Ballybunion on GSPro: Ireland's Wild Atlantic Links
Ballybunion Golf Club's Old Course, one of Ireland's most celebrated links,brings its dune-riding challenge to GSPro. Here is the quality assessment and howto access it.
Ballybunion on GSPro — LiDAR-built course captures every dune, pot bunker, and coastal vista of County Kerry's legendary links. A must-play sim round.
The Short Answer
Ballybunion on GSPro — LiDAR-built course captures every dune, pot bunker, and coastal vista of County Kerry's legendary links. A must-play sim round.
Ballybunion on GSPro is the Irish links experience that makes everything else look tame. The Old Course at Ballybunion Golf Club ranks 59th on the Golf Digest World Top 100, and among pure links courses, there is an argument that it is the most fun you can have with a golf club in your hands — assuming you define fun as hitting shots from impossible lies over massive dunes into howling wind.
The GSPro community build captures the raw, untamed character of this County Kerry masterpiece. It is not a polished course. It is not a gentle course. It is Ballybunion, and it is magnificent.
The Ballybunion Experience
Ballybunion’s Old Course was designed by Tom Simpson in 1927 and later refined by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and the course’s own greenkeepers. It sits on a stretch of the Wild Atlantic Way in County Kerry, where the dunes are bigger, the wind is stronger, and the grass is thicker than almost any course in the British Isles.
The GSPro LiDAR build captures the most famous feature of Ballybunion: the ride of the dunes. The course plays over and through massive sand hills that create blind shots, elevated tees, and greens that sit in natural bowls formed by the terrain. The 4th hole, known as “The Valley,” is a 360-yard par 4 that plays from an elevated tee down into a trough between towering dunes. The green sits at the base of the next dune ridge, and the approach shot requires you to judge both the elevation change and the wind coming off the Atlantic.
The 7th through 11th stretch is the heart of Ballybunion. The 7th is a 390-yard par 4 that plays along the clifftop with the Atlantic Ocean on your left. The 8th is a 143-yard par 3 that plays from an elevated tee across a valley to a green set on the next dune ridge — one of the most photographed par 3s in world golf. The 9th is a 477-yard par 5 that plays along the beach, and the 11th is Ballybunion’s signature: a 397-yard par 4 that plays downhill with the ocean on your right and the green set against the skyline.
Quality Assessment
The LiDAR data for Ballybunion captures the extreme dune topography that makes the course unique. The elevation changes are dramatic — some holes have 30-40 feet of vertical relief — and the data preserves the blind shots and false fronts that Ballybunion is famous for.
The green complexes are Ballybunion’s primary scoring challenge. They are small, well-protected, and sloped to receive approaches from the correct angle. The 14th green, which sits on a natural shelf with bunkers on three sides, is the best example. Missing the correct quadrant leaves a 40-foot putt that breaks two directions.
The visual quality is typical of community GSPro builds — functional but not photorealistic. The ocean views on the clifftop holes are simplified, and the dune grasses lack the variety of the real thing. None of this affects the playability.
How to Access Ballybunion on GSPro
Ballybunion Old Course is available as a free community-built course on the GSPro course server. Search for “Ballybunion,” “Ballybunion Old,” or “Ballybunion Golf Club” in the SGT course library. It is included with your standard GSPro subscription.
Download it through the GSPro client course manager. It will appear under B in your course library.
Ballybunion vs Other Irish Links in GSPro
Ballybunion sits at the top of the Irish links hierarchy in GSPro, alongside Royal County Down and Royal Portrush. Where County Down is the classic and Portrush is the championship venue, Ballybunion is the adventure. It is less refined, more wild, and more fun.
For players who want the pure dune-riding experience that Ireland is famous for, Ballybunion is the GSPro course to download. It is the closest thing to playing golf on another planet, and it is one of the most memorable rounds you can have in simulation.
FAQ
Is Ballybunion available on GSPro?
Yes. Ballybunion Golf Club’s Old Course in County Kerry, Ireland is available as a free community-built course on the GSPro course server.
How realistic is Ballybunion on GSPro?
The LiDAR data captures the legendary dune topography accurately. The blind shots, elevated tees, and dune-bowl greens are faithfully reproduced. Visual textures are simplified, but the playability is among the best in the GSPro library.
Can I play Ballybunion on other simulator software?
Ballybunion is primarily available on GSPro. It is not currently available as a licensed course on E6 Connect, FSX Play, or Trackman Performance.
What wind setting should I use for Ballybunion?
Set wind to High. Ballybunion sits exposed on the Wild Atlantic Way and the wind is the course’s primary defense. Without high wind, the course loses half its character.
How do I download Ballybunion on GSPro?
Open the GSPro course server, search “Ballybunion,” and click download. It appears under B in your course library. No additional subscription required.