THE SOCIETY Newsletter #94

Golf History Trip to Ireland

The Society of Golf Historians: Ireland 2025

Following in the Footsteps of Giants — The Emerald Isle Awaits

In the wake of our extraordinary Golf History Tour of Scotland, the Society of Golf Historians will cross the Irish Sea next summer to explore one of the richest tapestries of golf heritage in the world — Ireland.

If Scotland is golf’s cradle, Ireland is its wild-hearted poet — a place where dunes rise like cathedrals and every fairway whispers a legend. Our upcoming itinerary traces a golden arc of golfing greatness, from the storm-lashed links of the north to the storied coastlines near Dublin.

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Portstewart – The Strand Course

We begin our journey at Portstewart, a course that feels more carved by nature than constructed by man. The Strand Course is a modern marvel draped over ancient land — towering dunes, sweeping Atlantic vistas, and holes that seem to melt into the sea breeze.

Founded in 1894, Portstewart’s golfing roots stretch deep, but the Strand as we know it owes much to Des Giffin and the 1990s redesign that transformed it into one of the great opening stretches in golf. The first hole alone — a downhill par four tumbling toward the beach — sets the tone for everything that follows: dramatic, untamed, and unforgettable.

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Royal Portrush – Dunluce Links

Few names carry the weight of Royal Portrush, and fewer still have been so elegantly restored to their rightful place among the world’s elite. Designed by Harry Colt in 1929, the Dunluce Links is pure artistry — its undulating fairways and cliffside vistas embody Colt’s philosophy that golf should harmonize with the land.

The club’s history stretches back to 1888, but it was the return of The Open Championship in 2019 (and again in 2025) that re-cemented Portrush as a cathedral of championship golf. The reintroduction of Colt’s lost holes — “Big Nellie,” “Calamity Corner,” and “Purgatory” — reminds us how history, when lovingly restored, can sing again.

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Royal County Down

To play Royal County Down is to enter a dreamscape — a place so beautiful, so brutal, and so perfect that even seasoned travelers fall silent on the first tee. Set beneath the shadow of the Mourne Mountains, the course was laid out in 1889 by none other than Old Tom Morris, who charged a mere four guineas for his efforts.

Over the years, refinements by George Combe, Harry Vardon, and Harry Colt gave County Down its present-day flow — blind drives, cunning bunkering, and greens that ripple like windblown sand. It is golf’s great riddle: ancient yet eternal, punishing yet fair.

Every round here feels like a pilgrimage.

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County Louth (Baltray)

At County Louth Golf Club, known affectionately as Baltray, the tempo changes. Here lies one of Ireland’s most understated treasures — a links course that rewards precision and thought over raw power.

Founded in 1892, redesigned by Tom Simpson in the 1930s, Baltray epitomizes the “less-is-more” school of architecture. Simpson’s routing uses the natural contours of the Boyne estuary dunes to maximum effect, creating a rhythm of holes that feel timeless and pure.

The Irish Open’s return here in 2009, won by Shane Lowry as an amateur, remains one of golf’s most romantic modern stories — a reminder that history still happens in places that don’t seek the spotlight.

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The Island

If you want to feel what golf might have been like a century ago — raw, windy, and exhilarating — play The Island. Once reachable only by boat, this 1890s links was literally named for its isolation.

Originally designed by a group of Dublin gentlemen who rowed across the estuary to play, The Island has evolved into one of Ireland’s most scenic and challenging courses. Bernard Darwin once wrote that golf should be “a battle of man and nature,” and few courses embody that as beautifully as The Island — a place where the dunes rise higher than rooftops and the greens seem carved into the heavens.

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Portmarnock Golf Club

Our journey concludes where Irish golf began — at Portmarnock, a name synonymous with tradition. Founded in 1894, its timeless design has hosted everything from the Irish Open to the Walker Cup.

No tricks, no gimmicks — just honest, heroic golf. W.C. Pickeman and George Ross set out the early holes, but it was the club’s restraint that made it great. Each hole flows naturally, the routing perfectly balanced by wind and tide.

Arnold Palmer once called it “as fine a links as there is in the world,” and few would disagree. The long par-4 15th, curling along the water’s edge, may be as close as Ireland gets to golf’s purest moment.

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Reflections

As with our Golf History Tour of Scotland, this trip is more than a journey across landscapes — it’s a walk through time. We will play where Old Tom walked, where Harry Colt dreamed, and where Ireland’s wild beauty still dictates the game.

In every grain of sand and gust of wind, there is history waiting to be rediscovered.

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Ireland in September

The Society of Golf Historians invites you to be part of this unforgettable Irish odyssey.

Tee times, accommodations, and full itinerary will be released soon — but we promise this:

It will be golf travel the way it once was — steeped in story, friendship, and reverence for the game’s eternal spirit.

The Society of Golf Historians — where history is not remembered, but relived.

(For more information e-mail me at [email protected])

JOIN THE SOCIETY OF GOLF HISTORIANS:

Join the Society of Golf Historians - common questions and answers

Q: Do I need to be a golf historian to join the Society?

A: Absolutely not. We are an inclusive organization. Most of our members are just golfers who love history.

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Q: How much does it cost?

A: Depends on which level you would like to join at. There are two different levels:

The Traditional Membership is $100 per year or you can pay $1200 to become a lifetime Traditional Member.

The Founding Membership is $500 per year or you can pay $5500 to become a lifetime Founding Member.

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Q: What is the difference between a Traditional Member and a Founding Member?

A: One of the biggest differences right now is entry into our events. There is an additional discount to every event as a Founding Member, but they also receive a first right of refusal to every big event. Meaning that they get to say yay or nay before anyone else can register. Traditional Members have rights to our events over non-members and a discount over non-members.

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To be honest, I have zero preference but I would like to think there is great value to both membership options.

SPEAKING OF EVENTS WE WILL HAVE ATLEAST THREE IN 2026

January 19, 2026: The First Annual Society of Golf Historians National Meeting at Belleair CC. If you want to join us please reach out immediately.

Summer 2026: We are in early talks to host a very special golf history event in Chicago. It’s one of my favorite golf history hangouts in the country. More details to follow when we solidify the outing.

September 2026: Join me on a Golf History Trip of Ireland. Our first overseas trip was this past August and it was a tremendous success. We had friends come in pairs and golfers who came as singles. Don’t be worried to join us as a single- I promise you within the first day you will have a bunch of new friends.

TALKINGOLF HISTORY PODCAST

Yesterday we released Episode #144 of the TalkinGolf History Podcast: The History of William Flynn with Flynn Historian, Wayne Morrison. It’s an absolutely must listen. You can click the link below to listen for free:

THANK YOU

Thank you for reading our newsletter. Do you have an idea for an article? Let me know- I am interested! Let me know what you thought of our most recent newsletter or podcast. I am always interested in your feedback.

Until next time…

Yours in Golf History,

Connor T.