Royal Portrush Golf Club - Dunluce Course Overview
 Royal
Portrush offers two fine links courses and while the Dunluce Course
will always be regarded as the championship links, the slightly
shorter Valley Course also represents a serious test of links golf
prowess.
Royal Portrush's Dunluce Course is laid out in a marvellous stretch
of natural golfing country on Northern Ireland's beautiful North
Coast. Through a tangle of sandhills the course threads its way,
with the sweeping contours of dunes lending infinite variety to
the game. The hills of Donegal in the west, the isle of Islay and
Southern Hebrides in the north with the Giants Causeway in the east.
Course History
The links has undergone many changes during the course of its existence.
The initial nine holes were extended to eighteen by 1889, while
the renowned golf architect, Harry Colt, designed the present course.
Upon completion of his work at Portrush, Colt remarked that it represented
his best ever layout. The new course was officially opened by the
Lord Mayor of London, Sir Percy Greenaway in 1933.
Course Overview
The course is laid out in and among giant sand dunes, along the
tops of cliffs and through valleys. Constant changes of direction
make the wind blowing in from the Irish Sea an ever-varying challenge.
Royal Portrush is a course where accuracy is key and wayward shots
are penalized to the extreme with rough that can only be termed
as cruel and punishing. 
Portrush begins with a fairly short uphill par-4
1st but which requires a tee-shot threaded between out-of-bounds
on both sides of the first fairway. From then on, golfers face a
mix of short and long holes that cavort over hill and down dale
that require patience, accuracy and at times length. On this course
with its farmland like terrain, each hole has its unique characteristics
and flavor and no two holes are alike.
It may be a cliché but it is genuinely difficult to select
the best holes at Portrush. On balance though, the best on the front
nine are probably the 5th and 7th
holes.
You are welcome to browse the course and read more holes reviews
by selecting the links on the left menu.
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