I played this course on a glorious sunny morning although in very strong (up to 30-40 mile) winds. I was fortunate to play with a member and everything about the club oozed class. From entering the familiar gates (that you saw the top players entering when The Open was held there in 2024) to the clubhouse. Why do clubs favour the dirty yellows?
After changing in the vast changing rooms we headed off to the practice areas… multiple putting greens, chipping areas, grass pitching area and driving range. We definitely needed a warmup as although sunny the windchill felt like it was 5C. I went out with 5 layers on with a sixth waiting for any rain and the obligatory woolly hat on a links course. Caps are no good as the wind will whip it off and you will have no chance of catching it.
Feeling suitably warmed up we headed off the 1st tee - ‘The Hughies’ a shortish par 4 at 382yds but looks like a 500yd par 5 with a wide open fairway which all members can watch from their high vantage point in the clubhouse. Nervously faded my drive and kept it just within the out of bounds small ditch that runs along the right side of the fairway. Was told going left was a no-no.
The second shot is what makes this hole one of the hardest opening holes in golf. The green is 50ft or more in elevation with a huge false front and anything short will just come straight back down to your feet or end up in the deep bunker protecting the green half way up the hill. Go long and it’s a tricky pitch back with every danger that the ball will trickle back down the false front through the quick green… decisions… decisions. I hit a smooth 5i to the right of the green (the only area that I was told was a bit safe) and unfortunately struggled to get up the green and trickled all the way back down the slope. Welcome to links golf in Ireland.
Having walked away with an 8 after not playing badly I was fearful for the remaining holes. The 2nd, ominously named ‘Giants Grave’ did not put me at ease. This beautiful par 5 makes you navigate the hole carefully between bunkers left and right at strategic points providing a challenge to long and short hitters alike. Having avoided the bunkers I manage to get on the green in 4 … but 3 putts and my fear of a large score seemingly being realised.
So off the the par 3 3rd - on one of the highest but inland portion of the course, the winds from the land and sea were fighting for control so I decided to ignore it and hit straight… whoops.. wind catches it and miss left of the elevated green with a tricky pitch where you cannot see the flag but somehow managed it and land on the green. A ‘Jack Nicklaus’ inspired putting stance helped me roll in a 15 footer and suddenly I’m in love with links golf.
The next few holes were of a similar vein with deep bunkers and rolling fairways protected by long fescue grass acting as ‘rough’. A true links experience especially in the sunny but windy conditions.
By the time you hit the 9th - The ‘Darren Clarke’s’ (named in his honour in July 2025 for his long association with the club and being instrumental in bringing The Open back in 2019 after more than 60 years) you feel you have been really challenged as my GPS tracker and range finder were giving me club distances that bore nothing in reality as the wind was playing havoc and so I decided to give up on those and just hit what I felt would work.
The back 9 starts on the appropriately named 10th - ‘The Himalayas’. Navigating the sand duned mounds and bunkers and you are doing well if you get on the green in 3. Walk away with a par and you will feel a million dollars - nope I did neither and walked away with a grateful 7.
Back to back par 5’s follow with open fairways and a chance to redeem your score. Luckily I managed to get over being intimidated by the course and hit a few good drives and irons to walk away with a couple of pars.
A par 3 and a couple of par 4’s on the coastline later, you come up to the long par 3 - ‘Calamity Corner’. A beast of a hole with trouble all along the left with fescue filled dunes and a deep ravine to the right. Hitting straight and short is never really an option as the slopes will roll the ball into the ravine. Another dilemma as the wind had now picked up and gusting onto our left cheeks at 40 miles an hour. Members honour I think! I see my partner & son hit their drives left against the wind at almost 30-40ft left .. wind catches them and they float into the ravine. I decide to hit it further left about 60ft … same result. No point taking another only for ravine to gobble it up.. take a drop and put it out.
This is a truly majestic hole and think the Open should be held in April when winds are strong…there will only be an Irish winner and the Americans will wonder what happened to their game.
After the 16th the final 2 holes feel a bit anticlimactic with difficult but not impossible opportunities for pars and in a way disappointing that the 18th finished behind the practice areas with no opportunity for club house watchers to see people coming in. But I’m just looking to pick holes on a truly magnificent course.
I was grateful to walk off shooting 105 but it is an experience I will never forget and will definitely try to come again if I get an opportunity. But I’m not paying the American prices of 100’s of pounds. Just make a friend of a member and get on to play on this iconic course.
Visit the Harbour Inn in the heart of Portrush (Get to sit in Darren’s corner at the bar and stare at all the famous faces and golfing memorabilia) where all the famous Irish & international golfers congregate and get chatting - if they believe you love golf, you will find a friend who will in all likelihood take you round for a couple of pints of Guinness.
The clubhouse is fantastic and adorned with various trophies and historic memorabilia with a formal restaurant and a bar restaurant. A great fish & chips, a few pints of Guinness’s later I have to go and sample the showers.
As expected glorious warm private showers and members tell me to go and play the ‘Valley Course’… that’s where I’m headed next. Hope you enjoyed the review.
Date Sunday, 19, April 2026
