Portstewart Strand: 2026 Access and Booking Update
One of the great dune lined links of the Causeway Coast returns to its full 18 for the 2026 season after a winter of course works. Here is where Portstewart Strand stands and how to book.
Photo via Google.
The news: full 18 back for the 2026 season
The Strand Course is the championship links at Portstewart Golf Club, set among enormous dunes on Northern Ireland's Causeway Coast in County Londonderry. The practical news for 2026 is about access: the club carried out course development works that left the Strand playing 15 holes only from late October 2025 to early June 2026, with three holes temporarily closed.
From the 2026 main season the course returns to its full eighteen. For anyone who held off booking during the works, that means the complete Strand experience is back, but with any project like this it is worth confirming current conditions and the green keeping programme directly with the club before you travel.
The most dramatic front nine in Ireland
Portstewart's reputation rests on its front nine, a run of holes carved through some of the biggest sandhills in links golf. It opens with one of the most photographed tee shots in the game, the par 4 first dropping away toward the beach and the mouth of the River Bann, with dune ridges towering on either side. The stretch that follows is pure theatre, tumbling fairways and blind shapes hidden among the marram.
The course was good enough to host the Irish Open in 2017, and it sits comfortably among the elite links of the island. The full facts box, signature holes and our verdict sit on our Portstewart Strand course page.
Indicative 2026 green fees and access
The Strand welcomes visitors, and the club also runs the shorter Riverside and Old courses that are far cheaper and useful for a warm up or a family round. Rates are seasonal and weekend play costs more. Treat the guide figures below as indicative and confirm before booking.
| When | Course | Indicative 18 holes |
|---|---|---|
| Midweek | Strand | around 100 pounds |
| Weekend | Strand | around 120 pounds |
Indicative 2026 guide rates for the Strand; the Riverside and Old courses are much cheaper. Prices and tee availability change, so always confirm directly before booking.
Portstewart sits within a short drive of Royal Portrush and Castlerock, so the smart play is to base on the Causeway Coast and link several rounds across a few days. Late spring through early autumn gives the best mix of daylight and settled weather, though the wind is always part of the test here.
Our take
Our take is that Portstewart Strand is one of the best value rounds on any world class links coast. The front nine alone is worth the trip, the price sits well below the marquee names nearby, and with the full eighteen back for 2026 there is no reason to hold off. Book it alongside the bigger names rather than instead of them: it more than holds its own.
Pair it with the championship Royal Portrush Dunluce and neighbouring Castlerock for a Causeway Coast week. Set the wider picture with our best golf courses in Northern Ireland ranking and the Northern Ireland golf hub, then use plan my trip to put it together.
Plan your Northern Ireland golf trip
Portstewart anchors a great Causeway Coast golf escape. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling and one concierge builds and costs a trip around the region's links and hotels, with no obligation.
Questions
Where is Portstewart Strand and what is the big 2026 news?
The Strand Course is the championship links at Portstewart Golf Club on Northern Ireland's Causeway Coast, in County Londonderry. The practical 2026 news is that the club ran course development works that left the Strand playing 15 holes only from late October 2025 to early June 2026, with three holes temporarily closed. From the 2026 main season the course returns to its full 18, so confirm current conditions before you travel.
Can visitors play the Strand in 2026, and what does it cost?
Yes. The Strand welcomes visitors, with indicative guide rates of around 100 pounds midweek and 120 pounds at weekends for the Strand course; the club's Riverside and Old courses are far cheaper. These are guide prices that change, so always confirm directly with the club before booking.
What is the signature stretch at Portstewart Strand?
The front nine is the show, a run of holes carved through enormous dunes that opens with one of the most photographed first tees in links golf, the par 4 first dropping toward the beach and the River Bann with the dune ridges towering on either side.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts, history and indicative fees verified June 2026 from club, golf travel and ratings sources; rates, seasons and access change, so always confirm directly before booking. Last reviewed June 2026.