With The Open returning to the iconic Royal Portrush Golf Club, Stuart Broad picks ten of the best golf courses across the UK and Ireland — with a few great stories along the way…
I’m so excited for The Open Championship to return to Royal Portrush again this week. It will be a big ask to match the incredible four days from 2019, when Shane Lowry won his first Claret Jug. Those scenes were brilliant and showed the huge passion of golfing public on the Emerald Isle. Portrush is one of the best courses I’ve ever had the chance to play, but it’s also one of the great coastal towns! It will be a fantastic week for those of you attending!
As a professional cricketer, I have a funny relationship with The Open. I’ve never managed to attend one, as when I was growing up it would always be playing cricket over the weekend, and then later in life, The Open would normally always coincide with a Test Match. On the rare occasion it didn’t, we’d still be in the middle of a Series. It might explain why it was only quite recently that I really appreciated the magic of links golf!
It may also explain how I only experienced the Home of Golf, St Andrews, after my playing career came to an end in July 2023. Three months later, I was kindly invited to play in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship for one of the most incredible weeks of my sporting life! I’d always heard from other retired cricketers how good the week was, but nothing prepared me for how special those golf courses were.
I’d seen so much of The Old Course on TV; those famous scenes of Tiger and Seve winning there, or Jack Nicklaus waving farewell on the Swilkan Bridge in 2005. I’d probably played it on the PlayStation too growing up!
The same for Carnoustie; remembering Jean van de Velde climbing down into the Barry Burn before Paul Lawrie went on to win in 1999. But experiencing them was so special, it feels like you’re playing a part of golfing history.
Throughout the week you play a rotation of The Old Course, Carnoustie and the exceptional Kingsbarns. Not a bad office for the week, and all very different in their own way. For me, it was a crash course in learning links golf. During the week I played with great company including my old mate Jimmy Anderson and my old captain Michael Vaughan, both of whom were more experienced in that part of the world than me!
But with no disrespect to those two, it was the caddies that helped navigate me around. Telling you to aim on lines that initially made no sense, but once you got to your ball, it all became clear. That would be the moment that I really appreciated links golf and the challenges it produces.
Experiencing them was so special, it feels like you’re playing a part of golfing history.
Royal County Down: you can see why it’s ranked so highly across the world. It can rank anywhere between 1st & 3rd depending on your source. Stunning links, great holes but also a fair challenge. One of my favourite days out and already dreaming of going back!
Old Course, St Andrews: it’s the home of golf isn’t it! One I think you have to play to really appreciate the quirky nature of it. The iconic town of St Andrews forming the backdrop as you come back in, you can’t help but get caught up in the history of the place. 17 & 18 in particular I loved.
Kingsbarns: only just up the Fife coast from St Andrews, I think this place is so special. You’re right down on the water at times, including on their signature Par 3, the 15th. I can imagine that can play any club from 3W through to 8 iron, depending on where the wind is!
Sunningdale: in terms of English courses, I’m not sure you can beat the iconic nature of Sunningdale. Two great courses that have hosted some wonderful tournaments over the years. The Senior Men’s Open is there this year and I know a few of those competing who can’t wait to head back for it.
Royal Portrush: I can’t wait to catch some of Sky’s coverage this week to remind me of a trip there last summer. Negotiating Calamity Corner feels like a round of golf on it’s own! Some of the holes up against the dunes are so dramatic too, I’d love to see another ‘home’ winner! One of the great places too, a trip to Royal Portrush isn’t complete without sampling something in The Harbour Bar!
St George’s Hill: a course I’ve played a bit more in the last couple of years with friends. 27 holes that are tree lined with a bit of heather and plenty of bunkers thrown in for good measure!
Royal Wimbledon: my home course! Some of the best short game facilities I’ve ever seen, and very fortunate they are on my doorstep. They completed work on nine holes last year, and what was already a really good golf course is now even stronger. You can easily forget how close you are to the City when you’re there, it’s a great place and somewhere I love to go and spend time.
I can see him putting the disappointment of a few weeks ago to one side, and going one better than his runner up position in 2019.
The Grove: this course has a special place in my heart! I had a hole in one here a few years ago! Every year we stayed there with England and hosted a sponsors’ golf day which was fun! A few of us got down the day before and went out for a practice round, and I managed to make a hole in one on the 16th. Thankfully there were only a few of us in the clubhouse afterwards – it would have been a different bar bill the next day!
Wentworth (West): a beast of a course, but I’ve got lots of fun memories from playing in Pro-Ams there. It’s location close to London, the way the course is always presented in such immaculate fashion and some excellent risk-reward holes.
Loch Lomond: one of the most picturesque courses across Great Britain & Ireland. Down on the shores of the loch, the course has some of the best individual holes I’ve played. The 345-yard, Par 4, 14th is one of the great ‘short’ holes in golf. England cricketer Liam Livingstone made a hole in one on it, that must put him in a pretty exclusive club! Some of the great hospitality too, the team working behind the scenes have a sharp eye on attention to detail. One of the great places!
Enjoy The Open this week, especially those of you heading to Royal Portrush! For what it’s worth Tommy Fleetwood is my EW pick here. I can see him putting the disappointment of a few weeks ago to one side, and going one better than his runner up position in 2019.
The guys at Fitzdares have given me a £500 free bet pot to use on a selection of the major sporting events of my choice. All the profits will go to The Broad Appeal, helping raise awareness and support for Motor Neurone Disease.
I added another couple of winners to the pot last month, here’s what I’m going for this month…
£62.50 EW Tommy Fleetwood @ 20/1
The Open, 17th — 20th July
Stuart Broad is Fitzdares’ Brand Ambassador.
