Royal Portrush Golf Club
| Club information | |
|---|---|
| Location |
Portrush, County Antrim, Northern Ireland |
| Established | 1888 |
| Total holes | 36 |
| Tournaments hosted |
The Open Championship (1951) The Amateur Championship (2014, 1993, 1960) Irish Open (2012, 1947, 1937, 1930) |
| Website | royalportrushgolfclub.com |
| Dunluce Links | |
| Designed by | Harry Colt |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,143 yards (6,532 m) |
| Valley Links | |
| Designed by | Harry Colt |
| Par | 70 |
| Length | 6,304 yards (5,764 m) |
Royal Portrush Golf Club is a private golf club in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The 36-hole club has two links courses, the Dunluce Links and the Valley Links. In 1951, Royal Portrush hosted The Open Championship, the oldest of golf's major championships. Up to 2015, it is the only Open to be held outside of the main island of Great Britain. Royal Portrush hosted the Irish Open in 2012, the first in Northern Ireland since 1953.[1]
The Dunluce Links course is considered to be one of the best courses in the world. It was ranked at number 4 by Golf World in their list of "The 100 greatest courses in the British Isles" in November 1996. Golf Magazine ranked it at number 12 in their list of the Top 100 Courses in the World, and Golf Digest ranked it as the fourth best course outside the United States in 2007.[2]
Situation and history
Situated on the North Antrim Causeway Coast, Royal Portrush occupies a triangle of giant sand hills with views of the hills of Inishowen in County Donegal in the west, the Isle of Islay and Southern Hebrides in the north, with the Giant's Causeway and the Skerries in the east. The course is overlooked by the ruins of the 13th century Dunluce Castle, which gives its name to Dunluce course.
The Royal Portrush Golf Club was founded in 1888 as "The County Club." It became "The Royal County Club" in 1892 under the patronage of the Duke of York and assumed its present name in 1895 under the patronage of the Prince of Wales. In 1947 Rathmore Golf Club member Fred Daly became the first Irishman to win The Open Championship, and four years later the club hosted the championship itself, the first and last time the event was held in Northern Ireland. The club has also hosted the Senior British Open Championship between 1995 and 1999 and again in 2004. The club was also host to the 2010 Palmer Cup. Daly's feat was repeated by club member Darren Clarke in 2011. Clarke also named Royal Portrush his favourite golf course in the world.
The second course at Royal Portrush is the Valley Links, and is used mostly by members of the 'town' club Rathmore and the ladies and juniors of Royal Portrush. It is shorter and considered less demanding than the Dunluce Links. Rathmore clubhouse and the ladies clubhouse are situated adjacent to the first tee. A nine hole pitch and putt course, named Korea, starts from the same location. There is also a driving range at the club.
Rathmore Golf Club
The Valley Links is the home of Rathmore Golf Club whose clubhouse is situated near the first tee. Famous members include 1947 Open Champion Fred Daly and 2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell.[3]
Signature Holes
On the Dunluce course at Portrush there are several signature holes on both the front and back nine. In particular are the fourth, fifth and fourteenth holes. The fourth hole is a long par four which is more than 480 yards from the championship tees, with out of bounds right and thick rough on the left. There are several bunkers in the undulating fairway and the green is placed between two small sand hills. The fifth hole is a relatively short downhill par four with a dogleg to the right. It has no bunkers but a heavily undulating green perched on the edge of a large drop down to the beach and has views across the White Rocks beach, and the Dunluce Castle after which the course was named. The fourteenth hole, named Calamity Corner, but locally known as just "Calamity" is a long 210 yard, uphill par three. It is played to a green over a huge ravine short and right, with mounds and hollows to the back and left of the green.
The Open Championship
The Open Championship was staged at Royal Portrush only once, in 1951; Max Faulkner won his sole major championship. It will be staged at the venue again in 2019 at the earliest, pending approval to a lengthening of the course.
| Year | Winner | Score | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | ||
| 1951 |  Max Faulkner | 71 | 70 | 70 | 74 | 285 (-3) |
Irish Open
The club's Dunluce course held the 2012 Irish Open which was won by Jamie Donaldson. This was the first time that a European Tour event had been played in Northern Ireland and the first time since 1953 that the Irish Open had been played in Northern Ireland; it was last played at Royal Portrush in 1947.[1][4]
Future events
Following the recent successes of Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell, and Rory McIlroy, the R&A has indicated that The Open Championship could return to Royal Portrush in the future.[5] The R&A also confirmed that the club will host the 2014 Amateur Championship[6] for the first time since 1993.
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 BBC.co.uk - news - Northern Ireland - Irish Open: Jamie Donaldson wins at Portrush by four shots - 2012-01-06 - accessed 2012-15-07
- ↑ Golf Digest.com - 100 Best Courses Outside the U.S. - May 2007 - accessed 2012-02-10
- ↑ Rathmore Golf Club - accessed 2012-07-15
- ↑ European Tour.com - Royal Portrush and Carton House to stage Irish Open in 2012 and 2013 - 2012-01-06 - accessed 2010-02-10
- ↑ BBC.co.uk - news - Northern Ireland - Royal Portrush possible venue for Open Championship - 2011-07-18 - accessed 2012-02-10
- ↑ , .
External links
- Official website
- RoyalPortrush.com – unofficial fan site
- Golf Club Atlas Guide – Royal Portrush
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