Golf Courses on the North Coast

A history book with a difference, this is no mere chronicling of facts and figures. Utilizing meticulous research, interviews, and anecdotes author Roger Anderson weaves a narrative that is both informative and entertaining, the result an extensive coffee-table style publication – with foreword by amateur golfing great and former Chief Executive of the R&A Sir Michael Bonallack – that has 480 pages, 107,727 words, and 731 stunning images.

‘When the idea for this book was first suggested back in September 2017, the club’s Council had no hesitation in supporting what was undoubtedly an ambitious project,’ said Royal Portrush President Sir Richard McLaughlin. ‘With the impending return of the Claret Jug, we all felt this was the perfect time to re-trace the incredible journey that led to Royal Portrush staging the 148th Open Championship.’

To begin, it is known that a golf club was in existence many years before it evolved in what became known officially as Rathmore Golf Club. A book has been published to explain the outset and the rise of the club from it’s humble beginnings to what it is now, the book is called “THE PRIVILEGED PLAYERS, The Story of Rathmore Golf Club…so far“, and is available at Rathmore Golf Club.The Privileged Players or Town Players were for the most part, non-professional men who lived within the town boundaries, and while Privileged Player status was open to any male resident of the town, this was subject of course to the approval from Royal Portrush Golf Club, a substantial portion of these appeared to have come from the harbour area of the town, also known as Ramore.The name Ramore is a contraction of the old Irish name Rath (meaning fort) and Mor (meaning big), with the well known local fact that a well established large fort was at the harbour end in the 16th century, so it seems almost appropriate that Rathmore Golf Club should be so named.First mention of formation of “Rathmore Golf Club”, comes from the Royal Portrush Council meeting minutes in October 1947, when Rathmore Golf Club was granted permission to apply for affiliation to the Golfing Union of Ireland, and one month later after submitting the rules of the club to Royal Portrush Council for ratification, this was duly granted and Rathmore was then officially formed. In 1953 work was well under way to build a clubhouse, which was opened by Lady Babington in the same year, and the club has had several extensions to date to enlarge the facilities, as the membership increases.