Portmarnock Next on the Rota?

[3puttking.]

What do you think the chances Portmarnock is the next course that ends up on the Open Championship Rota? 

[MattyO1984]

The R&A definitely wants to tap into the Irish market given how starved it has been of top flight golf for so long, the appetite seems to be huge but it will come down to infrastructure as opposed to the course.

[jmcm87]

Portmarnock is a great track, would love to see it there or Royal Dublin. So much good Irish golf. I grew up in NI before moving to the US and have played a ton of incredible courses over here but Waterville/RCD/Royal Dublin/Old Head and Malone are still my top 5 favourite to play. 

[StoutKing]

Moving it outside of the UK?  Ok.  Then keep it in the commonwealth and go to Royal Melbourne too.

[jvincent]

When we at Portmarnock last spring the starter mentioned that they had just recently allowed women members as part of their push to get the Open.

 

It would be a great addition to the rota.

[elwhippy]

If it is the Open is finished. Eire is a separate country, with its own superb championships. We need courses of the Royal Lytham and Turnberry back on the rota, not taking our only major abroad. 

[tiderider]

the political entity Great Britain was in use till 1801, when Ireland was brought into the union for the United Kingdom of GB and Ireland ... then NI and Ireland split ... the geographical term Great Britain refers to the island that contains Scotland/England/Wales ... 

 

bringing Ireland into the British Open would confuse everyone and create bad vibes with the scottish ... so hopefully it never happens ... 

 

oh, wait ... it's the Open ... not the British Open ... guess they can hold it anywhere in the world ... 

 

never mind ... 

 

 

[StoutKing]

On 3/12/2024 at 12:05 PM, elwhippy said:

If it is the Open is finished. Eire is a separate country, with its own superb championships. We need courses of the Royal Lytham and Turnberry back on the rota, not taking our only major abroad. 

From a US perspective I also miss Lytham and Turnberry.  Lytham was quirky in its own way.  Turnberry is just beautiful.  Does the R&A really need to squeeze every last penny out of the tournament?  I like the traditional venues also.

[ColinKelvin]

40 minutes ago, StoutKing said:

From a US perspective I also miss Lytham and Turnberry.  Lytham was quirky in its own way.  Turnberry is just beautiful.  Does the R&A really need to squeeze every last penny out of the tournament?  I like the traditional venues also.

Yes, yes they do.  That's why they banned people from leaving the grounds and coming back in a few years back (can't have folk spending money at independent cafes, it has to be our massively overpriced, lukewarm food at the official Open catering!), and it's also why they sold the TV rights to Sky and took it off free to air TV in the UK even though this vastly reduced audiences.

 

As for Portmarnock - bit of a weird move to move outside the UK as it would make more sense to hold an enhanced Irish Open there, surely - and Wales has never held one.  But if it came in and knocked Royal Liverpool off the rota then I would definitely be in favour.

 

[mat562]

The moratorium on Turnberry, whether it's officially ackowledged or not, is definitely a loss to the championship.

 

I've attended two Opens there, and for my money it's arguably the best venue on the rota. Yes, it's a pain to get to, and get away from, and finding accomodation's a nightmare if you want to be anywhere close by, but it's a magical piece of golfing land. It's up there with Pebble Beach and Cypress for sheer majesty, and the course - although I've only played it in its former guise, before the reworking - is reportedly even better than it was for the Duel in the Sun, and Norman's and Price's wins. And the one Tom Watson nearly won.

 

 

Edited March 14 by mat562

[Hawkeye77]

On 3/12/2024 at 10:12 AM, StoutKing said:

Moving it outside of the UK?  Ok.  Then keep it in the commonwealth and go to Royal Melbourne too.

No reason to go to Australia and they likely never will. 
 

Ireland? Who knows - OP didn’t express an opinion and hasn’t been seen since. The club wants it, that’s the first step. 
 

If the venue can handle it and the parties that make the decisions want to do it, fine by me.
 

[philly2kuk]

Turnberry won’t happen as long as trump owns it. I can guarantee that.

