Royal Portrush Tee Times and Booking

The short answer

You book Royal Portrush in advance, on the club's online booking system or by contacting the club directly, and many visitors go through an approved golf tour operator who holds tee times for fixed dates. There is no daily ballot like the Old Course at St Andrews, so you reserve a confirmed time. Two conditions apply: visitors are expected to be members of a recognized golf club, and a handicap certificate may be requested, which fits a Harry Colt links good enough to host the Open twice in recent years.

The catch is access and timing. Visitor play on the Dunluce is concentrated in weekday windows, there is no visitor golf on Wednesday, and weekend times are limited around members' golf, so the day you can play often decides the trip. Prime summer times go many months ahead. Everything below was checked in June 2026 against Royal Portrush Golf Club visitor information and is indicative, so always confirm the current windows, fees and requirements directly with the club before travelling.

Booking the Dunluce, step by step

Start with your dates, then match them to a visitor window, because the day you can play is the first constraint at Portrush. Once you have a workable day, book through the club's online system or contact the club directly, and have your club membership details and a handicap to hand, since both may be requested. If your dates are fixed and the times you want are gone, an approved tour operator who holds tee time blocks is often the way to secure the round. The Dunluce is a par 72 of around 7,300 yards in its championship setup, with the famous Calamity Corner and the closing stretch that decided the 2019 and 2025 Opens, so it earns the handicap expectation.

Consider pairing the Dunluce with the Valley Links, the excellent companion course, which is far cheaper, easier to book and a fine warm up. Read the cancellation and deposit terms shown at the time of booking, keep your confirmation and handicap proof together, and arrive in good time for the starter. For the numbers across the seasons and how this round fits a wider itinerary, our County Down and Portrush golf itinerary shows one proven route.

On the day, and building a trip

Warm up on the range or putting green, check in at the starter with your confirmation, and take a caddie if you can, because a local looper turns the blind lines and the wind off the Atlantic into manageable golf. Portrush sits on the Causeway Coast within easy reach of Portstewart and a couple of hours from County Down, so it anchors a superb Northern Ireland links run.

Pair it with the other great links of the north for a complete trip; our roundup of the best golf courses in Northern Ireland sets out the options, and a tailored Northern Ireland golf holiday can handle the tee sheet, the caddies and the driving for you. For the full hole by hole, see the Royal Portrush Dunluce course profile.