Sandhill Road, Ballybunion, County Kerry V31 RX37
Experience the Secluded Majesty of Ballybunion Golf Links
BALLYBUNION
Down on the sleepy southwest side of Ireland, in the gorgeous, always green county of Kerry, the little seaside resort of Ballybunion plays host to one of the country’s most picturesque stretches of coast. And some of the world’s finest links golf.
The Ballybunion Golf Club opened back in 1893, and today Ballybunion golf deals a fabulous hand, a pair of world-class 18-hole links courses packed with thrills. The Old Course, which took its present shape by 1926, is consistently ranked among the Top 20 links courses in the world.
However, it was the creation of its younger sibling, the Cashen Course, on land purchased in 1971 which finally put the Ballybunion golf links firmly on the international map. Interest attracted the renowned golf writer Herbert Warren Wind to visit the club, where he duly proclaimed the original Old Course links to be one of the world’s ten great courses.
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Course Testimonials
Praised by Professionals and Presidents
With this endorsement and the completion of the Cashen Course by acclaimed golf architect Robert Trent Jones in the early 1980s, Ballybunion entered a new golden era. One of the earliest big names to visit was Tom Watson, who soon became a welcome and much-loved returning guest. Having just raised the claret jug at Royal Troon in 1982, the winner of eight majors declared:
“Nobody can call himself a golfer until he has played at Ballybunion; you would think the game originated there!”
Following swiftly in Watson’s footsteps, some of the all-time greats of the game who’ve now made the pilgrimage to Ballybunion golf links include Lee Trevino, Jack Nicklaus, Sir Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomery, Ian Woosnam and Tiger Woods — not to mention one leader of the free world, US President Bill Clinton. A statue commemorating his 1998 visit still stands in the town.
More recently, the Old Course hosted the Irish Open in 2000 and the Palmer Cup in 2004 and as so many who’ve played here will attest, it can only be Ballybunion’s beautiful but remote location that has prevented the club from hosting far more championship competitions.
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Or, email: info@puregolftravel.club
Courses in the Area
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Far Away Splendour
However, the very wild remoteness of this Atlantic-facing shore imbues these links with so much of their magical beauty. The links here are truly spectacular. Moulded and stepped through the largest and most formidable dunes in Ireland, they often resemble a complex of ancient Celtic fortifications as much as a golf course. Not for nothing is the par-3 12th, played to an elevated green, named “Citadel”.
It’s often said that the newer Cashen Course would easily earn more plaudits were it not situated directly beside the majestic and iconic Old Course. It is, in fairness, a sterner test of golf, its valleys deeper, its fairways narrower. Some argue the Trent Jones design takes the edge off pure links by demanding you make continuous, high “target golf” shots. Nevertheless, this quirky but considerable challenge is embraced by golf devotees from across the globe, although it’s probably best enjoyed on calmer days.
However you choose to play these natural, beautiful Ballybunion golf links, set far off in a beautiful corner of a beautiful country, they will do much more than merely reward the journey.
Every hole at Ballybunion tells a tale
Enjoy the best courses in the UK and Ireland
The Pure Golf Travel Club specialises in booking bespoke golf breaks encompassing some of the UK’s finest courses. We remove the stress of organising group tours, design your perfect itinerary and deliver the entertainment, challenge and relaxation that dedicated golfer’s demand. Making lifelong golfing memories for the most discerning golfers.
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