New golf course in Waterville on track

CONSTRUCTION of the new golf course in Waterville is ahead of schedule and the scenic course is well on track to open in 2018 as planned.

The course is being built on the site of the Skellig Bay Golf Course on a 150 acre site overlooking Ballinskelligs Bay on the headland just south of Waterville village.

The Skelligs Bay GC opened in 2006 fell victim to the recession.

It was purchased in 2012 by US investors Bryan Marsal and Tony Alvarez who run a global financial consultancy firm with over 3,000 employees and a $1 billion annual turnover.

Now the course – which is to be renamed the Hogs Head Golf Course – is in the process of being completely rebuilt to a new design by noted golf course architect Robert Trent Jones II. It is his first project in Ireland.

Contractors moved onto the site in March and since then 250,000 cubic metres of earth have been moved, 8,000 metres of stone wall have been removed and 120,000 tonnes have been brought onto the site .

It is one of the largest construction projects in south Kerry in decades and every day scores of trucks can be seen on the Ring of Kerry bringing materials to and from the site.

Construction of the course is being carried out by Cork based specialist golf course builders SOL Construction Ltd.

The €50 million project will also include the construction of a 32 bedroom boutique hotel and 15 luxury holiday cottages on the site of the former Waterville Lake Hotel, which is to be demolished.

In late August the company behind the development – A and M Hogs Head Golf Club Ltd– were granted permission to build a clubhouse on the golf course site.

Work on the course – which is ahead of schedule – is expected to be complete by late 2017. It is planned to open the course in May 2018. Once up and running the owners plan to open the course for a six month season from May to October each year.

The company is confident of success and they hope to attract between 300 and 500 members from the US and Europe as well as allowing limited public access.

The course will be managed by General Manager Niall Moran with David Daly taking on the role of Greens Superintendent.

The old Skelligs Bay Golf Course which is being redeveloped.