We’re somehow already at the final(!) men’s major of the golf calendar, the British Open upon us, which means we’re about to see some dynamite last-ditch efforts to add to major tallies or perhaps another J.

The Co Antrim seaside town hosted its first Open 74 years ago, when you could sneak in for free and send a postcard from the course

Tuesday 15 July - Gates open 7am; Hours of play throughout the day; First service from Park & Ride to course 6.45am; Last service from course to Park & Ride 8pm. Wednesday 16 July - Gates open 7am; Hours of play throughout the day; First service from Park & Ride to course 6.45am; Last service from course to Park & Ride 8pm.

Viewers accustomed to watching the British Open contested at the same venerable eight or nine courses each summer, not to mention the players competing on them, became smitten with Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland when the competition returned there in 2019.

Golf fans could think of nothing better than playing a round at a major venue, and you can at Royal Portrush. The picturesque course is set to host the 2025 edition of The Open, and unlike some of

​​Golf-related tourists spend between three and four times more than regular ones. That is just one of the arresting statistics from Tourism NI, which has given a breakdown of some of the numbers behind the upcoming Open contest in Portrush.

Royal Portrush Golf Club in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, is hosting the Open Championship on 17-20 July 2025. It will be the third time the club has staged the event over its Dunluce Links, Max Faulkner winning in 1951 and Shane Lowry lifting the Claret Jug in 2019.