I played Royal Portrush and I was left speechless. Here’s why the 2025 Open Championship course MUST be top of your golf trip bucket list

Arriving on the first tee at Royal Portrush three months after the Open Championship, I am once again struck by the magnitude of this swirling links golf course.

Royal Portrush is a golfer’s paradise, a piece of artwork that has been sculpted and shaped over the years by the weather and some of the world’s greatest course designers.

It looks much different now without the TV towers, corporate tents, and, of course, the thousands of patrons who streamed their way into the championship grounds to watch Scottie Scheffler claim victory here in July.

A record 278,000 patrons attended the major championship, the highest attendance for an Open held outside of St Andrews. It is a startling figure, but represents just how much this sport is loved by those who live on the Emerald Isle.

What is remarkable is how quickly the grounds staff have got this epic par-72 track back in tip-top shape since the last lorries carrying equipment left here in September.

While some remnants of the tournament can still be seen around the grounds, the rough has grown back, the fairways are looking pristine and the greens are running as true as they were in July.

That is evidenced on the par-four first hole, where I watched thousands of fans gather to watch Rory McIlroy return to make his first competitive appearance here since he ended his long and agonising wait to win the Masters in April. People were lined up at the ropes, in some places about seven bodies deep, all looking to catch a glimpse of the Career Grand Slam winner.

Portrush was founded in 1888 and back then was known as The County Club, with Scotsmen George L Baillie and Thomas Gilroy playing a major role in its founding. It was initially a nine-hole golf course, with four-time Open champion Old Tom Morris later delivering advice on how to turn this beautiful links into an 18-hole track.

From a brief walk through the clubhouse, you’ll get a grasp of the history that this course is steeped in. Countless silver trophies, including the Claret Jug, old wooden golf clubs and Fred Daly’s Ryder Cup jacket, all hold pride of place in many of the display cabinets dotted around the hallways of this iconic venue.

After The Duke of York became its patron in 1892, legendary course architect Harry Colt was tasked with turning the Dunluce Links into a championship course that would challenge some of the greatest players in the game.

It would do just that. Many of the world’s best, even a player who once held the course record here, McIlroy, have struggled at this great track.

The Open Championship would return to Royal Portrush for the first time in 68 years in 2019. But things did not go well for McIlroy on that occasion. 

The Northern Irishman stepped up to the first tee and hooked his first shot out of bounds into the rough on the left of the fairway. He’d take a provisional, again striping his ball into the rough, before finding a patch of bracken just beyond the left greenside bunker. McIlroy then took a drop and chipped onto the green, but ultimately would putt out for a quadruple bogey. He would miss the cut after posting a first-round score of 79.

I can vouch for the Northern Irishman, getting a clean strike out of the rough on the left side of the fairway on the first – or anywhere out of the bracken on the Dunluce Links – is very, very difficult.

As my colleague Riath Al-Samarrai wrote in July, ‘it is brains and not brawn’ that will help players conquer the Dunluce Links. And he couldn’t be more right. Though distance is helpful in some areas of the course, staying on the fairways is absolutely critical. The rough here, particularly when it is wet, is like glue.

But let’s just clarify one thing. I’m a mid-handicap golfer and while this is a championship golf course that throws up some very difficult challenges, it was one of the most enjoyable and incredible experiences I’ve had on a golf course. 

The Dunluce Links is laid out exceptionally. It ebbs and flows from tee box to green. At times, you’ll find yourself sunk down low between towering mounds of rough before climbing up tall embankments to stunning views out over the North Atlantic.

On the second hole, players must avoid nine fairway bunkers that have been strategically placed along the 572-yard dogleg-left hole. Landing in one from the tee, I was amazed at how deep the sand traps were and it takes a lot of skill to comfortably get out of the hazard in one shot.

The fifth hole was by far my favourite and is one of the Dunluce Links’ signature holes. After climbing up a hill to the tee box, you’re presented with an incredible view of the entire golf course and the North Atlantic.

The views are breathtaking, and amid the chaos of trying to stay out of the rough, I felt a sense of peace watching the waves break onto White Rocks Beach, situated below the green on the fifth.

The 382-yard par four sharply bends round to the right towards the coastline, and those feeling risky can take the ‘Tiger line’ over a vast area of rough, which, trust me, is a nightmare to get out of.

You’ll also be able to see The Rathmore Golf Club’s Valley Course from here. It is a full-length championship course that is also proudly home to Northern Ireland legend and 2010 Open champion, Graeme McDowell, and fellow Portrush native, Daly – who won the 1947 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. It is a must-play if you’re spending a few days in Portrush.

The green on the fifth hole is also where you’ll find the most famous bench in golf. Proudly sitting with its back to the coastline, many famous names from the world of golf have sat down to take in the view.

The bench was a birthday present to the late Jim McDowell, a local golfer who used to play here regularly. His friends clubbed together to purchase the bench for Jim for his 70th birthday. In a recent interview with the BBC, Jim’s daughter Zoe explained her dad would sit on the bench and ‘have the craic’ with his friends.

The round continues. The par-three sixth hole offers another test of accuracy, particularly if the pin is placed on the back shelf of the green.

