Portmarnock

[Jordan Beasley]

Quick business trip to Dublin later this month, and I just booked a weekday morning tee time for my first ever round in Ireland, at Portmarnock. I'd love to get any advice from GCA folks who are very familiar with this club, both as it relates to playing the course as well as etiquette/customs in and around the clubhouse, with members, etc. I'm a Northern California guy (~12-handicap) but worked in London for a few years which gave some experience with real links golf (Old & New courses, Crail, RCD, Silloth, St. Enodoc).  Thanks in advance!

[Keith Phillips]

I played Portmarnock several times while on business trips to Dublin in the early-2020s.  I never saw many members around but it is certainly a 'proper' club so one should dress and behave appropriately.  I consider the golf course to be very strong, but certainly less 'dramatic' than RCD or Silloth or Crail.  I love it and would happily play it time and again, but it is less likely to 'wow' you than some others.

[David_Tepper]

Portmarnock was the first course I played in Ireland and the first round of links golf I played anywhere. It is hard to believe that happened 38 years ago.

You can find "Dress Code" info on the club's website:

https://www.portmarnockgolfclub.ie/visitors

"Jacket is required in the Members’ Bar and the main dining room." I presume that means a sport coat or blazer.

"Ordinary footwear only is allowed in bar and dining areas."

Have fun. Safe travels.
 

[Tommy Williamsen]

The course is now more forgiving off the tee than it used to be. I hope you are playing with someone that can tell you about some of the shots into the greens. It is a course where the ground game is important.

[JohnVDB]

I was there last year with a bunch of USGA friends.  They were very accommodating and friendly. They did have outside seating for food and beverage service but it might not be going now that the weather is getting nastier.


I loved the clubs vibe and the course.  The greens were in perfect condition and had some very good movement.  It is also very flat for the most part and a very easy walking course.


Have a great time.

[Brad Tufts]

Its a great place, low key but with a long history.


Try to play the third nine too if you have time…its a bit shorter but also awesome!

[Ally Mcintosh]

Jordan, what day are you playing and are you on your own?


A jacket won’t be needed if you are merely going upstairs for a bite after your round.

[Matthew Galloway]

Fantastic golf course and club. The few times I played in 2019 I got a strong we don't want you here vibe from the folks inside. they can be a bit of sticklers of wearing golf shoes in the casual grill area upstairs. Was never asked to wear a jacket inside either. Certainly consult the club website to get the best info.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I have eaten in the (Harry) Bradshaw Room. It is golf clothing casual. It is named after the long-time beloved pro. I played with his young grandson, also named Harry Bradshaw. His nickname at the club is "The Room."

[Mike Sweeney]

A jacket won’t be needed if you are merely going upstairs for a bite after your round.

But it is often fun to mark a special place and a special golf course with a jacket to celebrate the occasion!!


I belong to a very informal West Coast of Ireland club, and prefer the Huckaby tradition of "a beer and a bowl of soup" for my day to day golfing, but I just loved Portmarnock. I found the Members to be wonderful host. I hope to go back in '23, and see Saint Pat's too.

[Ally Mcintosh]

A jacket won’t be needed if you are merely going upstairs for a bite after your round.

But it is often fun to mark a special place and a special golf course with a jacket to celebrate the occasion!!


I belong to a very informal West Coast of Ireland club, and prefer the Huckaby tradition of "a beer and a bowl of soup" for my day to day golfing, but I just loved Portmarnock. I found the Members to be wonderful host. I hope to go back in '23, and see Saint Pat's too.

Well give me a shout if you do, Mike; and leave a spot free on your Portmarnock tee-time… I’d be offended if you didn’t!

[Jon Heise]

I loved it.  Everyone made me feel very comfortable as a solo player who had no idea where to go.

[Daryl David]

Portmarnock is the one place near Dublin that I always think about when considering a return trip to the area. Highly underrated in my opinion. Probably the best 27 hole day you can have on a links course. Many pints can be consumed while debating which 9 was preferred. Amazing how many players will pick the Yellow nine.

[Jordan Beasley]

Thanks to everyone who chimed in on this thread! I'd like to report back after my inaugural visit.


I am happiest as a golfer when a course (and club) are giving me a unique and genuine connection to a local ecosystem and/or the local community.  And walking off the last green at Portmarnock, I was a very happy golfer.


