Dating back more than a century, Portmarnock Golf & Country Club is steeped in history. It was founded in 1894 by W.C. Pickeman and George Ross. In the years since, Portmarnock Golf Club has gone on to host multiple editions of the British Amateur Championship, as well as the Walker Cup, the Canada Cup, and even the first Irish Open in 1927.
Of course, Portmarnock Golf Club has more to offer than just historical significance. Its 27-hole links course is consistently ranked among the best in the world, and for good reason. Fair as it is breathtaking, Portmarnock is links golf at its purest. American pro golfer Tom Watson described the course by saying, “There are no tricks or nasty surprises, only an honest, albeit searching, test of shot-making skills.”
Watson isn’t the only pro golfer to have sung the praises of Portmarnock. Tiger Woods called it “one of the most enjoyable links courses” he had ever played. Rory McIlroy shared a similar sentiment, naming Portmarnock “one of the world’s greatest links courses.” It’s no wonder Portmarnock Golf Club was ranked the best golf course in Ireland by Golf Digest in both 2004 and 2015.