Portmarnock Golf Club

A perfect example is found on the delightful opening hole, which is pressed hard against the inlet waters to the right. Take the bold line off the tee and we’re rewarded with a relatively straightforward approach, but steer away from the water and things get a little more complicated. The same holds true ahead on the 4th, where the #1 stroke index subconsciously leads us up the left side to avoid a collection of pot bunkers. If there’s to be any hope of holding this tricky green, however, it must be from the right side off the tee.

As it reaches its end, only then does the round at Portmarnock truly begin. Bernard Darwin once lamented “I know of no greater finish in the world than that of the last 5 holes at Portmarnock” and this closing stretch more than lives up to that hyperbole. The par-4 14th usually plays downwind, which may partially explain how Irish great Joe Carr managed to record an ace here. This is followed by what Ben Crenshaw famously called the “the shortest par-5 I’ve ever played.” It actually happens to be one of the greatest par-3s in golf.

A run of par-4s sees us to the clubhouse, where we find an outstanding collection of memorabilia from over a century of golf history. Portmarnock has played host to the Irish Open some 19 times, and up until 2014 was the only course outside of Great Britain to hold the Amateur Championship. Quite a journey for a club that began with a yuletide exploration by two golfers in a rowboat.