As a member of Portrush, I've spent a lot time thinking and dreaming as to how the course could be easily modified to fit the R&A specs to accommodate a return Open. The Dunluce course in its current form is a tried and proven championship venue, proven again with the recent Irish Open success handling the largest crowds of any European tour event ever. This summer the young bombers will test it again when it hosts the British Amateur. That being said, a few modest changes could make it as challenging as any open venue without giving up the typical sell off of reducing par 5's to 4's and a par of 70. Portrush has the capacity to host as long and tough a course as the R&A desires without restricting the number of patrons, a unique situation for the R&A accountants to consider.
From what I can speculate, Peter Dawson and company want to take the current #17 and #18 out of play to accommodate the merchandise and hospitality "tent" city. Lets assume thats the case which would make current # 16 a great finishing hole with plenty of room for grandstands. Add one extra tee block and its as tough an open finisher as you'll ever see. I agree with Tony's comments that the R&A would be crazy to alter the present classic Valley holes # 4 and #5 just for a one off four-day tournament, but I wouldn't put it past them. So here's just one simple solution to make up losing 1050 yards of the existing # 17 and # 18 without undue damage to two great Valley holes.
Play the Dunluce course in order from # 1 through #13. After #13, walk down the hill 120 yards to the existing Valley # 6 tee, play towards the fairway bunker on # 14 as a slight dogleg left to the existing Valley # 13 green. Add a few strategic fairways bunkers and berms if desired, and you have a very strong par 5 of 585 yards. If the R &A wants more yardage, there's plenty of room to add a new tee to the right and behind the existing Valley # 6 tee to make this hole as long as they desire.
Depending on what par option and length the R&A desire for the open championship, the next hole could play as another par 5 from any yardage between 550 to 640 yards, (it is downwind), or as a par 4 of 480 to 515 yards. The longer version tees would be just behind the existing Valley # 12 tees towards the centre of the existing Valley # 3 fairway and then down to the existing # 3 green. The par 4 version could play from the existing front tees of # 3 or a new tee block closer to # 12 green. With both of these hole options, adding a few key strategic bunkers and contours if necessary requires little expense and would remain to enhance the original Valley holes after the hoopla of the open is over.
After putting out on the Valley # 3 green, players would walk back up the hill to the tee at the Par 3 Calamity and a great three hole finish.
This is just one economical suggestion of many I've considered, but thought I'd throw it out there for discussion.