Jim H:
When you suggest that the Cashen sits on the "same basic land and terrain" as the Old course at Ballybunion, I have to wonder how carefully you have looked at both properties.
Do you really think these properties are basically the same?
JimmyV:
I'm probably more familiar with the Cashen than any regular participant at GCA. Not only have I played the course countless times, but one of my best friends worked closely with RTJ when the course was being designed and built. In fact, he was the person who hit balls for Mr. Jones in order to determine green locations.
Nobody loves the Cashen more than I do. There is no place in the world I would rather be. I feel that way playing it in January just as much as I do in August.
That said, there are a couple points which should be understood. First, the Cashen can be very difficult to play. I often feel that it is easier to break 80 on the the Old course than 90 on the Cashen. With the kind of wind that frequents Ballybunion, the course can be downright brutal.
It could be said that Mr. Jones did not appreciate how savage the winds can be when he designed the greens and some of the landing areas. The greens on the Cashen are fairly small and usually elevated making run up shots impossible. You have to hit very accurate approach shots to score and avoid disaster. The width of fairways is not as big an issue, but on holes like #7, 15 and 17 it can make things very difficult.
Beyond the shotmaking challenge, the Cashen is a difficult course to walk even with the softening that has taken place over the years. Many people just get worn out walking the course. High scores and fatigue take their toll.
Then, too, the Cashen never made a good first impression. That is to say that the grow in didn't go very well and for most of the 1980's, conditioning was not very good.
With all that, the Cashen is still the course that makes me appreciate being alive more than any other. I won't call it great architecture, but nowhere else quite touches my soul.
But, I wouldn't say a lot of locals prefer the Cashen. In fact, whenever I say I do, they usually think I'm a bit nuts. However, in recent years it seems more club events are held on the Cashen and nobody complains a bit.