It is not uncommon for people to say that Royal Portrush delivers a true test of every club in your bag. But perhaps the most important aspect of your game is how you putt. That becomes very evident on sixth, and getting down for birdie is a big challenge even if you find the dance floor. The greens’ harsh slopes push the ball back down to the fairway, while hidden undulations dotted around the dancefloor can be the difference between a par and a bogey. 

Links golf can be punishing at times. But in a way, I find it is the purest form of golf. It is you vs the course vs the elements. And there is something so enjoyable about navigating that. Even if you’re having a tough round, the well-stocked halfway house can provide a nice break. Players can pick up a hearty bowl of soup and a sandwich, or something a little stronger, with a selection of beers and wines also available.

After the turn, the round continues to captivate you. The 10th dishes up another challenging dogleg, while five bunkers, which surround the green on the par-three 13th, demand ultimate accuracy off the tee.

‘I forgot how well-bunkered the course is,’ Shane Lowry, who won here at the Open Championship in 2019, says. ‘There’s a lot of options off the tees. You just have to go with what you feel. You’re going to see a lot of people hitting different clubs off different tees, playing the golf course differently.’

It would be remiss of me not to mention, of course, Calamity Corner here, which is one of the most iconic yet perilous holes in golf.

Nestled on the side of a cliff, Calamity Corner has snared many players in the past, with the 263-yard par three 16th one of the most difficult holes that I’ve ever played.

It is feared by many pros, with J.J. Spaun claiming it is ‘pretty intimidating visually.’

‘Wind can really make it a tough hole,’ the 2025 US Open champion says. ‘I think just making four pars on that hole, you’re going to be gaining strokes on the field. That’s why they call it, what, Calamity Corner? There’s going to be some calamity there.’

Scottie Scheffler is the exception to that, with the world No 1 carding three birdies on this hole when he claimed victory here in July… 

The cold wind from the North Atlantic hits you in the face as you step onto the tee box at Calamity, and players must adjust their aim to compensate for the gusts that blow across the hole. But make sure you don’t overcompensate for the wind. Any shots going too far right will be penalised heavily by the harsh bracken that sits on the cliff face below and to the right of the green.

Portrush was re-added to the Open rota in 2014 after hosting the Irish Open in 2013. Several changes were made to the course, with the 17th and 18th holes of the original Dunluce Links being replaced by the new 7th and 8th holes. Holes seven through to 16 would then become the back nine on the new course.

McIlroy had previously held the course record of 61, a feat he had achieved when he was just 16 years old. But since its redesign, Lowry, who has a mural on the side of a house just down the road from here, now holds the course record of 63 – which he struck during his third round of the 2019 Open Championship.

The 17th hole is another epic. The blind tee shot here adds to the difficulty, but if you catch the slope over the ridge, your ball will roll down towards the green at the bottom of the hill. The green on the 17th also makes for one of the most interesting hole layouts in golf, with the dancefloor backing onto the par-three 13th’s green.

After wrapping up your round on the Dunluce, I recommend a walk through the clubhouse to take stock of the history that Portrush houses. You’ll find Lowry’s scorecard from his course record framed in one of the glass cabinets inside the clubhouse.

Darren Clarke, who is a member here, is also well celebrated around the clubhouse. Walking through the pro shop after my round, I nearly tripped over the Northern Irishman’s bag from the 2016 Ryder Cup, which now houses a set of putters which are on sale in the shop.

I could have spent a fortune on Portrush-branded apparel during my quick visit to the shop. From club head covers to fleeces, the clubhouse is well stocked and you will certainly want to pick up a few souvenirs.

But after a cold day on the links, there is nothing better than warming up with a big bowl of butternut soup and a sandwich in the clubhouse bar. The food here is excellent, and the menu is extensive. As this is a golf course, you can also expect the classics, including a club sandwich, with chefs sourcing all the ingredients locally.

What I love the most about this golf club is how unpretentious it is. The Dunluce is by far one of the greatest links golf courses in the world, but Royal Portrush does not shout about it. The golf club, staff, caddies and members all know the history, class and reverence Portrush has, but there is no boasting. Staff couldn’t be more helpful, with the caddies eager to offer up advice on how to play each hole and walk us through the history of the golf course.

Players are also presented with their very own gift bag on arrival, which features ball markers, branded Portrush tees and even a couple of Pro V1 golf balls. This is another sign of just how classy this epic links on the North Atlantic truly is.

After your round, it is also customary to head into the town and check out the world-renowned Harbour Bar. Many consider this one of golf’s great pilgrimages, with the bar a museum to many of the greats who have played around this track.

The ceiling is papered with flags, hats and caddie bibs from many of the world’s greatest players. It was also here that Lowry arrived after his victory at Portrush in 2019, and toasted his triumph with the Claret Jug. Photos of Lowry hang in pride of place, while you’ll also be able to see his hat and glove hanging from the ceiling in the Harbour Bar’s main saloon.

Golf is more than a sport in these parts of Northern Ireland. It is intrinsic to the culture and heritage of this part of the world. Which is why it must not be too long before the Open Championship returns to this beautiful seaside town for what will be yet another rip-roaring festival and celebration of this great sport.

Planning a golf trip to Northern Ireland? Visit Tourism Ireland Golf here