The Old Course at Ballybunion is a wild, majestic links set on the remote west coast of County Kerry. First opened in 1893 and later refined by Tom Simpson, it’s long been one of the most respected courses in the world – praised by legends like Tom Watson, who famously prepared here for his Open victories. From the opening tee shot along a graveyard wall to the final climb toward the Atlantic, Ballybunion is pure drama. The front nine is exposed, firm, and deceptively strategic. The back nine elevates things – literally – rising into massive dunes with blind shots, cliffside fairways, and small perched greens. The 11th is a terrifying par-4 that drops toward the ocean, while the 15th plays through a towering dune corridor. The turf is lightning-fast, the rough brutal, and the bunkers deep. The wind never stops, and the green complexes demand touch and vision. It’s a brutal test when the breeze is up – but every step feels like a pilgrimage. This is Irish links golf in its most unforgettable form.