PORTSTEWART:The Equal of Dunluce?

[Carl Johnson]

"Question/request for advice - is there a more difficult and more brutal, both to play and to walk, stretch of links golf in GB&I than holes 1 to 9 on Portstewarts Strand course?"

Thomas D. -

As noted in my prior post, it has been some time (now 19+ years) since I played Portstewart, but I don't remember the front-9 there being especially "brutal" to play or walk.

DT

Agreed.  I played it 4 years ago (2012) when I was 70 and don't recall it being a tough walk, although I suppose you might say I cheated since I used a pull trolley rather than carry my bag.

[Mark Pearce]

Sean,


On the basis of this review I squeezed in a visit to Portstewart last Friday, before flying home from the BUDA visit.  I'm very glad I did.


First, given my liking for Muirfield and the fact that it's clear that we have slightly different biases when it comes to difficulty, I didn't expect to agree that PS is the equal of PR (which is one of my favourite of all courses) and I didn't.  It is, however, very, very good.  There were gale force winds in Northern Ireland last Friday afternoon and the wind was getting up when I played in the morning.  It was also a slightly unusual wind, in that it was straight down the 18th, which became a drive and a short iron!


There's a lot to really like at Portstewart.  The 1st tee shot is a spectacular one but, like you, I found the rest of the hole a little mundane.  I really can't see it as one of the best in Europe, as claimed.  I really liked 2, however, though in the wind I had it played very long.  The par 3s are, as you identify, a weakness, though 3 may be the best of a relatively samey bunch.  There's no doubt that Portrush wins very comfortably on par 3s!  The par 5s, on the other hand are a very, very good set and 4 really sets the tone for them.  Not over long (though brutal in the wind!) but really testing.  It also was the first example of a feature which Portstewart has a lot of, a substantial valley or hollow immediately before the green.


Whilst the front 9 is more spectacular I agree with you that the back 9 is very strong, too.  The entire course is a really good test of driving and makes great use of the terrain.  I didn't find it that bad a walk (though on the back of a trip that took in Carne, Enniscrone, Strandhill and Ballyliffin Glashedy,  the joy of short green to tee walks may have clouded my judgment) at all.  As I mentioned, I played in strong winds (perhaps 25 mph by the end, certainly on the verge of playability) but still found the course very playable.  They have the Irish Open there next year, so it will be very interesting to see how the pros cope.  If they get winds like I saw, it could be very interesting indeed.

[Thomas Dai]

Mark,
What did you reckon of the others you played after Strandhill and before Portstewart?
Atb

[Mark Pearce]

David,


Absolutely loved Cruit Island.  It's just a beautiful place.  I think we had expected a real dumb blonde but the golf is much better than that.


Narin & Portnoo might have been my favourite course of the week.  Stunning views (not quite at the Cruit level but absolutely stunning nonetheless) but some really serious golf and a better walk than many, though the routing around 16 is a bit of a disaster.  2-4 are slightly mundane but good holes, after which it really kicks into gear.


Ballyliffin is an extraordinary dunescape but I was a bit disappointed with the Glashedy.  No doubt it's a good course but it didn't appeal to me in the way that N&P or, for instance, Enniscrone or Strandhill did.

[Thomas Dai]

Mark,
Thanks for these thoughts which are akin to mine from various visits.


A shame you didn't get to play the Old at Ballyliffin. A Ballyliffin member described to me the Glashedy as being made by lots of men with lots of big machines whereas the Old was made by one man with a hand mower. Kind of sums of modern vrs long-time-golf in many ways.
Atb

[Sean_A]

Mark

I don't think P'stewart should be the equal of P'rush, but with the strangling rough at P'rush it is very close for me. Lets hope holding the Open doesn't narrow the course even more, but I have little faith in the R&A process 

Ciao

[Thomas Dai]

Portstewart (Strand) isn't as good as Royal Portrush Dunluce, the more-so now that the Dunluce, at least The Open version, won't have the old 17th and 18th but will have what appear to be two cracking new holes from the Valley courses land instead.


There is a lot of land at Portstewart however...and Portstewart already have two further 18-hole courses, so what could potentially be done with some desire and a cash injection, well that could make things a different story.


