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4.3
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0
Conditions
4.9
Value
4.1
Layout
4.3
Friendliness
2.8
Pace
1.9
Amenities
4.9
100.0%
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About

Holes 18
Type Private
Style Links
Par 72
Length 7319 yards
Slope 126
Rating 75.0

Royal Portrush Golf Club is located on the north cost of Northern Ireland in County Antrim. It's home to 36 holes of golf, the Valley Course and the famous Dunluce Links. The club was founded as the railway expanded up the coast of the United Kingdom in 1888, but much of its present-day links layout of the Dunluce was a result of H.S. Colt's work in 1929. The course, which gets its name from the cliffside Dunluce castle ruins to the east that can be seen from the 5th green, hosted the Open Championship in 1951 and not again until 2019, when the R&A determined the country was finally safe enough following several decades of political turbulence. The Dunluce hosted the 2012 Irish Open on the European Tour which was received exceptionally well and the Open was awarded soon after. Prior to the 2019 event, two new holes were created by Martin Ebert, removing the old 17th & 18th holes and installing a new 7th and 8th hole using land from the Valley Course. The famous "Big Nellie" bunker at the 17th hole was lost in the new routing but recreated on the right side of the 7th hole. Perhaps the most famous hole here is "Calamity Corner," a long par 3 featuring a steep dropoff short and right of the green. Spectacularly bunkered with narrow fairways and doglegs, Portrush is a supreme test of ball-striking, in particular when the wind is blowing off the northern coast.

Course Details

Year Built 1888
Golf Season Year round
Architect H. S. Colt (1929) Martin Ebert (2017)

Rentals/Services

Carts Yes
Clubs Yes
Pull-carts Yes

Practice/Instruction

Driving Range Yes
Caddies Yes
Teaching Pro Yes
Pitching/Chipping Area Yes
Putting Green Yes

Policies

Credit Cards Accepted Visa, MasterCard and Amex Credit Cards
Walking Allowed Yes
Dress code Golf shirts must have collars, with either long or short sleeves. Collarless shirts, such as t-shirts of any variety, are not allowed.

Food & Beverage

Restaurant

Available Facilities

Clubhouse, Locker Rooms

Reviews

4.3
20 Reviews (20)

What Golfers Are Saying

The 19th Hole is Great For:
Drinks 6
Course Challenges Include:
Bunkers 7
Forced Carries 7
Thick Rough 7
This course/club is great for:
A Bucket list/Top 100 Pick 7
Advanced Golfers 6
This Course's Location is:
Worth the Drive 7

Numbers based on reviews tagged with attribute.

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Overall Rating
Recommended
Handicap
Age
Type of Golfer
Gender
Played On
Reviews 7
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing

Wanted to love it but not quite

The course was great, but I found it to be overrated and the most penalizing course of the twelve we played. I really wanted to love it but not quite. Holes 5-7 are amazing but that’s it in my opinion. The back nine was rather bland for a course of this stature. My caddie was awful, very unhelpful and not nice(to use words I can say in here). The other caddie in the group made him look great as he was incredibly negative and much preferred to talk about his own game rather than help with yours.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Good
Friendliness Fair
Pace Poor
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 8
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Royal for a reason

Every 2 years, we have a group of guys that go somewhere on the world and golf for a week. This time we chose Ireland and we chose wisely!

There are not enough words for this course. The course, the view, the caddies....everything was first class.

We teed off around 9:30. It was cool and there was a slight wind. My caddy was Rory and he was a great lad. The course will challenge all aspects of your game. You have to drive it well, you need to be able to draw and fade, the greens are just amazing and the course will test you’re imagination. We were finished in less than 4 hours. It was absolutely a treat to play and I would play it 100 Ax’s more if I could.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 1
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
Previously Played
Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 1
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing
Wet weather
Walked
Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Royal Portrush

What an incredible experience playing this Open venue. The staff was very helpful and went out of their way to make our visit a memorable one. The Starter had some good stories to share with us about the Open and some useful tips about playing the course.
Royal Portrush is a very difficult layout. It’s fairways are fast and the greens run true. Many of them are elevated with severe run off areas to the front and sides. The bunkers are deep and very welcoming to any shots off line. The rough is not so friendly. One golf writer of long ago described it as “porridge” to be avoided at all costs.
There are multiple sets of tees for golfers to choose from but make no mistake this a championship layout for experienced players only.
The weather was a challenge. We had high winds and driving rain for most of the round. Good rain gear is essential up here in Northern Ireland. All and all, this is an amazing links course which deserves to be part of all future Open rotations.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 6
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Golf Channel
First Time Playing
Perfect weather
Walked

