Playing the Course
On Christmas Eve 1893 a Scottish insurance broker, W.C.Pickeman and his friend George Ross rowed over from Sutton to the peninsula of Portmarnock to explore the possibility of creating a golf links on a two-mile long, 500-acre peninsula.
With low sand dunes, small green hollows and long valleys it was ideal golfing ground and was first used in 1858 by the Jameson family who lived in St. Marnock’s and owned the land.
The course opened on Saint Stephen’s day 1894 with nine holes. It was extended to eighteen holes in 1896 with a new clubhouse and a further nine holes were added in 1971.
Portmarnock Golf Club
Portmarnock is arguably the best Championship Course in Ireland. It’s hosted all of Ireland’s major championships from the Irish Ladies Close to the Irish Open and also some of the world ’s biggest events including the Canada Cup in 1960 and the Walker Cup in 1991 when America triumphed by 14/10.
Amongst the winners of eighteen Irish Open Championships are Bobby Locke, Sam Torrance, Seve Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam, Bernhard Langer, Jose Maria Olazabal, Ben Crenshaw, Hubert Greene, John O’Leary, Mark James, Ken Browne and Michael Campbell. Bernhard Langer shot 67-68-66-68 in 1987 for a record-shattering total of 279 beating the previous best by seven shots.
Location:
Golf Links Rd,
Stapolin,
Portmarnock,
Co. Dublin,
D13 KD96,
Ireland
