Royal Portrush GC

For most club members one outstanding course is golfing heaven, but for the lucky blighters at Royal Portrush, they have two

Royal Portrush is Darren Clarke?s ?home course? when he?s back in town. And there are two 18s here, the ?Dunluce? and the ?Valley?. The ?Dunluce? is rightly regarded as the premier layout having hosted an Open back in 1951 and a whole host of other prestigious comps over the years.

The course itself is a stiff test that makes you think hard on every shot - from the 1st with out of bounds BOTH sides of the fairway, right through to your final putt on 18th, which is the smallest and most tricky to read green on the course. Hard but fair is our assessment. Drive it straight and show a bit of nouse with good course management and you?ll be rewarded. Turn up and try to give it ?Charlie Large Potatoes? and it?ll destroy you. Don?t say you weren?t warned!

For most club members one outstanding course is golfing heaven, but for the lucky blighters at Royal Portrush, they have two. It really is no exaggeration to say the second course here, the ?Valley?, could justifiably warrant Championship status. Make time to play both and you won?t be disappointed.

Best Hole: Drive down towards the sea on the beautiful par-4 5th but hit it too far and you?ll end up on the beach.

Green Fees: Dunluce £90 - £110, Valley Course £32.50 - 37.50

Tel: 028 7082 2311

Web: www.royalportrushgolfclub.com

Mike Harris
Content Director

Mike has been a journalist all his working life, starting out as a football writer with Goal magazine in the 1990s before moving into men’s and women’s lifestyle magazines including Men's Health, In 2003 he joined Golf Monthly and in 2006 he became only the eighth editor in Golf Monthly’s 100-plus year history leading the brand until July 2023. He is now Content Director overseeing Golf Monthly and two other iconic sports brands, FourFourTwo and Rugby World.

His three main passions in golf are courses (he's played over 500 courses worldwide), equipment (he's always in search of something shinny to give him an edge) and shoes (he owns more pairs than he cares to mention!).  

Mike’s handicap index hovers at around 10 and he is a member of four golf clubs: Hartley Wintney, Royal Liverpool, Royal North Devon and the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.


Mike's current What's In The Bag? 

Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus+ 9° - Fujikura Ventus Blue 5S

Fairway woods: TaylorMade Sim Max 3/15° - Fujikura Ventus Blue 6S & TaylorMade Stealth 7/20° - Fujikura Ventus Red 6S

Utility Iron: TaylorMade Stealth UDI 3/21° - Aldila Ascent 90HY

Irons: TaylorMade P790 (5-PW)  - Nippon Tour NSPro 950S

Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 50°, 54° and 58° - KBS Tour Hi-Rev s2.0 hafts

Putter: Evnroll ER2B (Gravity Grip) 

Ball: TaylorMade Tour Response (Yellow)