Many of the world's top golfers, most vociferously - Darren Clarke, have been calling for the R&A to reconsider staging The Open Championship at Royal Portrush.The Dunluce course is without doubt one of the top links courses in the world, and if reduced to a par 70 like Turnberry, would prove a very stiff test. The questions raised over Portrush have always been related to infrastructure. But what does this actually mean?
Well, in 2007 the R&A's Championship Secretary, David Hill, researched the possibility of bringing The Open back to Portrush (incidentally his home town). He concluded that while the course would be a fantastic venue, the surrounding area would struggle to cope with the huge crowds. But as Darren Clarke points out, what does Turnberry have that Portrush lacks? In my opinion, the location and road networks surrounding the South Ayrshire course are not conducive to holding a Major Championship. The only obvious exit from Turnberry leads to Glasgow - 90 minutes to the north. When the officials, players and media get housed around the course, there is absolutely no accommodation left within sight. Several of this year's competitors have even found themselves sleeping in trailer parks (or caravans as we call them here). Forward-thinking fans may have got lucky and found nearby beds in the town of Ayr (30mins), but most are forced to endure a two hour train and bus combination journey from Glasgow.
In Northern Ireland, the new extension of dual carriageway means Belfast is only an hour's travel from Portrush. The major towns of Londonderry and Ballymena are situated much closer. Perhaps what is costing Royal Portrush most dearly are the dates on which the Open usually falls. Mid-July is when most of the country's blue-collar workers take their holidays, and many of them choose to spend that time in - you've guessed it - Portrush. Not for golfing reasons, but because of it's famed sandy beaches and amusement park. The proximity of the dates to "The 12th of July", when thousands take to the streets in commemoration of a historic battle, could also be seen to harm the bid's chances. But there is now very little trouble associated with this event, and none whatsoever with the area in question.
With the R&A announcing the destination of future venues several years in advance, perhaps a suitable body such as The Players Committee should ask the governing body what exactly Portrush needs to do in order to satisfy it's doubters. Many of the top players in the world count The Dunluce among their favourite courses, it has two airports within 40 minutes, and it has the desired history (Portrush is the only course to have previously staged The Open in 1951 when it was won by Max Faulkner). It would add a burst of excitement to the build-up of the tournament, and it would be fantastic for Northern Ireland's economy - a small country that has given so much to the world of golf. Hopefully the R&A can reconsider, or at least provide the growing group of lobbyists with some satisfactory reasoning, because bringing the tournament to Turnberry undermines all previous excuses.
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