How to Play Ballybunion
The Old Course at Ballybunion is the wildest and most beloved links in Ireland, a tumbling run through giant dunes above the Atlantic in County Kerry, refined by Tom Simpson in 1936 and revered by Tom Watson, who called it the finest seaside course he had seen. A par 72 of around 6,290 yards from the medal tees, it is a club that welcomes visitors on weekday mornings and insists you walk with a caddie. Here is exactly how to play it in 2026, what it costs, and when to go.
Photograph: Ballybunion Golf Club, via Google
The short answer
Book directly with the club, and book early. Ballybunion releases visitor tee times on the Old Course for weekday mornings, Monday to Friday from mid April to early October, with weekends kept for members. You reserve by email at [email protected] or by phone on +353 68 27146, and prepayment of the green fee is required to confirm the time. The indicative 2026 Old Course green fee is around 400 euro in the April shoulder weeks and around 450 euro in the May to October high season. Every group must take at least one caddie or fore caddie, and buggies are not allowed on the Old Course. Always confirm current availability and fees directly before booking.
How to book, step by step
| Detail | 2026 position | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor tee times | Weekday mornings, Monday to Friday, mid April to early October | Weekends are reserved for members; Bank Holiday Mondays excluded |
| How to book | Direct by email, [email protected], or call +353 68 27146 | Or through a trip planner as part of a Kerry and south west links week |
| Payment | Prepayment of the green fee required to confirm | Reserve well ahead for the high season |
| Caddies and buggies | At least one caddie or fore caddie per group; no buggies on the Old | Request caddies through the office before arrival |
Visitor times, payment terms and caddie policy verified in June 2026 from the club's published visitor information; they can change, so always confirm directly with Ballybunion Golf Club or your trip planner before booking. Check tee time availability.
Ballybunion green fees, 2026
| Item | Indicative 2026 cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Old Course, mid season | Around 400 euro | Roughly mid to late April |
| Old Course, high season | Around 450 euro | Roughly May to early October |
| Old and Cashen, two rounds | Around 575 euro | Package in the later part of the season |
| Caddie | Additional, by request | At least one per group is required on the Old |
Green fees verified indicatively in June 2026 from the club's published 2026 rates; they change without notice, so always confirm current fees directly before booking. The Cashen Course, a Robert Trent Jones senior design, reopens in July 2026 after refurbishment.
The round, the 11th and what to expect
Ballybunion Old is a links of huge, natural dunes and small, firm greens that run hard and fast, a course that asks for imagination and a low ball into the Atlantic wind. The most celebrated stretch comes on the back nine along the cliffs, with the par 4 eleventh, played from an elevated tee down a fairway pinched between the dunes and the ocean, widely held to be one of the great holes in the game. Take a caddie for the lines and the run of the greens, walk it as the club intends, and expect a round that rewards bump and run golf far more than aerial power. A graveyard borders the opening hole, a famous and slightly unsettling welcome to a course like no other.
When to go and what to pair it with
Play Ballybunion in the warmer, settled weeks of May, June and September for the best balance of weather and long daylight, accepting that demand is highest then, so book early. The visitor window is weekday mornings, so plan the day around an early tee time and a long lunch after. Ballybunion sits at the heart of the south west Ireland links, within reach of Lahinch and the courses of the Wild Atlantic Way to the north and Tralee, Waterville, Dooks and Old Head to the south, so it anchors one of the great golf weeks rather than a single round. Build the trip around that morning time and fill the rest with the neighbours. Always confirm current access and fees before booking.
Plan a Ballybunion and south west Ireland trip
We hold the weekday morning time on the Old Course, arrange the caddies, and build the week around Lahinch, Tralee, Waterville and the Wild Atlantic Way. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Ballybunion booking questions
How do you book a tee time at Ballybunion?
You book the Old Course directly with the club by email at [email protected] or by phone on +353 68 27146, and prepayment of the green fee is required to confirm. Visitor tee times are released for weekday mornings, Monday to Friday from mid April to early October, with weekends reserved for members. A trip planner can hold the time as part of a wider south west Ireland links itinerary. The 2026 visitor allocation books up well ahead, so reserve early. Always confirm current availability directly before booking.
How much does it cost to play Ballybunion in 2026?
The indicative 2026 Old Course green fee is around 400 euro in the shoulder weeks of mid to late April and around 450 euro in the high season from May to early October. A two round package combining the Old and the Cashen is offered at around 575 euro per golfer in the later part of the season. Caddies and any extras are additional. These figures move year to year, so always confirm current fees directly before booking.
Do you have to take a caddie at Ballybunion?
Ballybunion holds that the game is best walked with a caddie, and the club requires every group on the Old Course to take at least one caddie or fore caddie. Buggies are not permitted on the Old Course for safety reasons, so the round is on foot. Request caddies through the club office ahead of arrival, as they cannot be guaranteed but every effort is made to meet requests. A caddie is well worth taking on a first visit to read the dunes. Always confirm current caddie and buggy policy before booking.
When is the best time to play Ballybunion?
The visitor season runs from mid April to early October, and the settled, warmer weeks of May, June and September give the best balance of weather and daylight on this exposed stretch of the Kerry coast, which is also when demand is highest, so book early. The links plays firm and fast in summer and into a stiff Atlantic wind for much of the year. Mornings are the visitor window on weekdays, so plan around that. Always confirm current seasonal availability and rates directly before booking.
Related
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, visitor times and indicative green fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.