Ballybunion Cashen Course
Robert Trent Jones Sr carved the Cashen out of the wildest dunes at Ballybunion in 1984, the bold second course beside one of the most revered links on earth. A par 72 of about 6,300 yards, it is shorter, steeper and more dramatic than its famous neighbor, and a thrilling round in its own right on the County Kerry coast.
Photo: Peter Wortmann via Google.
The verdict
Ballybunion's Old Course is one of the holiest sites in golf, a links so admired that Tom Watson called it a course every architect should study. The Cashen is its bolder, younger sibling. When Robert Trent Jones Sr was handed a stretch of towering, tumbling dune land beside the Old in the early 1980s, he produced a course of huge ambition, threading holes between sandhills so steep and dramatic that the routing feels almost vertical in places. It opened in 1984 and has been dividing opinion, in the best way, ever since.
This is not a course that holds back. Blind shots, plunging fairways and greens perched among the dunes make it a wilder, more adventurous experience than the more rhythmic Old Course. Some find it relentless, others exhilarating, but nobody forgets it. For the traveling golfer making the pilgrimage to Ballybunion, the Cashen is the perfect way to spend a second round: a different, slightly madcap take on the same glorious sweep of Kerry coastline, usually at a friendlier green fee than the Old.
The Cashen at a glance
- Opened
- 1984
- Designer
- Robert Trent Jones Sr
- Type
- Links
- Par
- 72
- Yardage
- About 6,300 yds
- Green fee
- Below the Old Course
Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026 from Ballybunion Golf Club and leading course databases. The Cashen Course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr and opened in 1984, a par 72 of about 6,300 yards through high dune land. Indicative 2026 visitor green fees sit below those of the Old Course, often offered as a combined round, and change by season. Always confirm current rates and availability directly before booking.
The holes worth the trip
The Cashen is all about the dunes. Robert Trent Jones Sr was given the most rugged terrain on the property and chose to work with its drama rather than tame it, so the course climbs and plunges through sandhills that dwarf the golfer. The result is a links of constant elevation change, where a tee shot might fire down into a valley fairway and the next approach climb to a green tucked into the hillside.
The par 3s are spectacular, played across and between the dunes to greens that demand precise carries, and the short par 4s tempt the bold while severely punishing the loose. Several holes ask for a blind or semi blind shot over a crest, a feature that thrills some players and frustrates others, but the views over the Atlantic and the Cashen estuary are a constant reward as the round unfolds.
By the closing holes the wind off the ocean is usually the deciding factor, and the firm, running links turf invites the low, controlled shot rather than the high approach. The Cashen rewards the adventurous golfer who embraces its swings of fortune and reads the ground carefully, and it gives back one of the most exhilarating, untamed links experiences in Ireland.
How to get on
| What to know | Detail |
|---|---|
| Access | Visitors welcome by advance booking; the Cashen is generally easier to secure than the Old Course |
| Green fee | Below the Old Course rate, and often available as a combined two course round (indicative, 2026) |
| Booking | Book well ahead for summer; many golfers play the Old and Cashen on the same visit |
| On the day | Walking links with steep dune terrain; caddies available; a good level of fitness helps |
| Getting there | Ballybunion in north County Kerry, about 90 minutes from Shannon Airport on the Wild Atlantic Way |
| Best months | May to September for the warmest, driest links conditions on the southwest coast |
Access and fee details verified June 2026; rates and policies change, so always confirm directly before planning a visit with the club or your trip planner.
Where to stay nearby
Many visiting golfers stay in or near Ballybunion itself, a friendly seaside town with hotels and guesthouses within minutes of the links, or base themselves a little further afield around Tralee and the wider Kerry coast. The area is rich in dramatic scenery and makes a memorable home for a southwest Ireland golf trip.
Ballybunion pairs naturally with the other great links of the southwest, and from a Kerry base a traveler can build a multi course tour along the Wild Atlantic Way. It is an ideal anchor for a buddies trip that wants raw, dramatic links golf and warm Irish hospitality in equal measure.
Looking for a base? See our recommended hotels and resorts near Ballybunion.
Build a southwest Ireland golf trip
We secure the Ballybunion tee times across the Old and Cashen, pair them with the best of the Kerry links and book the lodging around them. Tell us roughly when and who is traveling and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Ballybunion Cashen questions
Who designed the Cashen Course at Ballybunion and when did it open?
The Cashen Course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr and opened in 1984, built on the wild dunes land adjoining Ballybunion's celebrated Old Course in County Kerry.
What is the par and length of the Cashen Course?
The Cashen Course plays to a par of 72 at about 6,300 yards, a shorter but intensely dramatic links routed through some of the highest dunes on the Irish coast.
Can visitors play the Cashen Course?
Yes. Ballybunion welcomes visitors, and the Cashen is generally available at a lower green fee than the Old Course, often as part of a combined round. Book well ahead in summer.
Is the Cashen as good as the Old Course at Ballybunion?
The Old Course is the more celebrated of the two and ranks among the world's great links. The Cashen is wilder, more compact and more divisive, but a thrilling round in its own right and excellent value alongside the Old.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Designer, opening year, par and yardage verified June 2026; indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.