This is a course in a beautiful Irish estuary. And from the first brackish breath out of the taxi to the last hole of the Blue nine, I was glad to be surrounded by the many residents of this estuary. I can't think of a better course for birding - gulls and crows, yes, but also ring-necked pheasants, larks and sparrow, oystercatchers, white wagtails...the list goes on. The club's logo features a lapwing, and perhaps the day's only disappointment was not spotting one myself. Littered throughout the course I found fascinating evidence of a thriving ecosystem: beautiful clam and mussel shells, neatly split in two and pecked clean. Half-consumed rodent and amphibian carcasses.  I was stopped in my tracks by the variety of fungi growing in the rough areas - a few mushrooms were large enough to serve as tee markers!  As for the grasses and other flora - they were varied and colorful and perfectly unpredictable without being punitive or claustrophobic (I shot 90 from the members' tees off a 12-handicap but didn't lose a ball all day).

Amidst all this raw nature, Portmarnock also connected me to the local community in a couple of surprising ways. The horizon views (and aiming lines), particularly on the front nine, are often across the estuary to the smokestacks and commercial buildings of greater Dublin.  And the birds weren't the only flying companions I had during my round. I must have watched 30 different airplanes descending into Dublin airport right over the golf course.  Aer Lingus, Emirates, Ryanair....a constant stream coming from all over the world to this bustling and rapidly growing capital city. I was told by one of the pros that just 15-20 years ago, Dublin's population was half what it is now, and the industrial scene across the estuary was nothing but rolling farmland.  These man-made scenery pieces were more interesting diversion than annoying distraction. Why?  Because they made sense for the place I was visiting.

And of course, the golf was excellent.  Hard to find a weak hole, and it's a testament to the architecture that so much excitement is created even without the benefit of dramatic micro/macro land movement or monstrous dunes.  It made me wonder - is Portmarnock equal to Royal County Down, setting aside scenery/dune size?

I preferred the Red nine (especially the stretch from 3-8) to the Blue, with #4 as my favorite hole. The stately trees presiding over the right side will be a lasting memory, and the strategy is engaging. Flirt with the bunkers/trees up the right, or risk a gradually more obscured view of the green as you bail further left.  The front of the green is open for a running shot on this long par-4, but if you're like me the slope of the green might take you all the way off the back, where you will make double bogey.

For anyone who has not been, I can highly recommend it as a "must-play" if you are in the Dublin area!  And for those who have played it, I would love to hear more memories and analysis.

[Sean_A]

Thanks to everyone who chimed in on this thread! I'd like to report back after my inaugural visit.


I am happiest as a golfer when a course (and club) are giving me a unique and genuine connection to a local ecosystem and/or the local community.  And walking off the last green at Portmarnock, I was a very happy golfer.


This is a course in a beautiful Irish estuary. And from the first brackish breath out of the taxi to the last hole of the Blue nine, I was glad to be surrounded by the many residents of this estuary. I can't think of a better course for birding - gulls and crows, yes, but also ring-necked pheasants, larks and sparrow, oystercatchers, white wagtails...the list goes on. The club's logo features a lapwing, and perhaps the day's only disappointment was not spotting one myself. Littered throughout the course I found fascinating evidence of a thriving ecosystem: beautiful clam and mussel shells, neatly split in two and pecked clean. Half-consumed rodent and amphibian carcasses.  I was stopped in my tracks by the variety of fungi growing in the rough areas - a few mushrooms were large enough to serve as tee markers!  As for the grasses and other flora - they were varied and colorful and perfectly unpredictable without being punitive or claustrophobic (I shot 90 from the members' tees off a 12-handicap but didn't lose a ball all day).

Amidst all this raw nature, Portmarnock also connected me to the local community in a couple of surprising ways. The horizon views (and aiming lines), particularly on the front nine, are often across the estuary to the smokestacks and commercial buildings of greater Dublin.  And the birds weren't the only flying companions I had during my round. I must have watched 30 different airplanes descending into Dublin airport right over the golf course.  Aer Lingus, Emirates, Ryanair....a constant stream coming from all over the world to this bustling and rapidly growing capital city. I was told by one of the pros that just 15-20 years ago, Dublin's population was half what it is now, and the industrial scene across the estuary was nothing but rolling farmland.  These man-made scenery pieces were more interesting diversion than annoying distraction. Why?  Because they made sense for the place I was visiting.

