Portmarnock is the crown jewel of Dublin and is set to host The Open Championship before this decade is out. You feel the history as you drive through the gates and set eyes on the iconic clubhouse. You will never hear an elite player say a bad word about Portmarnock - Harrington, Lowry, McGinley, McIlroy all heap praise on the layout. It's not as visually stunning as the other great Irish links courses so when you're here I advise that you pay attention to 3 things:

1. The history

2. The course design

3. The condition

It's possibly the best conditioned golf course in Ireland and it's a course that has hosted numerous Irish Opens. The layout is considered one of the fairest challenges in the world, rewarding smart shot-making with beautiful coastal views, especially from the classic par-3 15th hole right along the beach - arguably the best par 3 in Ireland.

Portmarnock is in Dublin so it's hard to have a better day than a round of golf at Portmarnock before a few pints in Dublin city afterwards.