Portmarnock Golf Club | Championship Links
Portmarnock Golf Club | Championship Links
For over a century, Portmarnock has stood as one of the purest tests of links golf in the world. Set on a peninsula just north of Dublin, the Championship Links is surrounded by the sea on three sides, offering a setting as dramatic as it is strategic. Since its founding in 1894, Portmarnock has hosted the Irish Open, the Walker Cup, the Amateur Championship, and countless legends of the game.
The course is the epitome of classic links: subtle, fair, and unrelenting in the wind. Its bunkering is strategically brilliant, its greens are fast and true, and its routing flows naturally with the land. The par-3 15th, played over water to a green set among dunes, is one of Ireland’s great short holes, while the closing stretch from 16 through 18 provides a thrilling finish worthy of its championship pedigree.
Portmarnock is golf stripped to its essence. It does not rely on trickery but on purity of design and nature’s elements. To play it is to experience the game at its most authentic.
At Cypress & Salt, we design Portmarnock itineraries that capture the spirit of this legendary course. From luxury stays in Dublin’s finest hotels to private cultural experiences in the city, we ensure your Portmarnock journey is as seamless and unforgettable off the course as it is on it.
Course Stats
Par: 72
Yardage: 7,466 yards
Course Rating: 77.9
Slope Rating: 146
Designer: William Pickeman & George Ross (1894), Harry Colt refinements
Type: True Links
Signature Holes: 4th (classic links par 4), 15th (par 3 over water), 18th (finishing par 4 with sweeping views)
Championships: 19 Irish Opens, 1991 Walker Cup, 2019 Amateur Championship
Best Seasons to Play
May – September: Prime links conditions and long daylight hours.
June & July: Peak conditioning with lively Dublin summer atmosphere.
April & October: Authentic links golf with quieter tee sheets and wilder weather.