And of course, the golf was excellent.  Hard to find a weak hole, and it's a testament to the architecture that so much excitement is created even without the benefit of dramatic micro/macro land movement or monstrous dunes.  It made me wonder - is Portmarnock equal to Royal County Down, setting aside scenery/dune size?

I preferred the Red nine (especially the stretch from 3-8) to the Blue, with #4 as my favorite hole. The stately trees presiding over the right side will be a lasting memory, and the strategy is engaging. Flirt with the bunkers/trees up the right, or risk a gradually more obscured view of the green as you bail further left.  The front of the green is open for a running shot on this long par-4, but if you're like me the slope of the green might take you all the way off the back, where you will make double bogey.

For anyone who has not been, I can highly recommend it as a "must-play" if you are in the Dublin area!  And for those who have played it, I would love to hear more memories and analysis.

Cheers 🤌

Ciao

[Darragh Garrahy]

Glad you enjoyed. Now we just need to get the few remaining stately trees on the 4th down!

Thanks to everyone who chimed in on this thread! I'd like to report back after my inaugural visit.


I am happiest as a golfer when a course (and club) are giving me a unique and genuine connection to a local ecosystem and/or the local community.  And walking off the last green at Portmarnock, I was a very happy golfer.


This is a course in a beautiful Irish estuary. And from the first brackish breath out of the taxi to the last hole of the Blue nine, I was glad to be surrounded by the many residents of this estuary. I can't think of a better course for birding - gulls and crows, yes, but also ring-necked pheasants, larks and sparrow, oystercatchers, white wagtails...the list goes on. The club's logo features a lapwing, and perhaps the day's only disappointment was not spotting one myself. Littered throughout the course I found fascinating evidence of a thriving ecosystem: beautiful clam and mussel shells, neatly split in two and pecked clean. Half-consumed rodent and amphibian carcasses.  I was stopped in my tracks by the variety of fungi growing in the rough areas - a few mushrooms were large enough to serve as tee markers!  As for the grasses and other flora - they were varied and colorful and perfectly unpredictable without being punitive or claustrophobic (I shot 90 from the members' tees off a 12-handicap but didn't lose a ball all day).

Amidst all this raw nature, Portmarnock also connected me to the local community in a couple of surprising ways. The horizon views (and aiming lines), particularly on the front nine, are often across the estuary to the smokestacks and commercial buildings of greater Dublin.  And the birds weren't the only flying companions I had during my round. I must have watched 30 different airplanes descending into Dublin airport right over the golf course.  Aer Lingus, Emirates, Ryanair....a constant stream coming from all over the world to this bustling and rapidly growing capital city. I was told by one of the pros that just 15-20 years ago, Dublin's population was half what it is now, and the industrial scene across the estuary was nothing but rolling farmland.  These man-made scenery pieces were more interesting diversion than annoying distraction. Why?  Because they made sense for the place I was visiting.

And of course, the golf was excellent.  Hard to find a weak hole, and it's a testament to the architecture that so much excitement is created even without the benefit of dramatic micro/macro land movement or monstrous dunes.  It made me wonder - is Portmarnock equal to Royal County Down, setting aside scenery/dune size?

I preferred the Red nine (especially the stretch from 3-8) to the Blue, with #4 as my favorite hole. The stately trees presiding over the right side will be a lasting memory, and the strategy is engaging. Flirt with the bunkers/trees up the right, or risk a gradually more obscured view of the green as you bail further left.  The front of the green is open for a running shot on this long par-4, but if you're like me the slope of the green might take you all the way off the back, where you will make double bogey.

For anyone who has not been, I can highly recommend it as a "must-play" if you are in the Dublin area!  And for those who have played it, I would love to hear more memories and analysis.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Lovely write-up, Jordan. Glad you enjoyed it.


You ask whether it is the equal of RCD? I tend to think it is, and perhaps surpasses it from a pure golfing perspective.

[Tom_Doak]

You ask whether it is the equal of RCD? I tend to think it is, and perhaps surpasses it from a pure golfing perspective.

Ally:


Not picking on you and I know you are a proud member of the place, but what exactly do you mean by "a pure golfing perspective".  Just the interest of the golf shots you have to play and stripping everything else away?