 

Royal Lytham is a lovely course but it’s squeezed in and the infrastructure is poor. Having played it and a few other open courses as I live in the area, I can see why it has been snubbed recently and why it’s going back to Birkdale etc. instead.

[Oliver Klozoff]

6 hours ago, mat562 said:

The moratorium on Turnberry, whether it's officially ackowledged or not, is definitely a loss to the championship.

 

I've attended two Opens there, and for my money it's arguably the best venue on the rota. Yes, it's a pain to get to, and get away from, and finding accomodation's a nightmare if you want to be anywhere close by, but it's a magical piece of golfing land. It's up there with Pebble Beach and Cypress for sheer majesty, and the course - although I've only played it in its former guise, before the reworking - is reportedly even better than it was for the Duel in the Sun, and Norman's and Price's wins. And the one Tom Watson nearly won.

 

 

It's better now.  Second favorite course I've played.  Absolute beast in the wind too.

[stinger_gc]

They need to bring an Open back to Muirfield. My favorite course in the rota 

[Hawkeye77]

30 minutes ago, stinger_gc said:

They need to bring an Open back to Muirfield. My favorite course in the rota 

 

Have to assume they will at some point.  It's the club's fault.  Stubbornly voted against allowing women members when it knew that was necessary and . . . re-vote, lol.

 

Who knows, maybe it's next up when the current announced venues have hosted.  

[stinger_gc]

1 hour ago, Hawkeye77 said:

 

Have to assume they will at some point.  It's the club's fault.  Stubbornly voted against allowing women members when it knew that was necessary and . . . re-vote, lol.

 

Who knows, maybe it's next up when the current announced venues have hosted.  

It gets an Open once every decade so hopefully that’s soon. I personally think it’s a better course then St Andrews and it holds up way better for the modern game.

[Hawkeye77]

7 minutes ago, stinger_gc said:

It gets an Open once every decade so hopefully that’s soon. I personally think it’s a better course then St Andrews and it holds up way better for the modern game.

Too much history not to go back. It’s due if they think it’s learned it’s lesson, lol. 

[stinger_gc]

4 minutes ago, Hawkeye77 said:

Too much history not to go back. It’s due if they think it’s learned it’s lesson, lol. 

It’s back in the Championship rota. Hosted the Women’s Open in 2022, I think a men’s Open is imminent.

[dwboston]

10 hours ago, mat562 said:

The moratorium on Turnberry, whether it's officially ackowledged or not, is definitely a loss to the championship.

 

I've attended two Opens there, and for my money it's arguably the best venue on the rota. Yes, it's a pain to get to, and get away from, and finding accomodation's a nightmare if you want to be anywhere close by, but it's a magical piece of golfing land. It's up there with Pebble Beach and Cypress for sheer majesty, and the course - although I've only played it in its former guise, before the reworking - is reportedly even better than it was for the Duel in the Sun, and Norman's and Price's wins. And the one Tom Watson nearly won.

 

 

 

I played Turnberry last June in atypical weather for Scotland - 70* F, but plenty of wind.  I think it's the best golf course I've ever seen.  It was amazing. 

 

It's too bad Western Gailes doesn't have the space for the infrastructure - that's a heck of a golf course.

Edited March 15 by dwboston

[elwhippy]

Wales doesn't have anything remotely capable of hosting The Open. Royal Lytham is going through some radical changes so there may be light at the end of their tunnel. Liverpool is safe as it brings in huge revenues and is very accessible with plenty of accommodation. Saunton could host the event on a composite course but is literally in the middle of nowhere. RSG is safe as it the only southern venue. What would help is spreading out the St Andrews events. One every five years show complete disregard for other courses. If the R&A were based somewhere else it could drop off the rota. Royal Portrush already has 2025, 2030 and 2035 and Royal County Down is happy to take the occasional Irish Open. Unlike the USGA, the R&A don't like new courses. Plus Trump Aberdeen is owned by the man himself and Castle Stuart is too remote and too easy. Once Slumbers heads off we might see tradition and growing playing numbers take precedence over money grabbing.