Ladies and gentlemen... welcome to Royal Portrush - the latest addition to the Open Championship rota and arguably the cream of the crop already. Those who value the history and nostalgia of an Open venue may well put St Andrews first and understandably so but in terms of an out and out championship links test, I doesn't get much better than Portrush.
Growing up in Northern Ireland, you quickly learn of the 'big two' links courses in the country - Royal County Down, host of the 2025 Irish Open (and my home course) and Royal Portrush. These two mammoth venues set the standard for links golf in Ireland, whilst the presence of Portmarnock and Baltray (Co. Louth) in the East and the fabulous fairways of the likes of Lahinch and Ballybunion in the South West mean we are truly spoilt for choice.
