Complete Ballybunion Guide

Towering sand dunes, ridge after ridge of them, are formidably in play at this remote but welcoming Irish links. Situated at the edge of the Atlantic, the wind always seems to blow extra hard as you tackle the cliffside holes.

As you drive along the winding road to the clubhouse about 2 miles (3km) from the town centre your eyes feast on the opening holes. Flags flapping in the wind, plateau greens, a whole host of bunkers, rolling fairways - some generously wide - and a burn meandering across the course greet you. But there isn't a tree or a bush in sight.

Instead there are the dunes. Running at right angles to the shore, they readily catch a loose shot. You have to play the ball as it lies, and in summer the grass grows thick and tussocky to add to your trouble. But the views from these hills - both of the golf links and of the ocean and County Kerry countryside for miles around - are spectacular.