On Christmas Eve 1893, an insurance broker named W.C.Pickeman and his friend George Ross rowed over from Sutton to Portmarnock peninsula to explore the possibility of creating a golf links. The peninsula is about two miles long and covers over 500 acres. The course opened on St. Stephen’s day (Boxing Day) 1894 with nine holes.
The clubhouse was built in 1896, and the course was extended to 18 holes.
Ronnie Dudfield plays her approach into the par four 2nd hole.
The course is under the flight path for Dublin airport, and you can see one of the "big birds" in this shot if you look closely.
The dunes here are far more shallow, and therefore feels more like the links courses I have played in Scotland and England. The fairways and greens are firm and fast, and rough is thick. The club was the host of the Irish Amateur tournament in June.
In 1927, the club hosted the inaugural Irish Open, and has been the host club for the event 19 times.
Katryna Economou plays her fairway wood from the right side of the par four 6th hole.
An example of the deep pot bunkers.
Geoffrey Knight fires his shot in toward the green of the par three 12th hole.
This is the green on the par three 15th. The signature par three at Portmarnock. Two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw christened the par-3 the “shortest par-5 in golf,” after carding two double bogeys on the hole on his way to winning the 1976 Irish Open.
The pot bunkers framing the right side of the fairway on the par five 16th hole.
The approach shot into the par four 18th, with the clubhouse behind. A great course, and a very enjoyable day.
Linton Hayres enjoyed the course more than everyone else, scoring a fine 39 points to take the win.
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