Ballybunion

Birdietime

For those of you who have played Ballybunion, what are your thoughts?

Kevinmarkham

Ballybunion Old doesn't start particularly well - usually because of the caravan park being an eyesore behind the 1st green - and the relatively tame par fives on holes 4 and 5. After that it's brilliant. I like flat links courses well enough, but Ballybunion is so up and down and all over the place you can get utterly lost. It's amazing stuff.

Ballybunion Cashen gets a fair bit of stick - complaints typically focus on the greens requiring target golf and not bump and run - and it doesn't do well in rankings (it doesn't make Backspin's top 30 links this year, which is insane), but like its sibling there are incredible holes with big dunes and serious challenges.

Ballybunion Old Photos
Ballybunion Cashen Photos

Birdietime

Cheers for the feedback and the photos, there are some great pictures.

irish bloke

Only played the new (cashen) course once and loved it.

Had one of my best front 9 scores ever there.

Scratched the 10th which was one of 3 on the back 9.:(

You have gentle dog leg on your picture ot the 10th, thats not the way I remember it..:)

Great pics by the way...

FixdePitchmark

Kevinmarkham wrote: »

Ballybunion Old doesn't start particularly well - usually because of the caravan park being an eyesore behind the 1st green - and the relatively tame par fives on holes 4 and 5. After that it's brilliant. I like flat links courses well enough, but Ballybunion is so up and down and all over the place you can get utterly lost. It's amazing stuff.

Ballybunion Cashen gets a fair bit of stick - complaints typically focus on the greens requiring target golf and not bump and run - and it doesn't do well in rankings (it doesn't make Backspin's top 30 links this year, which is insane), but like its sibling there are incredible holes with big dunes and serious challenges.

Ballybunion Old Photos
Ballybunion Cashen Photos

Hey what is wrong with a caravan park, have you any scrap metal in that bag boss.

searay

Birdietime wrote: »

Cheers for the feedback and the photos, there are some great pictures.

I've played the 2 courses 4 times and would go again tomorrow if I could. Both courses are very different. The old course feels more open and you can see what's in front of you but it's very easy to end up in trouble. As Kevin said holes 4 and 5 are tame but the view from the 7th tee box is fantastic. From there on it gets tougher and tougher.

It wasn't until I played cashen for the 4th time that I realized what a challenge it is. All the holes are very different. The 1st is the only hole like the old course. Hole 5 is only 300yds or so. But the green is only 10yards deep and your dead if you are short or long. Hole 7 has the beach on the left and savage dunes on the right. Hole 8 is approx 600yds to an uphill green. The back nine is savage.

Basically every hole on cashen has lots of trouble and you need to play smart and well to score. Hopefully I'll manage to do that some day.

Freemount09

Savage ! Played both courses down there last Oct ! Just reliving the rounds flicking through Kevins pics !

I think I enjoyed the Cashen couse more ? But maybe its just cause I played that first ?

The 11th on the old course must be one of best holes I have ever played on any course !

Looking forward to getting back out there again !

Poker Face

Got to say i love the Cashen course. I get to play it quite often during the summer months and it certainly is a challenge to bring in 36pts. There are somes changes being made at the moment to the 1st fairway and the 2nd and 15th greens. If it was 10 miles down the road, it would be appreciated alot more!!

cunninstunt

Have only played the cashen course once and not the old course. was very impressed with the cashen, a challenging day out. the 17th I found particularly tough

JerryHandbag

Played the Cashen a few times and played total crap, played Old Course twice and played pretty decent. So no prizes for guessing which one I prefer

All in all its a magnificent strip of land though, playing there on a late summers evening is a joy.