What caught my ear most in Jordan's description was that he highlighted the setting and the wildlife right up front.  And even the airplanes!  That's not quite the same as Royal County Down -- too bad Jordan didn't get there for comparison -- but I do agree with him that it has character, which is an important ingredient for a great course.  And something I am not sure you're including in your "pure golfing perspective".

[Ally Mcintosh]

Tom,


Almost every shot at Portmarnock is about angles, normally very subtle ones. I don’t think that is quite the same at RCD. Portmarnock’s green sites are grossly underrated by most because they don’t tend to jump out at you.


If he had been to RCD, there’s a very good chance Jordan’s description would have led with the purple heather, the various flora, the surrounding mountains or the marram on the bunkers, none of which - as Pat Mucci might tell us - has anything to do with the golf. I will give you that RCD is more spectacularly beautiful (although Jordan was opening the way he did to indicate that there is a beauty in Portmarnock too)… but I can’t agree that RCD demands that you think more about how you play each golf shot.


That has very little to do with my membership.


The standing of Portmarnock’s quality as decided by ranking panels is one of those examples where the regional opinion differs from the worldwide one. The current ranker class - whose opinions have been at least someway shaped by your own - will always rank a Ballybunion or RCD over a Portmarnock. To accept that, you have to also accept that a considerable number of hit ‘n’ run architectural connoisseurs can tell more in one or two visits than a well established network of Irish golfers, administrators, architects and course lovers.

[Ben Stephens]

Ally,


i absolutely loved Portmarnock its so underrated - to me it is a proper golfer's course and challenging. For me its the 'Carnoustie' of Ireland (Carnoustie is my favourite links in Scotland) where the holes do go in different directions unlike RCD which is the best conditioned links course with spectacular scenery. As a Cat 1 golfer if I had a choice of course to play a tournament it is Portmarnock over RCD as its fairer and less blind shots plus challenging greens and awesome par 3's - a proper Championship course.


If the Open ever goes to Eire - Portmarnock would be the host without doubt.


Cheers
Ben


 

[Ally Mcintosh]

Ben,


I’ve heard you compare it to Carnoustie and Tom - at least in terms of club and vibe - compare it to Muirfield. I can see elements of both but really it has its own unique sense of place.


Regards conditioning, it’s been a few years since RCD surpassed Portmarnock. There have been more than a few commentators recognise that the sward and firmness at Portmarnock may be the best in GB&I.


Finally, in case my post above is taken as too much of a generalisation, I’d be quite happy to put holes head to head against each other. But for the sake of one comparison, I’ll match up the 9th at RCD against the 5th at PGC. I do this because they are uncannily similar in character, both with blind tee shots that fall in to a lower dune valley. RCD’s hole is heralded as one of the greats in world golf yet it is an inferior hole to the 5th at PGC which goes completely unmentioned. The reason I say this is because the protective mound on the front right of the 5th green makes a huge difference to where you want to play your approach from. The 9th at RCD does not ask a similar question…. But with the 9th, you’re aiming at Slieve Donard and with the 5th, you’re aiming at the Pigeon House smokestacks 20km away in the distance. The 9th is beautiful. So the 9th wins for most people. The 5th is a better golf hole. It wins for me.

[JMEvensky]

Finally, in case my post above is taken as too much of a generalisation, I’d be quite happy to put holes head to head against each other. But for the sake of one comparison, I’ll match up the 9th at RCD against the 5th at PGC. I do this because they are uncannily similar in character, both with blind tee shots that fall in to a lower dune valley. RCD’s hole is heralded as one of the greats in world golf yet it is an inferior hole to the 5th at PGC which goes completely unmentioned. The reason I say this is because the protective mound on the front right of the 5th green makes a huge difference to where you want to play your approach from. The 9th at RCD does not ask a similar question…. But with the 9th, you’re aiming at Slieve Donard and with the 5th, you’re aiming at the Pigeon House smokestacks 20km away in the distance. The 9th is beautiful. So the 9th wins for most people. The 5th is a better golf hole. It wins for me.

I've played each only once and have to admit to being wowed by the backdrop at RCD #9--every golfer should get to walk to the top of that hill in his/her lifetime.


I had a perfect day at each but Portmarnock wins by a nose for me.


The ghost of Pat Mucci would disapprove but being in Dublin, maybe my favorite city, earns Portmarnock bonus points. I concede that has nothing to do with the golf courses, but I'm not able to separate them--and don't really want to.


