Open Championship 2019: Royal Portrush course map

The year before he won the first of his record six Open Championships, Harry Vardon lost in the final match against Sandy Herd in the first professional tournament ever held in Ireland. That match was played at Royal Portrush (Herd was the club’s first pro) in 1895, and since then more than 50 Irish and British national championships have unfolded on this links gem.

Suffice it to say that the place oozes history. And menace. Never content to rest on its laurels, the course has undergone numerous design tweaks over the years, most recently in preparation for this month’s Open. Holes seven and eight are new. Former holes 17 and 18 are now part of the hospitality village. It’s been 68 years since the R&A has brought its championship to Royal Portrush, and to that we say, “Welcome Back.”