In June 2027, Portrush will host The Amateur Championship, one of the oldest and most revered titles in the game. Organised by The R&A, the championship has long been regarded as the ultimate proving ground for future major champions.
For those who know Portrush, this isn’t just another course on the rota. Set against the wild Atlantic coastline of Northern Ireland, Portrush is a masterpiece of natural duneland, towering rough-edged bunkering, and some of the most dramatic holes in championship golf. Since returning to global prominence with The Open Championship in 2019 and again in 2025, the club has cemented its place firmly among the world’s great links.
Now, in 2027, it prepares for something different, but equally significant.
The Amateur Championship dates back to 1885 and has shaped the careers of legends including:
More recently, it has served as a launchpad for elite players transitioning to the professional ranks and into major championships worldwide. The winner earns invitations to The Open Championship and the Masters, a life-changing opportunity for any elite amateur.
To properly stage the event, the Dunluce Links will close for the duration of June, allowing tournament preparation, practice, qualifying rounds, and the championship proper to unfold without compromise.
For serious golf traveller's and purists, The Amateur Championship represents something rare in the modern game, competition in its purest form.
There are no appearance fees, no purses, no corporate obligations. Just the world’s best amateur players competing on one of the sternest championship links courses on earth.
Portrush is a fitting stage.
The routing demands imagination off the tee, discipline into firm greens, and nerve over closing holes that can unravel even the steeliest competitor. In championship conditions, tightened fairways, grown rough, firmed greens, the Dunluce Links becomes an examination few forget.
For those considering golf travel in Northern Ireland in June 2027, this closure is significant. Access to Royal Portrush will be unavailable during that period, and surrounding tee sheets across the region are likely to tighten as displaced demand shifts elsewhere.
However, for spectators, the opportunity is extraordinary.
To walk the fairways at Portrush during a major amateur championship is to witness the future of the game before the spotlight finds it. It’s a chance to see the next Open champion before the Claret Jug is even on the horizon.
June 2027 will see the Dunluce Links presented at its absolute peak, welcoming the world’s finest amateur talent to one of golf’s purest stages.
