Ballybunion Cashen Course

Overview

Robert Trent Jones was brought in to design a course to complement the adjacent Old Course in the 1970’s. He said, “When I first saw the piece of land chosen for the new course at Ballybunion, I was thrilled beyond words. I said that it was the finest piece of links land that I had ever seen, and perhaps the finest piece of links land in the world. With the ocean on one side and the river on the other, it’s tumbling, undulating, free-flowing rhythm of line is beauty beyond description.” The resulting course is one of RTJ’s greatest works. He didn’t move an excessive amount of land and went with the natural flow of the dunes – which are even higher than those on the Old Course. It’s a course that requires thought above length. Although it measures 300 yards less than its sister, many of the tee shots don’t suit the driver. The idea is to precisely navigate your way around this links like a game of chess. Risk and reward shots are only there to tempt the first time visitor. As any Ballybunion member will let you know, your education here is not complete until you tackle and enjoy both golf courses.