Atb

[Mark Pearce]

Mark


I don't think P'stewart should be the equal of P'rush, but with the strangling rough at P'rush it is for me. Lets hope holding the Open doesn't narrow the course even more, but I have little faith in the R&A process 


Ciao

Equally, let's hope the same doesn't happen at Portstewart with the arrival of the Irish Open!


Incidentally, I popped along to Portrush after my game at Portstewart to exchange a shirt I bought there last year and bumped into the European Ryder Cup captain, who was just popping out for a game. 

[Garland Bayley]

There's a lot of earth moving going on on the back nine of The Strand course. Any idea what that is about?

[Michael Whitaker]

Portstewart (Strand) isn't as good as Royal Portrush Dunluce, the more-so now that the Dunluce, at least The Open version, won't have the old 17th and 18th but will have what appear to be two cracking new holes from the Valley courses land instead.

David,


The two new holes at Portrush are indeed cracking! Jerry Kluger and I played there a few days after the Buda with the famous Bill Tennant... the only golfer to have scored a "two" on all 18 Dunluce holes!!!    Quite a feat indeed! The new holes fit into the course seamlessly and will be an excellent addition. However, the members we talked with want their old 17 & 18 returned to them after The Open. They want games to finish under the member's balcony so that they can watch (and heckle) their friends as they come home. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out.


Incidentally... the R&A have spent a great deal of money at Portrush constructing massive a new storage facility for the grounds equipment. Also, they are constructing a series of tunnels to allow players and equipment to around the course without having to interact with the spectators. It is all most elaborate.

[Thomas Dai]

Bumping this thread as the Irish Open is being playing at Portstewart this week.
Any one played it in pre-event mode?
Atb

[Michael Whitaker]

Thanks, Dai, for bumping this thread.

I played Portstewart in 1998 or 99 on a group trip to Ireland organized by a Clemson University booster organization. My fourball included Lucas Glover, the future US Open winner  , who was still in college at the time. Man... it was a joy watching Lucas play this course, carving shots into the fairways and greens. I thought the front nine was the most exciting golf holes I had ever seen. Lots and lots of "wow" factor. The back nine was not as impressive visually, so in comparison it seemed a letdown. I'd really like to visit again now that I have a better appreciation for design over "eye candy." Too bad Jerry and I didn't visit during our Buda grande tour in 2016.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Looking good what little I've been able to see on TV. 


Projected cut at -3 and there has been some wind.  Portstewart is usually thrown into the ring when someone starts a thread asking which other course cuold join the Open rota. Why is the scoring so good?

[Sean_A]

Looking good what little I've been able to see on TV. 


Projected cut at -3 and there has been some wind.  Portstewart is usually thrown into the ring when someone starts a thread asking which other course cuold join the Open rota. Why is the scoring so good?

Spangles

I didn't watch any of the event, but I am stunned by the winning score.

Ciao

[Tony_Muldoon]

I actually saw most of Sunday’s final hours.  Not a great deal of wind.
Wet receptive greens that didn't seem to have difficult to get at hollows or raised portions.  I don't have strong memories of them beyond some general slopes and some big run offs. But the pace was to the liking of the leaders.
But what really set it apart from Portrush was the lack of real rough. Rahm was long but not very straight.  Bash, find and knock it close will give you scores like that.
I liked Porstewart a lot, but the memory hasn’t got warmer over time.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Is the front nine at Portstewart slightly overrated?


I don't know the course that well.

[Thomas Dai]

Of all the higher echelon links around the coast of Ireland Portstewart (Strand) would be one of the last I'd go back too. To me it doesn't have the consistant all-round quality of the other top rated courses nor the quaintness, quirkiness and fun factor of many others. Hard walk too...steep downhill decents while trying to hold back a trolley are not good on the kness. Some terrific individual holes though.
Atb

[Sean_A]

Yes, I would have P'stewart comfortably top 100 GB&I, but it isn't one of my favourites...I am not clamouring to go back.

Ciao

[Garland Bayley]

Enjoyed the front nine, but let down by the back. Think Enniscrone for contrast between in dunes and out of dunes. What Enniscrone gets right is the finish in the dunes by the sea.

[Sean_A]

I revisited Portstewart recently and despite its difficulty, I remain impressed. See the updated tour.

Ciao