Open-ready Portrush is a major test

Eleven weeks out from The Open, and Portrush is ready to go. Its immaculate conditioning is second only to its stunning views. It's a difficult test, but it's playable, and highly enjoyable. As we were part of a large media outing, the pace of play was over five hours. On most other golf courses, this would have been a problem. But Portrush was so stunning to look at, the wait never felt like an issue. It's a place where, once you're there, you're going to want to take your time. If you've managed to keep a respectable card through 15 holes, good luck on 16, 17 and 18. Those three holes have the potential to wildly swing the result of The 148th Open on Sunday afternoon.

Conditions Excellent
Layout Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 2
Skill Beginner
Plays Once a month
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Verified Purchaser
First Time Playing

Get a caddy!

Played a beautiful round of golf yesterday on the iconic Royal Portrush Dunlace course. The course has the cliffs and the beautiful Irish beaches in the background. The course is very challenging. Highly recommend having a caddy to help navigate the undulating fairways.....or help you find your ball when you miss! We had Horry and jimmy.....2 of the finest. Thanks bunches.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Played On
Reviews 378
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Top 10 Contributor
First Time Playing
Windy weather
Walked

Improved Dunluce will be a terrific Open venue

Anytime you get to play a major championship venue – especially one that hosts The Open Championship – it's a real treat, and this was no exception. It's also a course that is apparently better than it was before a renovation last year that removed the last two holes for a spectator village that will be used for the 2019 Open. Because I never played the previous version, I can't make that judgment firsthand, but what I do know is that the two new holes, which are now the seventh and eighth as other holes shifted, are terrific and pretty much look like they have been there with the rest of the course since Harry Colt's incarnation of the Dunluce 85 years ago. The new par-5 seventh is a terrific risk-reward par 5 that features eight bunkers down the left side. The eighth, a difficult par 4, plays back down and up a steep hill alongside the seventh going the other way. As for rest of the course, it's classic links, with ocean views, tall dunes, terrific views and not too many blind shots. In the wind (and rain), it's as tough as it gets, but on a calm day, you can certainly score out there. You'll also want to hang out in the clubhouse for a soup, sandwich and beverage, where you get panoramic views of the links and sea below.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 10
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Worth the trip North

Great links course. Has the typical blind tee shots over dunes. Staff was very friendly. This, Port Stewart, and Castlerock Mussenden Worth the trip North.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 638
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Golf Advisor
Previously Played
Cold weather
Walked

Royal Portrush ready for The Open in 2019

I didn't get to play the two new holes on the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush - they open in June - but they certainly look good.
Like every golfer, I lament the loss of the original "Big Nellie" bunker on the 17th hole, but architect Martin Ebert has created his own version on the new par-5 seventh hole. Coupled with the new par-4 eighth hole - both built upon land formerly a part of the Valley Links - they add challenge and length to a links now ready to host Ireland's first major championship since 1951.
The changes will reroute some of the old holes. For example, the famous 'Calamity' par 3, will now be the 16th hole, not the 14th. Otherwise, Harry Colt's best links remains intact and as charming and challenging as ever.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 19
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Walked

Why this is an Open caliber course

Wow, one look over the layout from the road as you pas by shows why this course is included in the Open rotation. The Dunluce course (yes there are two) has a broad sweep moving back and forth between duned areas to moguled valley holes. There is ample room for a large gallery to watch, something that Royal County Downs, a far tougher course does not have.

Our group took forecaddies and glad we did as knowledge of lines and distances with even the mild elevation changes was of real help. RCD has many completely blind shots while RPR is more subtle but requires long accurate shots over deep fescue and dune grasses on many holes. A perfect example is #5 (White Rocks) , a modest length par 4 that goes slightly downhill then turns sharply right and back up hill. The carry from the white tees is over 200 yards and coming up short will likely result in a big number if you find the ball.

Unlike many of the Irish links courses that tend to divide the two nines between the high dunes along the coast and the low areas leading up to the dunes, RPR mixes both nicely and makes for a more continuous look and challenging round through out the 18.

