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Royal Portrush Course Guide
The magical Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush will play host to The 153rd Open.
Portrush first hosted the Championship in 1951, before Shane Lowry claimed a memorable triumph over a refreshed layout - featuring two new holes - in 2019.
Just six years later, Portrush will once again welcome the world's best in 2025.
Explore our hole-by-hole guide to the spectacular course in County Antrim, notable for its dramatic changes in elevation.
Hole 1: Hughie - Par 4
Many players are likely to leave the driver in the bag on the 1st hole – flanked by internal out-of-bounds on both sides – and lay up short of a bunker on the left of the fairway that sits approximately 290 yards from the tee. Once an intimidating opening shot has been navigated, an uphill approach follows to a green with a devilish false front. There is also a deep bunker to the left of the putting surface. Par certainly represents a good score here, particularly with a clear birdie opportunity coming at the next.
"It came out as one of the more difficult holes in 2019," said Gary McNeill, Royal Portrush's head professional since 1999. "With the boundary on both sides it can really play on the players' minds when you're stood on the tee. There are a couple of fairway bunkers and players tend to play quite conservatively from the tee, which leaves quite a long second shot uphill. The elevation change is quite steep and if you get caught on the wrong portion of that green it can be quite a difficult two-putt, so I think getting through the first hole unscathed is very important."
Hole 2: Giant's Grave - Par 5
Avoiding bunkers from the tee is key at the par-5 2nd, where a quartet of fairway traps – three to the right and one to the left – are strategically placed. There is also more out-of-bounds waiting for any drives that flare out to the right. Most players who find the fairway will be confident of comfortably carrying three cross bunkers and reaching the green in two, although a heavily contoured putting surface can make life tricky. This was the second-easiest hole at Portrush during The 148th Open, playing 0.323 shots under par for the week.
Hole 3: Islay - Par 3
The 3rd hole takes its name from the Scottish island of Islay, which is visible from the elevated tee on a clear day. Although this par-3 has just one bunker, getting up and down can prove tricky for those who miss the green, with a number of steep slopes surrounding the putting surface. For that reason, many players will opt to aim for the centre of the green, which slopes from right to left, regardless of pin position.
Hole 4: Fred Daly's - Par 4
Named after the Champion Golfer of 1947, who hails from Portrush, the 4th is one of the stiffest tests on the course, playing as stroke index one for the members, and has been lengthened since 2019. Accuracy from the tee is essential, with out-of-bounds to the right and two bunkers cutting into the fairway from the left. Things do not get much easier with the approach. A number of sand hills surround the green, including one huge mound that can block the view of a back-left pin. Any player would gladly take four fours here in Open week.
"The new Championship tee is really going to bring the two fairway bunkers into play from the tee shot," said McNeill. "The hole has been lengthened considerably and I think it is going to present a slightly different proposition to what it did in 2019."
Hole 5: White Rocks - Par 4
A classic risk-and-reward hole. This short par-4 can be driven by the longer hitters and it yielded four eagles and 111 birdies in 2019. However, with a host of dangers including out-of-bounds immediately behind the green, there were also 13 double bogeys or worse through the week as the hole played only marginally under par. Expect a similarly wide range of scoring at the 5th in The 153rd Open.
Hole 6: Harry Colt's - Par 3
Front and back pin positions can both prove challenging at the picturesque par-3 6th, where the opening shot is struck from a clifftop tee overlooking the beach. A false front ensures any under-hit shots will roll off the green, while the putting surface narrows at the back and is guarded by deep swales to the left and right. Although the hole has no bunkers, it is certainly capable of tripping up the world’s best if they are not on their game.
Hole 7: Curran Point - Par 5
The 7th yielded the most eagles (11) of Portrush’s par-5s in 2019, but nevertheless played as the toughest of the three long holes across the week. One of two new holes added to the Dunluce Links ahead of The 148th Open, Curran Point begins with a drive from an elevated tee into the valley, with a cavernous bunker lurking to the right of the fairway. The second shot plays uphill and the fairway narrows significantly as you approach the green, with sloping banks of thick rough on either side presenting danger to those aiming to get home in two. Two accurate shots can set up eagle and birdie chances, but there is punishment waiting for those who are off-target, so another wide spread of scores can be anticipated.
Hole 8: Dunluce - Par 4
Missing left is a big no-no on the second new hole that was created ahead of The 148th Open. There is a decision to be made from the tee, with players having the choice of laying back short of the fairway bunkers or pulling driver and cutting the dog-leg on a tight and risky line. A sole bunker and a few hollows guard the right side of the green, but the obvious danger is to the left, where a steep drop-off provides significant danger.
Hole 9: Tavern - Par 4
Another challenging par-4 bending gently to the left rounds off the front nine. There are once again bunkers on the right side of a fairway that falls away towards thick rough on the left. Although the hole typically plays into the wind, many players are likely to opt for fairway woods or irons off the tee as they prioritise finding the short grass. There are run-offs to the right and front-left of the green, with the first of those likely to be a particularly popular spot.
