Portmarnock Golf Club
Founded in 1894 on a peninsula once owned by the Jameson whiskey family, Portmarnock has hosted the Irish Open more times than any other course — and its closing five holes are rated by some as the finest finish in golf.
Venue-specific Portmarnock Golf Club photography imported into the TGG Media Library.
Championship scorecard
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | OUT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Par | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 36 |
| Yards | 417 | 411 | 398 | 474 | 422 | 601 | 184 | 427 | 454 | 3,788 |
| Hole | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | IN |
| Par | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 36 |
| Yards | 370 | 429 | 171 | 565 | 411 | 204 | 571 | 472 | 452 | 3,645 |
Total: par 72, approximately 7,466 yards from the championship tees (blue/red combination).
Eighteen holes, hole by hole
1 · Par 4, 417y
The Irish Sea runs the length of the fairway on the right; drift left instead and bunkers around a flat green wait to catch a loose approach.
2 · Par 4, 411y
A left-hand dogleg into a narrower fairway, with a two-tiered green ringed by seven bunkers.
3 · Par 4, 398y
Another dogleg left, sea to the right, with mounding on the left that can stall a wayward drive before the approach.
4 · Par 4, 474y
A long two-shotter lined with fairway bunkers most of the way to the green.
5 · Par 4, 422y
The stroke-index-1 hole: a blind drive over mounding, with bunkers front-right guarding the target.
6 · Par 5, 601y
A blind-drive par 5 that plays wildly differently depending on the prevailing wind — reachable one day, a genuine three-shotter the next.
7 · Par 3, 184y
The first of the par 3s, where club selection depends entirely on which way the wind is blowing that day.
8 · Par 4, 427y
A third dogleg left on the front nine, needing two well-struck shots to find the green in regulation.
9 · Par 4, 454y
Turns back toward the clubhouse, defended chiefly by an undulating green.
10 · Par 4, 370y
A dogleg to an elevated green; anything struck slightly off-line tends to roll away into the fringe.
11 · Par 4, 429y
A narrow fairway flanked by bushes and pot bunkers guarding the putting surface.
12 · Par 3, 171y
Turns back toward the sea, to one of the toughest greens on the course.
13 · Par 5, 565y
A par 5 with a course-record 16 bunkers scattered along it — the number alone tells you what’s at stake.
14 · Par 4, 411y
Another left-hand dogleg, its green sitting within mounds and protected by pot bunkers.
15 · Par 3, 204y
Widely named the favourite hole on the course: beach and sea down the right, run-off areas and rough around a green guarded by bunkers up front. This is where a young Phil Mickelson, practising during a Walker Cup, reportedly hit the green playing both right- and left-handed.
16 · Par 5, 571y
Ten bunkers including cross-bunkers to clear, finishing at a small green that demands an accurate approach.
17 · Par 4, 472y
Strategically bunkered throughout its length — there’s no easy way to avoid all of them and still reach in two.
18 · Par 4, 452y
A strong finish: three fairway bunkers to clear from the tee, then three more guarding the green.
Championship pedigree without unnecessary theatre
Portmarnock’s appeal is the accumulation of decisions. The course asks where the next shot should be played from, how much of the wind to accept and when a conservative line protects the scorecard. Golf writer Bernard Darwin rated the closing five holes among the best finishes anywhere in the game, and the club’s Irish Open winners’ list reads like a major championship roll call — Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam and Jose Maria Olazabal among them.
Position first, attack second
Use the angles
Fairway position matters because the next shot can change significantly depending on which side of the hole you occupy.
Control the flight
Sea air and wind make trajectory control central to the round. A lower, predictable ball flight can be more useful than chasing height or carry.
Stay patient
The strongest plan is usually the one that avoids turning a small positional error into a difficult recovery sequence.
For experienced links travellers and Dublin-based groups
Portmarnock works naturally for experienced club golfers, championship-course collectors and groups who want to combine serious golf with a Dublin stay. Its strongest role is as a headline round within a wider Irish east-coast itinerary.
Use Dublin as the practical base
A Dublin base keeps airport access, dining and accommodation straightforward while allowing the golf to stay central. For a short high-quality break, avoid overloading the itinerary: protect enough time between rounds for recovery, hydration and a slower evening.
Check current visitor information
Visitor access, tee-time availability, green fees, handicap requirements, dress guidance and seasonal restrictions can change. Confirm current arrangements directly with the club before travelling and check the coastal forecast before the round.