Overview
Rathmore Golf Club plays over a valley in the dunes just outside Portrush, sharing its ground with the far more famous Royal Portrush next door. The course, known as the Valley Links, runs 6,304 yards to a par of 70, tucked between the sweep of the East Strand to the north and Royal Portrush’s championship Dunluce Links to the south. It’s maintained to the same standard as its celebrated neighbour, which is much of the appeal: this is the way to play top-quality links ground on the Causeway Coast without a championship green fee. The trade-off is that you’re on the Valley, not the Dunluce – and in 2019 the Valley gave up two of its holes to the Dunluce for the Open, its old first now playing as the tenth.
A club with an outsized roll of honour
For a small members’ club, Rathmore’s record is remarkable. Fred Daly, the 1947 Open champion and the first Irishman to win it, learned his golf here, and Graeme McDowell – the 2010 U.S. Open champion – is a member who still turns up for practice rounds and club days. The 2019 Open, won by Shane Lowry, was played right next door on the Dunluce.
The club’s own story is longer than its official age suggests. Long before it had a name, townspeople from the Ramore harbour district – “Ramore” comes from the Irish Rath Mór, “big fort” – played the links as “Privileged Players”, locals granted access to the coastal fairways by Royal Portrush. The first formal record of “Rathmore Golf Club” appears in the Royal Portrush council minutes of October 1947, when the club sought affiliation to the Golfing Union of Ireland; a purpose-built clubhouse followed in 1953, opened by Lady Babington. The club took the All-Ireland Junior Cup in 1948 and again in 1949. If the history grabs you, the clubhouse sells The Privileged Players – The Story of Rathmore Golf Club…so far for £5.
The course
The Valley sits in what’s known locally as the War Hollow, said to be the site of an old battle between the chieftains of The Route and Magnus Barefoot, King of Norway. Despite the “Valley” name it’s anything but flat: the fairways run through humps, hollows and sudden falls that put a premium on club selection and position, with the Atlantic wind rarely off your neck. Three sets of tees suit different handicaps.
Booking and green fees
All tee times for Rathmore are booked through Royal Portrush – call 028 7082 2311 or use the link from the club’s website. Book well ahead in summer and for open competitions. Green fees vary by season and aren’t published as fixed rates, so confirm the current charge when you book; playing with a member is cheaper, as are the club’s own open days.
Facilities
The clubhouse has a licensed restaurant and bar, a practice putting green, free Wi-Fi, accessible toilets and a defibrillator; tuition can be arranged through the Royal Portrush professionals. Soft-spike shoes are required and the dress code is neat and casual, with no denim on the course. Free parking is on site, though it fills during tournament weeks and peak summer, so arrive early.
Around the Causeway Coast
Rathmore’s setting makes an easy base for the wider Antrim Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The golden sands of the East Strand run right past the clubhouse; the cliff-top ruins of Dunluce Castle are a short drive south; and Portrush itself has the pubs, shops and restaurants.
For golfers wanting more, Ballyreagh, Bushfoot and Benone are all within a short drive. Rathmore stays a favourite for one simple reason: championship-standard links ground, next door to an Open venue, without the Open venue’s price. Book through Royal Portrush on 028 7082 2311 and come ready for the Atlantic breeze.