Royal Portrush has a special place in the history of Irish golf, since it is the only golf course outside Great Britain to host the Open Championship (in 1951 when Max Faulkner was victorious). In 2003, it hosted the Ladies' British Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship and in July each year its hosts the North of Ireland Amateur Open Championship. Its Dunluce Links is a wonderful test of links golf but can also be extremely ferocious. It was once famously described as a 'spectacular monster'. If you don't believe us, just look at some of the hole names; 'Purgatory', 'Giant's Cave', 'Himalayas' and 'Calamity Corner'.