Royal Portrush Golf Club

From the moment you arrive on property it is easy to see the outstanding beauty of both courses. The Dunluce links are widely recognised across the world and it is easy to see why. The recently renovated and changed Valley links has made incredible improvements. This course would be highly respected and probably receive much stronger recognition if it was not the secondary course to the Dunluce links, but the layout and conditioning is fantastic and definitely worth a visit.

Afgelopen week heb ik The Valley 2x gespeeld in verschillende condities. Helaas beide keren met wind en regen. Op the Valley van Portrush speelt de Rathmore Club en dat is verwarrend. Als golfbaan is The Valley prima te spelen. Het begint met een goede Par 5. Daarna ontvouwt zich een soort vallei (vandaar de naam) waarin een aantal holes liggen die je in de 1e en de 2 lus gaat spelen. Maar het is ruim opgezet en dat maakt het vrij overzichtelijk. Wel prima holes overigens. Er zijn wel een aantal pittige holes: 7 (lange par 3). 8, een lastig tee shot, en dan de 3 slot holes. Die liggen in de buurt van de kust. Hole 16 gaat hard omhoog met een lastige green. Dan een mooie par 3 en een uitdagende par 4. Wel een mooi slot. Het is leuk spelen op deze baan. Jammer is de vrij hoge Greenfee van Gpb 200. En dat komen we bij meer golfclubs tegen in deze regio. Prijs/prestatie is wel zoek aan de kust. Vandaar hebben we The Dunluce (Gpb 420,-) niet gespeeld. Daar spelen vooral leden en Amerikanen. Vaak met caddies. Overigens is er wel een prima drivingrange maar die ligt bij het grote (mooie) clubhuis van Portrush. Ballen zijn gratis.

We were fortunate to play both courses while the majority of the Open Championship infrastructure was in place. This made the Dunluce very special - however it also meant that only 11 holes on the revised Valley course were open for play, which was a shame as it's going to be pretty special if the new holes we played were anything to go by. There really isn't a weak hole on the Dunluce following it's redesign in p[reparation for the 2019 Open. It tests every shot and club in the bag, and there is no let up from 1 to 18. The par 3 holes in particular are spectacular, including the (now) 16th, aptly names Calamity! There are some standout par 4s - the 4th looks wide off the tee but a series of cross bunkers all come in to play, and the shot to the green set behind a huge sand dune is really testing. The 9th is a dogleft left with a narrow landing area and a second shot requiring a long iron to a green set into a hillside. 11 is a 470 yard par 4 with the 2nd shot over a deep ravine to a green with a big false front set in a bowl. Truly unforgiving. For me the 14th might be the best hole on the course. A short par 4, but with a fiendish green - long and narrow with a steep all the way round the left hand side. 15 is a medium length par 4, up and over a ridge to another narrow green surrounded by swales. 18 to finish is wide off the tee but then requires a long iron or hybrid into another fabulous green, tightly bunkered and with a steep runoff all along the left hand side. It's hard to form a definitive view on the newly renovated Valley course - but everything points to it being an excellent course in its own right. Indeed the members we played with were talking about it as a possible venue for the Irish Open. Royal Portrush is a truly special club, and the Dunluce is truly world class and a fitting venue for the Open Championship. It's a must play!

My new Nr. 1 (out of 215 courses played). This is Links Perfection at the highest level.

The Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush is a masterpiece of links golf. The layout is stunning, with rugged coastal views and rolling dunes that make every hole a visual treat. It’s challenging but fair, with strategic bunkering and fast greens that keep you on your toes. We played it in perfect Links weather, with rain and strong winds, which only added to the authenticity of the experience. The famous 16th, Calamity Corner, lives up to its name with a daunting tee shot over a deep chasm. The course offers a true test of golf in spectacular surroundings, and it’s no wonder it’s held in such high regard by golfers worldwide.

Once again, like most of the Top courses in Ireland (and Northern Ireland) green fees are very high. Depending when you play... £340pp/405€... but if you make the decision to play... you are in links golf heaven.

A group of 12 of us, including 3 members, have just finished a 3 day tour to Portrush, taking in Castlerock and Portstewart as well. I hadn't played the Dunluce since the new holes were added prior to the 2019 Open Championship, and I have to say they fit in brilliantly and are in keeping with the rest of the course.

There is a lot of work being done in preparation for the 2025 Open, and the member tees were a long way forward, and the greens hadn't fully recovered from their winter treatments. That said Fairways and run offs were already very closely mown and fast. Conditioning notwithstanding, the Dunluce is a stunning golf course that asks a question on every shot. Most greens have run off areas or slope severely so a shot even a yard short is severely punished. Some holes stand out more than others. The 4th is one of the best par 4s in the world, the second shots into 5,7,8 and14 extremely exacting and the par 3 16th's name "Calamity" tells you all you need to know!

A stunning golf course that never lets up - one of the hardest tests I've ever played, especially in a wind. Expensive and difficult to get on if you're not introduced by a member, but it really should be on your YOLO must play list.