Ally M., I envy you.

[Darragh Garrahy]

Re conditioning and in particular the objective measurements of the surfaces, Portmarnock has one or two equals across the world. Blessed with many advantages but also 15 or so years of following the right path on all of this.

Ben,


I’ve heard you compare it to Carnoustie and Tom - at least in terms of club and vibe - compare it to Muirfield. I can see elements of both but really it has its own unique sense of place.


Regards conditioning, it’s been a few years since RCD surpassed Portmarnock. There have been more than a few commentators recognise that the sward and firmness at Portmarnock may be the best in GB&I.


Finally, in case my post above is taken as too much of a generalisation, I’d be quite happy to put holes head to head against each other. But for the sake of one comparison, I’ll match up the 9th at RCD against the 5th at PGC. I do this because they are uncannily similar in character, both with blind tee shots that fall in to a lower dune valley. RCD’s hole is heralded as one of the greats in world golf yet it is an inferior hole to the 5th at PGC which goes completely unmentioned. The reason I say this is because the protective mound on the front right of the 5th green makes a huge difference to where you want to play your approach from. The 9th at RCD does not ask a similar question…. But with the 9th, you’re aiming at Slieve Donard and with the 5th, you’re aiming at the Pigeon House smokestacks 20km away in the distance. The 9th is beautiful. So the 9th wins for most people. The 5th is a better golf hole. It wins for me.

[Ben Stephens]

Ben,


I’ve heard you compare it to Carnoustie and Tom - at least in terms of club and vibe - compare it to Muirfield. I can see elements of both but really it has its own unique sense of place.


Regards conditioning, it’s been a few years since RCD surpassed Portmarnock. There have been more than a few commentators recognise that the sward and firmness at Portmarnock may be the best in GB&I.


Finally, in case my post above is taken as too much of a generalisation, I’d be quite happy to put holes head to head against each other. But for the sake of one comparison, I’ll match up the 9th at RCD against the 5th at PGC. I do this because they are uncannily similar in character, both with blind tee shots that fall in to a lower dune valley. RCD’s hole is heralded as one of the greats in world golf yet it is an inferior hole to the 5th at PGC which goes completely unmentioned. The reason I say this is because the protective mound on the front right of the 5th green makes a huge difference to where you want to play your approach from. The 9th at RCD does not ask a similar question…. But with the 9th, you’re aiming at Slieve Donard and with the 5th, you’re aiming at the Pigeon House smokestacks 20km away in the distance. The 9th is beautiful. So the 9th wins for most people. The 5th is a better golf hole. It wins for me.

Carnoustie and Portmarnock are both not that 'pretty' compared to RCD Muirfield etc. However they have their own identity, is long, hard and challenging which I like. The 15th at Portmarnock is an all world hole! its a great par three which can scare the s*** out of you   

[Stewart Abramson]

Tom,


Almost every shot at Portmarnock is about angles, normally very subtle ones. I don’t think that is quite the same at RCD. Portmarnock’s green sites are grossly underrated by most because they don’t tend to jump out at you.


If he had been to RCD, there’s a very good chance Jordan’s description would have led with the purple heather, the various flora, the surrounding mountains or the marram on the bunkers, none of which - as Pat Mucci might tell us - has anything to do with the golf. I will give you that RCD is more spectacularly beautiful (although Jordan was opening the way he did to indicate that there is a beauty in Portmarnock too)… but I can’t agree that RCD demands that you think more about how you play each golf shot.


That has very little to do with my membership.


The standing of Portmarnock’s quality as decided by ranking panels is one of those examples where the regional opinion differs from the worldwide one. The current ranker class - whose opinions have been at least someway shaped by your own - will always rank a Ballybunion or RCD over a Portmarnock. To accept that, you have to also accept that a considerable number of hit ‘n’ run architectural connoisseurs can tell more in one or two visits than a well established network of Irish golfers, administrators, architects and course lovers.

Ally, You mention subtlety, which is  a characteristic that many visitors who play a course one or two times and some raters don't appreciate. All things being equal from "a pure golfing perspective", I think a links with high dunes and elevated tees with postcard views will get the nod from most raters and "retail golfers" over links without those features. IMO subtlety, absence of high dunes and elevated views are reasons why Portmarnock is underappreciated by some.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/golfcoursepix/albums/72157670278903655  Portmarnock photos