R&A rubberstamp Royal Portrush for 2019

It’s rumoured the Irish like a party so one suspects there was more than a glass or two of the black stuff downed in celebration when the R&A confirmed Royal Portrush was back in the Open Championship fold.

And a few more may be sunk tonight following confirmation golf’s oldest major will be staged there from July 18-21 in 2019.

The famed North Antrim links has something approaching cult status and with cheerleaders such as Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy long championing the Harry Colt designed Dunluce Links, its reputation continues to soar.

For head PGA Professional Gary McNeill (above), who succeeded the late Dai Stevenson in 1999, the R&A’s decision to invite Portrush back onto the championship roster is a match made in heaven.

"Last summer we had the announcement we were back on the rota again, 2019 was the proposed date as the earliest date we could get and here we are just 16 months later and we are confirming the year and the date it is taking place. It is brilliant, the dust will settle in a day or day and we will get stuck in," he said.

"I’m delighted to be part of something special like this. Golf has such a large following here with the likes of Graeme, Darren and Rory having done a great job in helping put us on the map.

“The quality of the golf course is just outstanding, we have made some adjustments to the length of it six or seven years ago which allowed us to approach the European Tour and talk about hosting the Irish Open in 2012.

“And that was such a great tournament, it was very successful with 150,000 people attending and we were literally turning people away. When the Open Championship comes to Royal Portrush it is going to be massive.”

** Rory McIlroy tees off on the 1st in 2012

McNeill’s unbridled enthusiasm for Portrush was first stoked in the mid-80s as a young amateur.

“I first played it during an inter-club match play event in 1984 and can remember just being blown away by it. I’d never seen greens like it before, they were so fast and perfect. I was almost afraid to walk on them.”

He did though, and many times, during a long amateur career that included representing GB&I at youth level, winning the Irish Boys Championship in 1987 and Irish Amateur Championship in 1991 against peers such as Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley who dominated that event around that period.

McNeill honed his skills at Warren Point where Ronan Rafferty was the leading light and where respected PGA tutor Don Patterson was the coach.

When the professional ranks beckoned he did his PGA training under Kevan Whitson at Royal County Down in 1993 and eventually landed a dream role at Portrush in 1999.

The demands of his role has meant his competitive outings have taken a back seat but he still loves to hit the famous links as often as he can.

“I do a lot of playing on the course and entertaining, playing lessons, that’s what I really enjoy doing, showing off the golf course,” he says.

“We have a big membership here, a lot of my role is looking after the needs of members and making sure that when they come here everything is as easy for them as possible.

“We also have a lot of overseas visitors, particularly from America and Canada and we have 8-10,000 visitor rounds a year.”

Potential changes to the course are in the offing to meet the demands of hosting an Open Championship but McNeill has no hesitation in picking out his three favourite holes.

“Calamity Corner – the 220-yard par 3, 14th is over the top of a yawning chasm and is a very intimidating hole. There is a bit of respite on the left but with a 60-70 foot drop on the right it is a phenomenal hole.

** The 14th

“No. 4 is also a great hole and probably my favourite. Named after Fred Daly it is a very strong par 4 at just under 465 yards. It dog legs slightly to the left and has difficult bunkers in play on the left from the tee.

“The 12th, Causeway, is a par 4 which is all about the second shot. The green is like an upturned lunchbox and there is a dangerous bunker on the left of the green.”

Portrush is a bustling town and new hotels and developments have left the infrastructure ready for 2019 and with it also being a surf town, McNeill and the club are set to ride the cresting a golfing wave.

“It’s a great place, and everybody is excited at the prospect of the Open coming here.”

Royal Portrush has of course hosted the Open before back in 1951 when the legendary Max Faulkner (above) triumphed. The club has Open memorabilia on display in the shape of Darren Clarke’s replica Claret Jug and Gold Medal for winning at Royal St George’s plus Fred Daly’s Open medal.

“There are a few members that still remember the 1951 Open, and in fact I met Peter Alliss a couple of years ago and he remembered Portrush vividly because that was his first Open,” adds McNeill.

“There is a very little footage of the Open from that year but I think it was really well supported but I don’t think the galleries will be quite as big as those when the Open returns here.”

Irish golf fans will certainly drink to that!