Skip to main content

The Championships

Over an expanse of 121 years, Portmarnock Golf Club has played host to some of the game’s most distinguished players, from early giants such as Harry Vardon, on to Henry Cotton, Bobby Locke, Sam Snead, Gary Player, and the game’s first super-star, Arnold Palmer. More recently, Padraig Harrington, Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson, David Duval and Paul McGinley have relished its very special challenge.

The Irish Open

From the inaugural staging in 1927, Portmarnock played host to the Irish Open on a further 18 occasions, delivering such illustrious winners as: Fred Daly (1946), Dai Rees (1948), Ben Crenshaw (1976), Hubert Green (1977), Severiano Ballesteros (1986), Bernhard Langer (1987), Ian Woosnam (1988 and ’89), Jose Maria Olazabal (1990) and Michael Campbell (2003). After the event had been revived in 1975, Portmarnock staged it from 1976 to 1982, from 1986 to 1990 and in 2003. And those championships included no fewer than 34 competitors who were either "major" winners in prospect or had already achieved the distinction.

Testimonial

By saying that Portmarnock is long and difficult, which it certainly is, I don’t wish to frighten the handicap player away. There are no unfair carries and remember, there's the added satisfaction of knowing that a moderate score there, would represent top-class play on a shorter, easier parkland stretch.

Person
- Harry Bradshaw