The course is getting ready for the Open in 2019 and you could see a lot of activity but this never detracted from our play. There is a decent range and practice facility and a nice club house with upstairs patio to enjoy afterwards. Thee is a quaint little halfway house in the middle that you should make sure to visit.

This is definitely a bucket list course and I am looking forward to a return.

Conditions Good
Value Good
Layout Excellent
Friendliness Good
Pace Good
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 21
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Ontario Advisor
First Time Playing
Poor weather
Walked

Major worthy ... maybe

The once and future site of the Open Championship and ranked 16th in the world was also the most expensive stop on my trip by far.
Portrush seems rather ordinary at first – a nice club house and locker room, but not Royally nice. The starter’s building changes that impression. The red blazer with club tie and grey pants donned by the starter and the caddies milling about give it a formal “you just paid a royal sum to be here” atmosphere.
The course is tough; rough comes in right where you don’t want it to and the green complexes seem to ensure balls bounce anywhere but onto the green. I played in the only really foul weather day of my trip – persistent rain for 6 holes and a stiff wind after the rain stopped. It lacks the views from vistas of some dunes courses and doesn’t run along the beach, but the challenge of the course is undeniable. The opening and closing holes were straight away par 4s with plenty of risk / reward opportunity that seems to come with major venues. There are few blind shots here, only tough lies, tight approaches, and punishing to mishits.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Fair
Amenities Good
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 22
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Golf Advisor
First Time Playing
Fair weather
Walked

Royal Portrush is Open-worthy

The Dunluce Links feel larger and longer than the 7,143 yards written on the scorecard.It's all marram grass and dunes, all big drives and wicked putts -- a veritable amusement park of golf. After you finish your round, head inside and marvel at the scorecard of the course record holder, a 16-year-old Rory McIlroy, whose score of 61 seems nothing short of superhuman. Enjoy the views of the coast from the 5th green, and be ready to hit some big drives if you're going to reach some of the par 4s in two. A must-play!

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Average
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 10
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Walked

Everything I thought it would be.

I don't think I was ever as nervous in my life as when I stood on the first tee at Portrush with all of the caddies watching me hit my first ball of the day. After that I relaxed and took in the beautiful scenery and history of the course. My caddie, Tony, gave me the historical tour of the course. We were blessed with a beautiful day with mild wind and a bit overcast. Even with the benign conditions the course gave me all I could handle. If the wind was up I don't what i would have shot! Every hole travels a different direction with huge sand dunes waiting to eat your golf ball. "White Rocks" and "Calamity" alone are worth the green fee. Don't forget to vist Dunluce Castle while you there, it's only five minutes down the road from the course.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 1
Skill Advanced
Plays Once every three months
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing

Beautiful! Just A Bit Too Windy For This Floridian

What a beauful place! The view of the water and cliffs can NOT be beat. As a Floridian, I would recommend to play in summer as my game is a bit (a lot) rusty and I'm not at all used to the wind-cold combo (roughly 25 MPH, with gusts that had me hating life, temp was 9-ish deg C, or 48F). That said, the natives seemed to think it was downright balmy (and, I will admit, a hot whiskey at the turn did seem to help my spirits a bit!). It's a tough challenge, but worth the grind. Make the trip if you can.

Conditions Good
Value Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Good
Played On
Reviews 4
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
First Time Playing
Good weather
Walked

Best Course in Northern Ireland

Played this gem on 4th day of our 7 day trip and it was consensus best course of our tour. Everything was top notch , including the bar man and choice of fine Irish Whiskey's at the half-way house. The course and vistas are both memorable. Beware of the largest bunker in the world on 17, my friend Todd managed to find it. I cannot wait to go back and would encourage anyone who has a chance to play here to DO IT ! You will not be disappointed.

Conditions Excellent
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 26
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Golf Advisor
Previously Played
Good weather
Walked

Royal Portrush’s Dunluce course is the only course in all of Ireland to have hosted the Open Championship

Its one thing to declare a course as distinctive based solely upon conviction, it is quite another thing when a course has the weight of history on it’s side.  Royal Portrush’s Dunluce course is the only course in all of Ireland to have hosted the Open Championship and in 2012 it played host to the Irish Open, becoming the first regular European Tour event to sell out!  Royal Portrush still retains the look and feel of a classic Harry Colt design and perhaps the greatest compliment one could make about the course is that it is a world-class competitive challenge, but always indisputably fair.  In short, Royal Portrush is a brilliant links golf course.

