The Open at Portrush was the quickest sell out in the history of the championship and when new tickets were release they all got snapped up within an hour and all practice days are sold out. The excitement here is palpebral and I can feel it as we pull through the gate, one of the first things I noticed on the drive in was the amount of classy little chalets that have been built around the area with their own barbeque decks they are certainly banking on Portrush being back on The Open rota permanently.
The first few holes have not changed with the opening hole being played uphill to a very tricky green, the first of the two par 3s comes at the 3rd hole, but it’s the 6th named Harry Colt after the original designer that will test the pros, anything short will see the ball rolling off into thick grass from this raised green.
Top: The par 5, 7th hole. Above LtoR: Official photos of various views the course
Just stepping back one hole will be a risk and reward hole for the pros, standing on the tee I am aiming at the far bunker on the left of the fairway, but I am sure a lot of the professionals will be going for the green and as I walk down the fairway I can see the R&A are growing the grass just short of the green on that line and it is already looking thick and should make interesting viewing.
The 7th is one of the new holes that have been put in for The Open this work was carried out by golf architect Martin Ebert of Mackenzie and Ebert. There are five new greens, eight new tee boxes, 10 new bunkers and two new holes, the 7th and 8th on land which was once part of the Valley course.
Standing on the elevated tee of the uphill par-5 7th named Curran Point you would think this hole was part of the original Harry Colt design and that is down to the great work by Martin and the team, unfortunately my tee shot finds the rather large bunker on the right of the fairway and I take two to get out.
The new 8th hole runs in the opposite direction and has been named Dunluce, be warned those two bunkers in the right side of fairway are reachable as I have just found out. The 9th brings you to the renowned halfway hut and after some much-needed refreshments we start the back nine. I love the 10th hole with the thin green nestled in the dune.
The first of the par 3s on the back nine comes at the 13th and is played from an elevated tee and is surrounded by five bunkers. The course closes with a pair of classic holes the 17th known as Purgatory is 405-yards from the tournaments tees but plays downhill and will be reachable for the pros and with only two bunkers protecting the green we could see some dramatic finishes.
The course closes with a dogleg right with some very deep cross-bunkers sitting in the fairway, anything close to the left of the green will run away and down into a collection area. I am playing the course today with the stands all in place and walking down the fairway gives me goose bumps and they are empty, but I can imagine the roars as the champions golfer of the year takes that same walk in July and he will thoroughly deserve all those accolades that come his way as this has tested every part of my golf game today.
Above: Sea views at the 5th hole with the 6th tee to the left
