The Open: Royal Portrush Golf Club submits plans to improve pedestrian access

The planning application is for the culverting of a short section of watercourse at the course on Dunluce Road to improve pedestrian access.

A spokesperson for agent Gravis Planning said approval was granted in November last year for extensive course works at Royal Portrush Golf Club “to facilitate the hosting of the 153rd Open in July 2025”.

They added: “When Royal Portrush hosted The Open in 2019, more than 237,000 spectators attended the event. It is anticipated the number of spectators attending in 2025 will increase in excess of 250,000.

“One of the main pedestrian access routes to the course from Portrush town centre for the 2025 event is via Causeway Street.

“It is anticipated this route will require infrastructure to support thousands of spectators to cross an area where a small 25-metre section of open watercourse located north of the Rathmore clubhouse in the area of the new seventh hole of the Valley course.

“At present, the crossing point of this open watercourse is only four to five metres wide and, due to the volume of pedestrian traffic involved and the infrastructure required to support this. the width is too narrow.

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“If left unaltered, this will result in significant concerns preventing the free and safe movement of tens of thousands of spectators over the course of the Championship in and out of the event.

“Royal Portrush Golf Club believes that these improvements would support safe and convenient access in and around this area for spectators attending this event.

“The most effective way to do this would be to culvert this short section of open watercourse.”

The planning application will be presented to council members at a future Planning Committee meeting.