Ballybunion Golf Club

The Cashen Course at Ballybunion Golf Club opened in 1984 as Robert Trent Jones Sr.'s only design in Ireland, built on dramatic duneland adjacent to the club's celebrated Old Course. The layout occupies a stretch of towering sand hills along the Shannon Estuary, with the routing working through terrain that differs notably from its older sibling—the dunes here are larger and more severe, creating a more manufactured feel in places where Jones moved significant earth to create playable corridors and green sites. The course presents a distinctly American interpretation of links golf, with elevated tees, target-style approaches, and strategic bunkering that reflects Jones's design philosophy rather than the ground-game traditions of classic Irish links. Several holes play along ridgelines with views across the estuary, while others descend into valleys between the dunes. The scale of the property is impressive, though the routing has drawn mixed reactions over the decades—some appreciate its bold use of the landscape, while others find it less naturally integrated than traditional links designs. Ballybunion Golf Club maintains both courses for its members and visitors, with the Cashen offering a contrasting experience to the Old Course's revered Tom Simpson and Molly Gourlay design. The club operates from a modest clubhouse that serves both layouts, preserving a welcoming atmosphere despite the Old Course's standing among the world's finest links. The Cashen provides an interesting case study in how modern design approaches translate to classic duneland, and it continues to challenge players with its dramatic elevation changes and exposed conditions along the Kerry coast.