The Old Course At Ballybunion Golf Club As Wild As It Gets
There has never been a marriage more inspired than the one which joined the game of golf with the terrain of southwestern Ireland. Nowhere is this inspiration more in evidence than in a small County Kerry town located at the juncture of the Shannon River and the Atlantic Ocean where next to golf seaweed baths are the greatest attraction. Those seaweed baths however are a poor second in need.
Watching over this town from high above where it has stood as a sentinel since the 13th century and played a significant role in the Norman conquest of Ireland are the ruins of a castle. The image of that castles wall has gained new fame as a symbol of the towns top attraction its Golflinks.
The town of course is Ballybunion and for a very long time it is golf links were one of golfs overlooked treasures. They might still be a secret were it not for a visit by Americas champion golfer Tom Watson who in the early 1980s declared the course at Ballybunions golf club to be one from which many golf architects could learn much about the art of golf course design.
The Ballybunion Golf Club has now become a favorite practice course for the elite golfers who gather from around the world each July in compete in the British Open. The names of Nicklaus Faldo and Woods are just three which have joined Tom Watsons in the club register which dates back to 1893.
The original Ballybunion Golf Club however faced an early demise and was nearly a total financial failure until in 1901 its board of officers was changed. The Ballybunion links continued to develop as did The Golf Clubs reputation and by 1927 it was a full 18 hole course. Six years later it drewl attention as the site of the Irish ladies golf championship and in another five years Ballybunion Golf Club hosted The Irish Mens Close Amateur Championship.
Ballybunion Golf Club however did not achieve the recognition it deserve until 1957 when the Irish Professional Championship was played there. In the more than five decades since Ballybunion has hosted hundreds of other major competitions and received consistently high marks from players at every level. The Old Course at Ballybunion tests the pages of skills of every golfer with the Atlanticdriven winds while simultaneously rewarding them with spectacular ocean views.
The 7th and 11th holes at Ballybunion at more than 400 yards each offer everything that is good about the game of golf. The course between them winds along the sea and among the dunes allowing the players to soak in the sense of salty air watch the sea grass bending in the breeze and to feel the sand yielding beneath their feet. The 9th hole at Ballybunion Old Course has a green which resulted from bisecting a sand dune while the 17th hole requires the golfer to send his or her drive directly toward the sea.
The amenities at Ballybunion Golf Club do justice to its remarkable courses. The newly completed modern clubhouse has a premier dining room two bars and several welcoming relaxation lounges. Its Pro Golf Shop can meet every conceivable golfing need and for golfers waiting for tee time to arrive Ballybunion Golf Club offers practice putting and chipping greens a driving range and even a practice sand bunker.
A golfing vacation which includes a visit to County Kerrys Ballybunion Golf Club will reward you with a naturally challenging course in an historic setting that will leave you with memories which last a lifetime.
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