7 Things to See at Portmarnock Golf Club Explore the Crown Jewel of Golf Near Dublin Located near the iconic sites of Dublin, Portmarnock Golf Club is arguably the most storied club in Ireland. The club began its life as the personal golf course for distiller John Jameson. Near the end of the 19th century,…
Royal Dublin Golf Club
Some photos courtesy of Royal Dublin Golf Club
Course Guide
- Club Founded: 1885
- Par 72
- 6488 Yards
- Designer: Harry Colt
- 6-time host of the Irish Open
- Pro Tip: Mind the burn on the 18th hole.
Nearby Courses
Royal Dublin Golf Podcast
Course Description
The Dublin Golf Club was formed at a meeting on Grafton Street in 1885, making it the 2nd oldest club in Ireland. The club soon received its Royal patronage from Queen Victoria and in 1889 moved to an island which didn’t exist just 70 years prior. A distinction that merits further explanation.
For much of its early history, the city of Dublin fought an ongoing battle against silting from the River Liffe which often made its harbor impassable to arriving ships. In 1800, Captain William Bligh, best known for his role in the Mutiny on The Bounty, oversaw the construction of a sea wall to protect the harbor. The wall was completed in 1823, and soon the gathering silt resulted in a new island.
The members of the Royal Dublin Golf Club knew a good opportunity when they saw it, and moved to purchase 160 acres of the sandy, waterfront property.
Royal Dublin – Classic Links Golf Near Dublin
The club officially relocated to Bull Island in 1889, however the original links was damaged beyond repair when it served as a training base during the Great War. In 1920, Harry S. Colt was commissioned to redesign the course, leading to much of the layout as it is played today. His work at Royal Dublin adding to Colt’s already impressive legacy, which includes the likes of Muirfield, Royal County Down, and Sunningdale New.
As one might expect from a course built on what amounts to a giant sandbar, Royal Dublin is without the towering dunes and sweeping terrain common to other links courses in Ireland. What the course lacks in inspiring topography it more than offsets with a layout which demands a focus on strategic play. The bunkers at Royal Dublin join those at County Down as some of the most penal in Ireland, while the exposed nature of Bull Island delivers a constant battering from the swirling winds. Simply put, Royal Dublin has a tendency to both reward the prudent play and punish the loose swing in equal measure.
In 2006, the club engaged Dr. Martin Hawtree - “The Open Doctor” - to make enhancements to the course with an aim to bring it up to speed with the modern game. The changes have been well received and it would be of little surprise to see the Irish Open return to these venerable links for the 7th time in its history. Until then, the visiting golfer can enjoy a course which flies under the radar as compared to its other Royal colleagues, right in the heart of one of Europe’s great cities.
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