65 Old, but opted for robust and lower maintenance tar paths that would better withstand traffic from members and guests who choose to navigate the challenging landscape in a cart – a mode of transport that Jones may have preferred to the donkey. Jones highlighted the variety of the holes at Cashen, but equally striking is the ebb and flow of his routing; from that visit to the river, then ocean, then back inland, returning to the clubhouse after nine. Hole ten heads directly back towards the coast for a back nine that has sea views on most holes. One of the design team’s objectives was to give the course “a greater connection with the ocean”, and this has been achieved by finding opportunities on the inland holes to offer glimpses of the sea through gaps in the dunes. While the three holes that sit directly on the coast – five, sixteen and seventeen – may be the most exhilarating, and most exposed to the elements, there are plenty of moments in the round where you can pause for breath and feel somewhat sheltered, and those have as much charm as the coastal holes have drama. One is the thirteenth, a mid-length par four protected by huge dunes either side of the fairway, that tumbles down and then rises back up towards the green. This hole also exemplifies the design team’s work on approaches – any ball veering right was previously liable to fall away into a deep area of native grass, whereas a reshaped approach means there is now every chance the ball will remain in play, with a multitude of options for getting it onto the green. The club had originally planned to do work over six seasons, but accelerated the programme to get it completed in three. Atlantic Golf Construction’s Anthony Bennett and brother Donald, locals who grew up playing Ballybunion and whose father was involved in the Cashen’s original build, mobilised the resources that would allow this to happen. They know the dunes as well as anyone and were well prepared for the inevitable battle of keep shaping work intact when high winds had other plans. Countless golfers have crossed an ocean for a round on Ballybunion’s Old course, many of whom did not then walk a few more yards to play the Cashen. That would seem like an inconceivable decision now. The redesign of the Cashen was focused squarely on members’ requirements, but visiting guests would be mad to pass it by. Watson says: “Now, with our enhancement of the stunning, majestic views of both the Cashen River and the vast expanse of the Atlantic Ocean, you will come away with an inspired sense of what links golf is all about.” BALLYBUNION CASHEN Greens and surrounds have been completely redesigned, as seen here on the first hole, creating more options and a strong ground game element Photo: Kieran Ryan-Benson “ You will come away with an inspired sense of what links golf is all about”
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