Jameson Golf Links (Portmarnock)

About the course

Since October 2023 the course, formerly Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links, has been called Jameson Golf Links.

Jameson Golf Links is the course of Portmarnock Resort, on the coast north of Dublin beside the long beach known as the Velvet Strand. It occupies the former St Marnock’s estate of the Jameson whiskey family, and the holes move from flatter ground near the hotel out towards the dunes along the shore. A small graveyard where members of the Jameson family are buried lies beside the first hole.

Golf here goes back to the 1850s, when John Jameson laid out a private course for family and friends visiting from Scotland. The present links was designed by Bernhard Langer, working with landscape architect Stan Eby, and opened in 1995. A major renovation led by Jeff Lynch of (re)GOLF later reshaped much of the second half: several holes changed par, the 13th became a par 4 that now plays as the hardest on the card, the 15th was turned into a par 3, and the course took the Jameson name.

The bunkers are revetted in the traditional way and the turf is genuine links, so the ball runs and the ground game is useful. The early holes are gentler, and the round builds in difficulty as it reaches the higher dunes, where exposed tees catch the full force of the sea breeze. Recent changes in elevation on the later holes have added variety to the stances and approach shots, and the finish brings the round back through the dunes close to the shore.

Why we recommend it

The links at Portmarnock Resort, now called Jameson Golf Links, is a good choice for groups who want to stay and play in one place near Dublin. Laid out on the old Jameson family estate, it mixes dunes with elevated tees and greens and some blind approaches, with views towards Lambay and Ireland’s Eye, and several greens were recently rebuilt. The hotel is on site, Dublin Airport is about 15 minutes away and Portmarnock Golf Club is next door.

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