Introduction
May 2024 marked my first visit to Northern Ireland, and it proved to be an outstanding introduction. We flew from New York into Dublin, met up with long-standing friends now living in Australia, and drove north to Portrush for what became a memorable week built around one of the great golf courses of the world.
The Setting: Northern Ireland’s Antrim Coast
Portrush sits on the rugged north coast of Northern Ireland, a compact seaside town perched above dramatic cliffs and exposed to the full force of the Atlantic. The setting is raw, open, and unapologetically natural—perfect terrain for championship links golf. With Royal Portrush anchoring the region, the area feels purpose-built for the serious golfer, yet remains welcoming and unpretentious.
We began in Dublin, an easy six-hour flight from New York—almost too short to secure meaningful sleep. We stayed at the Iveagh Gardens Hotel. While the staff were excellent and the property itself attractive, the noise levels were unacceptable: a tram line, a nightclub outside, and internal events meant constant disturbance. My advice is simple—do not stay here.
Our Dublin visit included visits to the Book of Kells, The Castle, Molly Mallone’s statue and of course, the obligatory tour of the Guiness center. I learned how to properly pour the black gold; I should have perhaps had this training before working at The Queens Hall in Edinburgh all those years ago. The Book of Kells and the Library are really worth the visit. Don’t take a tour; get your own tix as the place has very helpful audio. BTW, I was instructed to touch Molly as shown : apparently it’s for good luck… .
There was one other event: Bruce.
Bruce posing to 80,000 adoring fans at Croke Park Stadium.
Bruce is a sprightly 74 year old, yet still manages to play 3 hour shows, and was in the midst of a long global tour; lucky for us we were in town when he was playing. A great gig in a special place.
Ok, so that was Dublin. Northward ho!
A 2.5 hour drive by good motorway to Portrush, so no big deal. We staid at Craignamara, a really fabulous B&B hosted by Kerrie and Rod. Lovely people. They built this place after selling the Kingshouse hotel in Glencoe. (This is also worth checking out; it’s in a fabulous area of Scotland). We had a great room, terrific breakfasts, and Kerrie joined us for a round on the Dunluce. I would highly recommend staying here. It’s just so well done with great views and easy access to the golf and town.
Craignamara in Portrush.
We had been introduced to Kerrie, and the two Members who very kindly hosted us by Winged Foot’s own Paulie C: this guy seems to know everyone in golf; a terrific character and lovely guy. We played one day with David M and Kerrie. Below is Gill and me at the famous 5th hole which the pros can drive (and risk the ball rolling out over the near sheer drop to the beach.) In the background is Dunluce Castle and way out there is The Giants Causeway.
Edge of the 5th
This time with the pros at The Open that Shane won.
The other time we played was with Mark and Claire. Again, super nice people who made us feel very welcome and we had a very fun round with them too:
This golf course is hard! It ranges over what seems like a huge amount of land. The view from The Royal Court hotel is simply incredible:
Royal portrush from the Royal Court Hotel.
Royal Portrush is one of the world’s great links courses—historic, demanding, and visually unforgettable. The Dunluce Links has hosted The Open Championship and will do so again, a testament to both its pedigree and its modern relevance.
The Playing Experience
This is a hard golf course—fair but exacting. The routing covers a vast sweep of land, all visible from vantage points such as the Royal Court Hotel, where the scale of the terrain becomes immediately apparent.
Fairways felt relatively narrow, well protected by bunkers, with approaches tightening further into greens that punish imprecision through severe run-off areas. The rough was growing in again, and it was easy to see how brutal this course becomes under championship conditions. Nothing felt unfair; everything felt intentional.
Standout Holes
The stretch of holes 5, 6, and 7 is outstanding. The fifth is particularly memorable—a hole the professionals can drive, but only at the risk of watching the ball tumble toward the near-sheer drop to the beach below, with Dunluce Castle framing the background.
The closing stretch is equally strong, beginning with the famous par-three “Calamity,” a nerveless test even in calm conditions.
Verdict
An exceptional course and one of the very best I have ever played. Harry Colt’s original design remains magnificent, and Martin Ebert’s changes ahead of the 2019 Open—won by Shane Lowry—have enhanced rather than diluted the course. The clubhouse is welcoming, the atmosphere relaxed, and the members clearly understand what they have.
The Valley Course is undergoing renovation and, together with Dunluce, will make Royal Portrush an even more compelling destination. With The Open returning in 2025, the course’s reputation will only grow.
My pictures just don’t really do the place any favours. This is a link to a really detailed description of the course: https://www.royalportrushgolfclub.com/our-courses/dunluce-links/
Martin Ebert created a couple of new holes and made some other design changes ahead of the 2019 Open, won by the very popular Shane Lowry. The town is fun too. There’s some good dining and we enjoyed The Harbor Bistro plus The Wine Bar. We had one day of really bad weather, so took a trip to Derry, and then the Giants Causeway. Maybe we had inflated expectations, but I thought the causeway was a little disappointing.
We did enjoy the fish and chips at Morton’s in Ballycastle, about 20 minutes away. It gets highly rated and I would have given a top rating but for the purple hair and metal up noses and who knows where else of some of the folks serving it up. I guess I am getting old… The Wee Chippy in Fife still rates very high, but the cod and haddock were outstanding at Morton’s.
This was a terrific introduction to Northern Ireland. Royal Portrush (Dunluce) stands comfortably among the world’s elite courses and fully deserves its Open Championship status. The town of Portrush is lively, the surrounding region offers plenty to explore, and nearby courses such as Portstewart add further depth to any itinerary.
Most importantly, the combination of exceptional golf, outstanding hosting, and superb accommodation at Craignamara made this a trip I hope to repeat. With the Valley Course reopening and the Dunluce continuing to mature, Northern Ireland has firmly established itself as a must-visit destination for serious golf travellers.