The Open Championship back at Royal St. George’s after Shane Lowry’s win at Royal Portrush in 2019
The final golf major of the year is upon us, The Open Championship. The event, which was postponed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, will return to Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England, this week.
The last time the event was played, it was held in Northern Ireland at Royal Portrush and was won by Irishman Shane Lowry. Lowry held the 36-hole lead on Friday evening and didn’t look back. On Saturday, known by many as moving day, Lowry carded a club record 63 and eventually won the event by 6 shots on Sunday, sitting pretty on -15 for the week.
The Open in 2019 was the first one held in Northern Ireland in over 50 years and was viewed as a massive success as the course was the perfect test for the field that week. The course is renowned as one of the island’s toughest links tests and provides the golfer with wild coastal views throughout. However, Portrush is also the perfect base for a luxury golf tour.
Portrush and Portstewart
Long before it was decided that the Open would be held at Portrush, the course was in high demand by overseas visitors due to its stunning location. The north east and north coast of Ireland provides the golfer with some of the greatest links golf experiences in the world. Portrush itself has two courses, the Dunluce Links (Open Course) and the Valley Links.
Portstewart, a neighbour of Portrush, has 3 courses – The Old Course, The Strand Course, and The Riverside Course. Within a short drive you can also find Ballycastle and Castlerock Golf Courses which are excellent tests for golfers of all levels.
Then a little further east, you will find Ardglass Golf Club and the world famous Royal County Down. With a base in Portrush, you truly do have world class golf on your doorstep. Therefore, Portrush was always going to feature on many itineraries and bucket lists.
After 2019, demand both nationally and internationally for the course increased dramatically and itineraries in that region have become exceptionally popular. Demand is set to increase with news that The Open will be back in Portrush in 2025.
Need inspiration?
This tailored itinerary explores Ireland’s capital city, the mystical north east coast, the north coast, before travelling over to the wonderful north west. It includes many of the courses mentioned here and you can find out more here. All of our itineraries are tailored to suits each groups’ needs, so we invite you to use it to inspire your planning!
Why not start planning your golf vacation to Ireland now?
We excel in arranging private golf tours of Ireland from our base in Tipperary. We handle all aspects of our clients’ trips – from securing the best tee-times; advising what courses to play when; booking the best accommodation; arranging evening entertainment; and curating off-course itineraries for any non-golfers in the group. We accompany all of this with our spacious, luxury vehicles and renowned Driver Guides.
Enquire now to access the finest courses by emailing your Private Travel Advisor Joe at joe@privategolftoursireland.com or fill in this simple form and we will call you back.
