The Old Course at Ballybunion
Stay just steps from the first tee of the Old Course in Ballybunion
A legend on Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way
Stay opposite the clubhouse at Teach de Broc. From bedroom to tee, no transfers, no queues, no stress.
A legend on the Atlantic dunes
Since 1893, the Old Course has grown out of the dunes above the Shannon estuary into one of the world’s most storied links. It looks and feels inevitable, as if the land always meant to be a golf course. Famous admirers have long called it the best they have played, and it remains a pilgrimage for lovers of true links golf.
History and legacy
The club dates to 1893. By 1927 the course had reached eighteen holes under Mr Fred Smith of Carters Tested Seeds. In 1936 Tom Simpson refined the design, reworking three holes and making subtle improvements across much of the course. The modern layout and sequence matured through the decades while preserving the authentic links character that defines Ballybunion.
The dunes, up close
The Old Course begins with a handshake and ends with a full embrace. The opener plays in view of the town and its quiet graveyard by the first tee, then the round threads into the dunes before bursting out along the ocean. Long views, rumpled fairways and natural green sites set into sandy shoulders are the constants. Wind is a companion rather than an enemy, asking you to control flight and use the ground. The fabled cliffline holes, including the run at seven, eleven, sixteen and seventeen, deliver the drama that first made travelling golfers fall in love here.
Tom Watson’s affection forms part of the legend. He used Ballybunion as his touchstone for links golf and praised it in the highest terms, a view echoed by generations who return for the feel of the place as much as the shots.
What makes the Old Course legendary
Natural routing through great dunes
The course rises and falls with the land, alternating uphill and downhill demands to keep you engaged and slightly off balance in the best way.
A narrative round
A calm opening leads to a coastal crescendo, with four rousing holes played on the cliffline and a memorable homeward stretch.
Green sites that belong to the ground
Many putting surfaces sit naturally in dune hollows or on gentle shoulders, rewarding control of trajectory and spin rather than aerial perfection alone.
The setting and its lore
The first tee beside the town graveyard, the ocean on the right at seven, the sweep of eleven and the wind shaped test throughout give the course its unmistakable identity.
A benchmark for links golf
Regularly ranked among the finest in these islands, the Old Course hosted the Irish Open in 2000 and remains a fixture on must play lists worldwide.
Hole by hole overview
⛳Hole 1 – Simpsons
A confident handshake beside the town. Keep the drive left of the trouble by the graveyard and favour a positive approach to a shallow green.
⛳ Hole 2 – Kennells
Turning gently into the dunes. Placement from the tee matters more than length, setting up an uphill second with the breeze often in play.
⛳ Hole 3 – Stile
A classic short hole played downhill. The target is clear and the surrounds gather or shed depending on flight and spin.
⛳ Hole 4 – Cottage
Strategy over power. Find the preferred side for angle and use the ground to feed the approach.
⛳ Hole 5 – Marconi
A true two shot test into the breeze more often than not. Drive to position and trust a controlled second.
⛳ Hole 6 – Kiln
The dunes rise. A strong hole that announces the change in scale and asks for shape from the tee.
⛳ Hole 7 – Castle Green
One of Ireland’s most photographed par fours. The clifftop stays in play to the right, so commit to your line and work the ball to the best angle.
⛳ Hole 8 – Lartigue
A picturesque short hole where flight control matters. Club for the wind and use the contours.
⛳ Hole 9 – Sailors Grave
A composed finish to the outward nine through natural dunes to a green that rewards patience.
⛳ Hole 10 – Killsaheen
Reset and build. The drive must find fairway to hold position for a testing approach.
⛳ Hole 11 – Watsons
Signature Ballybunion. The fairway rides the cliff and the green sits beyond a shallow saddle near the sea. Demanding and unforgettable.
⛳ Hole 12 – Citadel
A positional par four with strategy set by bunkering and breeze. Keep an eye on pin location.
⛳ Hole 13 – Kittys River
Momentum hole. A strong drive opens the chance to attack, but the green complex is canny.
⛳ Hole 14 – Camels Back
Natural contours dictate the play. Work with them and you are rewarded.
⛳ Hole 15 – Black Rocks
A beautiful long short hole with full view from the tee. Respect the wind off the sea and land the ball on the proper tier.
⛳ Hole 16 – Windy Gap
Back to the cliffline. Shot shape and commitment matter, with the approach framed by ocean and dune.
⛳ Hole 17 – Devils Elbow
Another oceanside test where angle from the tee is everything before a precise second.
⛳ Hole 18 – Sahara
A stirring home hole that rises to the clubhouse, the approach played over a great sandy shoulder to a welcoming green.
(Par and yardage vary by tee set. The Old Course is generally a par seventy one across about six thousand seven hundred yards from the back tees.)
Old Course personality
Expect taller dunes, classic green sites and an honest, wind shaped test that asks for both nerve and touch. Width from the tee builds confidence, choices tighten near the green, and recovery remains on. The coastal stretch is thrilling, but the quieter inland moments matter just as much to the rhythm of the round. It is golf you feel in your hands and remember in your chest.
Planning your trip
Where to stay
Sleep across the road from the clubhouse at Teach de Broc, Ballybunion’s award winning boutique golf hotel. Refined rooms, a welcoming lounge and elegant dining, with stay and play packages and concierge tee time assistance for guests.
Perfect pairings
Play the Old one day and the Cashen the next for the full Ballybunion story. The long light of summer gives firm turf and wide horizons; spring and autumn often deliver golden evenings and quieter tee sheets.
Getting here
Ballybunion sits on the Kerry coast with convenient access from Shannon and Kerry airports. Our concierge can arrange transfers or set a self drive plan with Lahinch, Tralee, Waterville and Old Head within reach.