree of ability especially in the last three holes. But if you can’t play off the main tees then take no shame in stepping over to the secondary tees for the holes.

The course has some items of history around the course to take note of when playing. The Cillineach just off the 1^st green for example. And the watch tower off the 8^th green.

On a windy day it really has the potential to bare its teeth and become an animal. On these days even the very best will find it tough going around there.

However, when the sun shines, and glints off the sea which sits between the golf course and Bere Island, it’s hard to imagine better places you could be.

OVERALL RATING – (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐☆☆☆)

 

Contact Details for Berehaven Golf Club

Website: Click here
Telephone: +353 27 70700
Email: info@berehavengolf.com

 

Hole-by-Hole

All distances are from the back of the tee boxes and front and back nine will be separated by a “/”. The yellow tees are for the front nine and the white tees are for the back nine. Indexes are men’s indexes and are for front and back nine separated by a “/”.

Note: The hole-by-hole guide will essentially be for the nine holes. Any holes that dramatically change during the back nine will be included at the end of the equivalent hole on the front nine.

Hole 1/10: Par 4, 341/297yds, index 5/12

The first hole may have a nice welcoming easy fairway to hit but don’t let that fool you. Aim to leave your ball at the bottom of the hill to leave yourself a short pitch uphill into the green. The only real danger off the tee is the bushes on the left.

For your approach you may not be able to see the flag so be sure to walk up to the green to see what awaits. It’s important to judge your landing area correctly. Anything short will end up in the hollow before the green. Anything long could be in trouble. The green is a tough one to hit so happily take a par and walk to the next hole.

For the 10^th hole the tee box is now further right than when playing the 1^st. You’re not going to see your ball landing but try to land it in the same place as the front nine.

 

Hole 2/11: Par 5/4, 486/396yds, index 15/2

The first of the par 5’s on the course is reachable in two with two good shots. Your drive needs to be straight out as anything right may end up OOB on the road. Left of the fairway is rough.

For your second shot if going for it you can try to kick in off the bank just to the left of the green. If laying up, try to hug the right side of the fairway to leave your best angle in. Be aware of the stream that runs through the lay-up area that can catch you.

If you have laid up correctly you should see the pin for your approach shot. Again, you can try to use the slopes to kick the ball into the green.  

Hole 11

For the back nine this hole becomes a par 4 as the tee is well forward. You can get the ball well up the fairway from this tee. Try to keep it on the right side of the fairway which gives you the best view into the green. However, be aware of too far right and the road.

For your approach you can again use the bank on the left to kick your ball into the green.

 

Hole 3/12: Par 4, 386/386yds, index 9/6

The third is a hole where you need to be careful with your tee shot. You can hit the bank on the left side of the fairway to kick your ball into the middle of the fairway. Avoid going right as there is trouble there.

The green is a little uphill and there are some hollows short which will gather your ball if short. Make sure to club enough to carry the stream in front of the green.

Hole 4/13: Par 4/5, 423/451yds, index 3/18

This hole is a good long hole and one where shorter hitters may think about playing as a par 5. Off the tee you will be crossing the road for the third hole in a row. Like the previous two holes watch out for traffic. The fairway is quite open but try not to veer too far left or right.

Your approach shot needs to hit a small green which lies over a stream and pond. It can be a daunting shot so this is where some people may decide to leave it short of the stream and play the hole as a par 5. Right of the green is rough and it can be hard to hold the green when chipping out of this.

Hole 13

For the back nine this is a par 5 and the tee box is close to the 3^rd green. It’s elevated and you have a good view of the hole below. Take note that if you hit the cables crossing the fairway you will have to retake your shot. (And yes, it is possible to hit them!).

You can go for it in two but need to make sure you can make it over the stream. Or you can just lay up in front of the stream.

Laying up gives you a nice view of the green and more chance of holding it on there when it lands.

 

Hole 5/14: Par 4, 320/320yds, index 17/14

This hole is one that longer hitters can get very close to. You’re playing from an elevated tee set back into the trees and ideally you want to leave your ball around the bottom of the hill. If the ball drifts right, there are trees there which are not obvious from the tee so keep an eye on it.

Your approach is a blind shot so like the 1^st hole its best to take a short walk and pick your landing zone before playing. Leaving it a little short may kick the ball forward onto the green.  

 

Hole 6/15: Par 3, 160/160yds, index 11/16

This is the first of the par 3’s and probably the easiest one too. It’s still a good tee shot to hit the green. Avoid going too far right as there is a bank there and your ball may kick further right. At least if it kicks off the left bank you can see where it ends up.  

 

Hole 7/16: Par 4, 422/361yds, index 1/4

And now for the first of the great closing holes. If you’re not a long hitter or confident of hitting the landing area far off in the distance, then there is an option to play out straight and play the hole as a par 5. The landing area surrounded by the sea on most sides takes a good confident strike to hit it accurately.  

Your approach shot is again over the sea to the green. There is no real danger apart from being short so try to remove the water from your mind and focus on getting the ball on the green.

On the back nine the tee box is forward so it’s a shorter distance to the landing area.

 

Hole 8/17: Par 3, 163/148yds, index 7/10

Another good strike is required here to get the ball over the sea and carry to the green. There is a bit of space on the left so this is the miss. Anything drifting right is more than likely dead as the sea will catch it.  

 

Hole 9/18: Par 3, 182/171yds, index 13/8

A really tough hole off the longer tee. If the wind is into your face, then it’s a great strike to get it there. Again, it’s a long tee shot over the sea and practically all carry. There is an area short of the green but it’s a tough up and down. If you’re going to play for the miss, try to leave it left side as there’s more chance of getting up and down from here.  

Hole 18

The tee box for the 18^th is to the left of the 9^th and at more of an angle to the green. This gives the illusion that there is a lot more water to carry and you need to make sure to keep left of the green if going for the safe miss.

 

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To see how I played the course please see my videos on YouTube.