Portstewart vs Royal Portrush
Two great links a few miles apart on Northern Ireland's Causeway Coast, and a real choice for a day or a budget. Royal Portrush is the world top-ten Open venue, the bucket-list round. Portstewart's Strand Course answers with one of the most thrilling front nines in the game and a green fee a quarter of the price. Here is the honest head to head, verdict first.
Photograph: Royal Portrush Golf Club, via Google
The verdict
On pure quality, Royal Portrush wins, and it is not especially close. The Dunluce Links, shaped into its modern form by Harry Colt and refined for the championship era, is a world top-ten course and the only venue outside Great Britain to host the Open, which it staged in 2019 when Shane Lowry triumphed and again in July 2025. Holes like Calamity Corner, the par-three 16th played over a yawning chasm, and the new closing stretch built for the Open make it one of the most complete and dramatic links anywhere. If you play one round on this coast, this is it.
But Portstewart is far more than a warm-up. Its Strand Course opens with a run of holes tumbling through giant dunes above the beach that many seasoned links golfers rate as the best front nine in Ireland, and it has the pedigree to match, hosting the 2017 Irish Open won by Jon Rahm. Crucially, it costs roughly a quarter of Portrush's green fee and is easier to get on. The smart answer for most visitors is not to choose: the two clubs are barely ten minutes apart, so play Portstewart for the value and the dunes, and splash out on Royal Portrush for the once-in-a-lifetime round.
Head to head
| Portstewart (Strand) | Royal Portrush (Dunluce) | |
|---|---|---|
| Course | The Strand Course, classic links | Dunluce Links, championship links |
| Design | Willie Park Jr, 1920; Des Giffin added seven dune holes in the late 1980s | Harry Colt redesign, 1930s; modern Open changes by Mackenzie and Ebert |
| Par and length | Par 72, around 6,900 yards | Par 71, up to around 7,380 yards for the Open |
| Pedigree | Hosted the 2017 Irish Open (Jon Rahm) | Hosted the Open in 2019 (Lowry) and 2025 (Scheffler) |
| Signature | The opening dune holes through Thistly Hollow, one of golf's great front nines | Calamity Corner, the par-three 16th over a deep ravine |
| Green fee, 2026 | Better value, around GBP100 to GBP120 (indicative; confirm) | Premium, around GBP420 in high season (indicative; confirm) |
| Access | Welcomes visitors, easier to book | Limited visitor tee times, book well ahead |
| Best for | Value, drama and a superb links day | The bucket-list Open venue, whatever the cost |
Course facts and indicative fee ranges verified June 2026 from club and tournament listings; fees vary by season and demand, so always confirm directly before booking. Check tee time availability.
Who should pick which
Pick Portstewart if
You want a magnificent links day without the championship price tag, or value matters across a multi-round trip. The Strand Course gives you towering dunes, sea views and that celebrated opening stretch for a fraction of Portrush's fee, with far easier access. It is the smart everyday choice on the Causeway Coast, ideal for buddies groups stretching a budget over several rounds, and good enough that nobody will feel short-changed.
Pick Royal Portrush if
You want the bucket-list round and the best links on the coast, and the cost is secondary. Royal Portrush is a genuine world top-ten course and a living Open venue, the kind of round you plan a whole trip around and remember for years. It suits golfers chasing the championship venues, players who want to walk the same holes as the Open field, and groups for whom the once-in-a-lifetime experience justifies the premium and the early booking.
Plan your Causeway Coast golf trip
Portstewart's dunes, Royal Portrush's Open links, or the full Northern Ireland run with Royal County Down. Tell us roughly when and who is travelling, and one concierge secures the tee times, including the hard-to-get Dunluce slots, lines up the base and costs it to the head, with no obligation.
Portstewart vs Royal Portrush questions
Is Portstewart or Royal Portrush better?
Royal Portrush is the better and more famous course, a world top-ten links and the host of the 2019 and 2025 Open Championships, with the Dunluce Links rated among the very best in the game. Portstewart's Strand Course is no makeweight, though: its opening stretch through towering dunes is regarded by many as one of the finest front nines in links golf, and it hosted the 2017 Irish Open. Royal Portrush wins on pedigree, Portstewart on value and access, and they sit only a few miles apart.
How much does it cost to play Royal Portrush and Portstewart?
Royal Portrush is far more expensive. Indicative 2026 visitor green fees for the Dunluce Links are around 420 pounds in the April to October high season, with the Valley Links nearer 200 pounds. Portstewart's Strand Course is much better value, with 2025 guide prices around 100 pounds midweek and 120 pounds at weekends. Both rise in peak season and around the Open. Always confirm current fees directly before booking.
Can you play both Portstewart and Royal Portrush on one trip?
Easily, and you should. The two clubs are only a few miles apart on the Causeway Coast of Northern Ireland, around a ten to fifteen minute drive, so most visiting golfers play both, often alongside Royal County Down further south. Book the marquee Dunluce round at Royal Portrush well ahead, as visitor tee times are limited and in high demand, especially in an Open year.
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Researched and written by the GolfForKings editorial desk. Course facts and indicative fees verified June 2026. Last reviewed June 2026.