Conditions Excellent
Value Average
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Average
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 10
Handicap 10-14
Skill Intermediate
Plays Once a week
I Recommend This Course
4.0
First Time Playing
Excellent weather
Walked

The experience of a lifetime

I was never as nervous as when I teed off in front of about 30 caddies but I hit the fairway and it was a thrill the rest of the day. The course goes up and down and side to side with towering dunes and bunkers you'll want no part of. We had a great caddy(Tony) who managed to keep our lost balls to a minimum. The scenery with the white cliffs and shore line is special. I didn't give the course a perfect five because hole #18 is a weak par five, straight and flat although I did bring some excitement to it by almost putting my second shot into the parking lot.

Conditions Good
Value Excellent
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Excellent
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Default User Avatar
Commented on 07/04/2017

#18 is a 469 yard par 4

Played On
Reviews 8
Handicap 0-4
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Previously Played
Average weather
Walked

Great challenge to your game

This course is one of the finest in the world, being the only course outside of mainland Britain to have held the Open Championship back in 1951 it really is one of the finest courses to have held the best Championship in golf.
Each hole is different and sticks out vividly in the mind and also have a unique challenge associated with them. I would definitely recommend playing a round here as you will treasure the memories of the course and the scenery for a lifetime.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
Played On
Reviews 324
Handicap 5-9
Skill Advanced
Plays A few times a week
I Recommend This Course
5.0
Texas Advisor
Top 10 Contributor
Previously Played
Average weather
Walked

Pure Irish links: this is the real deal

Is Royal Portrush the world's best links? Well, it may be the perfect blend of challenge, scenery and history in a links course anywhere in the world. The course has its spots where it's unbelievably gorgeous, while other spots are Open Championship-worthy in challenge. There are also a slew of very interesting, unique links holes (none better than the par-3 14th, "Calamity"). An Irish Open host (and maybe one day the Open will return), Potrush is really tough to beat, and is a must-play on any Irish tour.

Conditions Excellent
Value Good
Friendliness Excellent
Pace Good
Amenities Excellent
Difficulty Extremely Challenging
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Golf Packages

Royal Portrush Golf Package

FROM $487 (USD)
NORTHERN IRELAND | Enjoy 7 nights bed & breakfast at the Bushmills Inn and 5 rounds of golf at The Strand course at Portstewart Golf Club, Dunluce Course at Royal Portrush Golf Club, Valley Course at Royal Portrush Golf Club, Castlerock Golf Club, The Riverside Course at Portstewart Golf Club.

Ballyliffin & Rosapenna Golf Package

FROM $407 (USD)
NORTHWEST IRELAND | Experience first-class links layouts at Ballyliffin Golf Club, playing 2 championship courses, this trip sure won’t be short of quality golf. Alongside a round on St Patricks Links and Old Tom Morris Links at Rosapenna, you’ll be thrilled coming home to the wonderful spa at Ballyliffin Lodge Hotel. Spend your days out playing and your evenings relaxing with this package in North West Ireland.

Royal County Down Golf Package

FROM $577 (USD)
NORTHERN IRELAND | Enjoy 7 nights bed & breakfast at the Slieve Donard Resort and 5 rounds of golf at Annesley Links at Royal County Down Golf Club, Ardglass Golf Club, Championship Links at Royal Country Down Golf Club (x2 rounds), and Royal Belfast Golf Club.

West Coast Scotland Open Championship Golf Package

FROM $697 (USD)
SOUTHWEST SCOTLAND | Enjoy 7 nights' accommodations at the Marine Hotel in Troon and 5 rounds of golf at Old Course at Royal Troon Golf Club, Prestwick Golf Club, Ailsa Golf Course at Trump Turnberry, a Luxury Collection Resort, Dundonald Links, and Western Gailes Golf Club.

West Coast Scotland Hidden Gems Golf Package

FROM $327 (USD)
SOUTHWEST SCOTLAND | Enjoy 7 nights' accommodations at Piersland House Hotel and 5 rounds of golf at Western Gailes Golf Club, Dundonald Links, Gailes Links, Prestwick Golf Club, and Kilmarnock Barassie Golf Club.
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