“There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home.” I’m not sure if Rory McIlroy has ever watched The Wizard of Oz, but surely those words will be floating through his head – if not out of his mouth, a la Dorothy – in July when The Open Championship returns to Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland. True, he did not fare well there six years ago, following up a first-round 79 with an impressive 65 that left him missing the cut by a single agonizing stroke.
“Sometimes you're so far away and you forget about all the people that are cheering you on back home,” he said after that second round. “And then you come and play in front of them, it definitely hit me like a ton of bricks today.”
This one rightly means more to him. McIlroy grew up playing at Holywood Golf Club, just over 60 miles southeast of Royal Portrush. No matter your skill level, competing in front of the home crowd is a whole di erent world of pressure.
But this is now the Grand Slam-winning, weight-lifted-off-his-shoulders, free-as-a-bird version of Rory. Can he pull off the ultimate exclamation point to his already hugely successful career and grab the Claret Jug on a magnificent links overlooking the North Atlantic? Well, in 15 Open appearances, he’s been all over the board. From a tie for 42nd at Carnoustie 2007, where he earned low amateur honors, all the way to his win in 2014 at Royal Liverpool. There have also been six Top 10s, three missed cuts and finishes from a tie for 60 (2012) to three consecutive years where he finished in the Top 5. If he’s in the thick of it Sunday afternoon (or late morning Chicago time), well, the roar of the locals may be heard many time zones away.
With the mental weight of chasing the career Slam now gone, his challenge shifts to conquering Royal Portrush. Unfurling on exquisitely rumpled land overlooking the sea, the course is a beautiful beast. Back in 2019, two par 4s played the hardest of all: the 11th and the 14th. But the hole most talked about by visiting golfers is “Calamity Corner,” the par-3 16th that played up to 236 yards. Any shot that misses that green right plunges into a deep valley where par becomes a distant dream. The course is a rigorous test in the best of weather, and since this is the island of Ireland, odds are there will likely be weather that is less than best.
Portrush itself is a seaside town whose beaches fill up at the mere hint of sun. The Giant’s Causeway – pictures don’t do that natural wonder justice – is just down the road, as is The Old Bushmills Distillery. Why did The Open return to Portrush after just six years? The R&A knows a good thing when it sees it, and the uber-e icient handling of the invasion of golf fans in 2019 went as well as could be expected. Or perhaps, organizing o icials sealed the deal quickly after an evening at the legendary Harbour Bar – a short walk from the course – where the pints are pure and the craic is mighty.
Royal Portrush is not the only game in town, either. The adjacent Valley Course on its property is no slouch, while just down the road is Royal Portstewart, with a surreal front nine full of holes tucked in between massive dunes. Just across the Bann River from it sits Castlerock, another worthy stop. Head a bit further Northwest and you will cross the border into County Donegal, where the 36 memorable holes at Ballyli in Golf Club are not a bad place to spend a day or a week.
Elsewhere in the region, Royal County Down remains Northern Ireland’s highest-ranked layout (and most expensive at roughly $477 for 18; Royal Portrush comes in at $433), but don’t overlook Ardglass Golf Club, a short drive to the northeast. Recent course renovations there have elevated an already stellar product, while its clubhouse dates back to at least the 15th century.
McIlroy doesn’t get back to his native country often, given his hectic schedule. He’s lived in Florida for years now and is reportedly building a house in England. But he will always be from Northern Ireland. For him to win an Open there, well, there is no place better to do it than home.
Tom Mackin, a former Senior Editor at GOLF Magazine, writes frequently for regional golf publications as well as the USGA’s Golf Journal. A New Jersey native who moved to Arizona in 2013, he much prefers a Portillo’s Italian Beef sandwich over deep dish pizza.