Hole 10: Himalayas - Par 4
The opening hole of the back nine dog-legs from left to right, but cutting the corner is not an option given the presence of steep sandhills and mounds. Players will instead aim to get as far as they can down the left half of the fairway, opening up the clearest view for the approach. One of the most interesting greens on the course is long and narrow, with undulations galore.
Hole 11: PG Stevenson's - Par 4
The 11th is a par-5 for Portrush’s members, but plays as a par-4 in The Open and was the toughest hole on the course in 2019, with more than four times as many bogeys or worse than birdies. The tee shot is arguably the most intimidating on the course, with sand hills and thick rough to either side, although the fairway does open up as it swings right, rewarding those who successfully cut the corner at 260 yards. There is another false front on the elevated green, with any balls that come up short set to trickle back into a huge valley.
Hole 12: Dhu Varren - Par 5
The toughest hole from The 148th Open is immediately followed by the easiest, with the long and straight 12th offering players a much-needed birdie chance ahead of a demanding closing stretch. However, there is still potential peril here, starting with a trio of bunkers down the right side of a fairway that slopes in that direction. As well as yet another false front, there is a hidden stream to the right of the green. Nevertheless, this par-5 represents comfortably the best opportunity to improve your score on the back nine.
Hole 13: Feather Bed - Par 3
The site of an opening-round ace for Emiliano Grillo on The Open’s last visit to Royal Portrush, the 13th played almost exactly to its par in 2019, with an average score of 3.011 across the Championship. Club selection can prove tricky, particularly on a breezy day, on a hole that plays downhill to an exposed green sloping from front to back. Five bunkers surround the putting surface to capture errant tee shots.
Hole 14: Causeway - Par 4
The 11th may have been the toughest hole in The 148th Open, but the 14th – lengthened considerably ahead of the Championship - was very close behind, playing more than a third of a stroke over par on average. Bunkers on either side represent a threat from the tee, with the fairway cambering towards the trap on the left and narrowing the further you go. Players then face a challenging approach to a ‘hog’s back’ green that falls away dramatically to the left, front and back. A deep bunker to the left sits well below the level of the putting surface and must be avoided.
"It's one of the great holes here at Royal Portrush and probably one of the great second shots in golf," said the club's head professional Gary McNeill.
Hole 15: Skerries - Par 4
One of Royal Portrush’s more generous fairways can be found on the 15th, but there are undulations aplenty and things get trickier after players have hit uphill from the tee on a hole that dog-legs from right to left. The second shot is played downhill to a small green, protected by severe slopes to the front and right, as well as bunkers to the left. This hole therefore calls for one of the most accurate approaches of the round.
Hole 16: Calamity Corner - Par 3
Royal Portrush’s signature 16th is named ‘Calamity Corner’ for good reason. It is quite simply one of the toughest holes you are likely to encounter. Expect to see plenty of players missing the green long and left, given anything short or right can tumble 40-50ft below the green into thick rough. Even if you do find the putting surface from well over 200 yards away, birdies will be hard to come by on an elevated green that is exposed to the elements. This iconic par-3 yielded just 24 birdies across four rounds in The 148th Open, the fewest of any hole.
Portrush head pro McNeill said: "As the name suggests, it's a very challenging hole from the Championship tee - 236 yards over a very deep chasm to not a huge target when you're all the way back there. I think every competitor would quite happily take a three in each round. It's a hole where if you get it wrong you can easily run up a double-bogey or worse, particularly if the player pushes it out to the right and doesn't make the carry across. The ball has a tendency to bounce and make its way right down to the base of that chasm and then you're at the mercy of what lie you get down there and you're trying to play a shot up a very steep bank to a blind target. It has the potential to be a real card-wrecker - most players will kind of aim to the left centre of the green and just try and play up that left-hand side, where you do get a little bit of assistance from the mounding."
Hole 17: Purgatory - Par 4
Another classic risk-reward hole, which could easily produce a late twist if the battle for The 153rd Open goes down to the wire. The green is not visible from the tee, but can potentially come within reach – particularly if the wind is helping - due to the fairway sloping downhill dramatically from around the 300-yard mark. There are deep bunkers at the front-left and front-right of the green to dissuade players from taking the aggressive approach, while the landing area narrows significantly for those pulling driver. Expect many to utilise an iron off the tee and rely on their skills with a wedge or short-iron.
Hole 18: Babington's - Par 4
Royal Portrush’s final test was the site for an extraordinary recovery shot from Max Faulkner on his way to victory in 1951, when the hole played as the 16th. Faulkner found himself up against the out-of-bounds to the left of the fairway and famously sliced the ball under and around a barbed-wire fence and on to the green. The out-of-bounds remains a significant threat more than 70 years on, while thick rough and a pair of bunkers lie in wait for anyone bailing out to the right from the elevated tee. The biggest challenges on the approach are a deep bunker to the front-right, tall mounds of rough wrapping around the green and a steep drop-off to the left.