7 days ago
Hole-by-hole guide to The Open 2025: From Giant's Grave and Calamity Corner to Purgatory
For the first time in five years, the biggest names in Golf are heading to Royal Portrush in search of the famous Claret Jug
For the first time in five years, the biggest names in Golf are heading to Royal Portrush in search of the famous Claret Jug. It is the final major of the year and there are a number of intriguing plot lines at play.
But one thing guaranteed to test each and every golfer that steps out on the course this week is the iconic course itself. Hosting the Open Championship for just the third time, the course will measure 7,381 yards – only 37 yards longer than when Shane Lowry lifted the Claret Jug in 2019.
Here is everything you need to know in our hole-by-hole guide.
Hole 1: Hughie's – Par 4 – 420 yards
The opener delivers an immediate challenge. A tee shot must avoid bunkers right (262 yards) and left (291 yards), while a mid to short iron follows to an uphill green with a false front, threatening to spin balls back down. As openers go, this is as challenging as it gets.
Hole 2: Giant's Grave – Par 5 – 575 yards
2010 US Open champion Graeme McDowell calls it a 'definite birdie opportunity'—if you can steer clear of four bunkers, rough left, and out-of-bounds right from the tee. Simple? Hardly.
Hole 3: Islay – Par 3 – 176 yards
Wind complicates this elevated par-3. An accurate shot is crucial. Miss the green, and a tough up-and-down awaits.
Hole 4: Fred Daly's – Par 4 – 502 yards
Honouring Portrush hero Fred Daly, this stroke-index one hole demands precision. Bunkers guard the left, and OB lurks right. A slightly uphill approach leads to a tricky green—par here is an achievement.
Hole 5: White Rocks – Par 4 – 372 yards
Reachable for big hitters with a 3-wood, but beware two new bunkers and the out-of-bounds behind the green—just a few yards too far and your ball may tumble down the beach below. A photogenic, risk-reward gem.
Hole 6: Harry Colt's – Par 3 – 193 yards
Named after the course's legendary designer, this bunkerless hole is deceptive. Wind is a factor from its seaside tee. Balls short of the false front will roll off, and recovery isn't easy.
Hole 7: Curran Point – Par 5 – 607 yards
One of two new holes for The 2019 Open, Curran Point features a towering bunker (a nod to the old 'Big Nelly') and narrows toward an undulating green. The elevated tee makes wind a factor; aggressive play can yield rewards.
Hole 8: Dunluce – Par 4 – 434 yards
The second new hole doglegs left. Playing safely right avoids bunkers, but the daring can attack left. The green is guarded by humps on the right and a punishing runoff to the left.
Hole 9: Tavern – Par 4 – 432 yards
Formerly the old seventh and ranked the hardest at the 2012 Irish Open, this dogleg plays uphill to a green that slopes back-to-front and falls away right. A bunker at 250 yards challenges the tee shot.
Hole 10: Himalayas – Par 4 – 450 yards
No bunkers here, but a long, accurate drive left—at least 290 yards—is vital. A new tee adds nearly 100 yards, and the right side is full of trouble.
Hole 11: PG Stevenson's – Par 4 – 475 yards
A par-5 for members, it starts tight. Players must negotiate the corner at 260 yards, then face a valley before the green. Miss the putting surface's front and the ball rolls back. Getting down in four is a serious task.
Hole 12: Dhu Varren – Par 5 – 532 yards
The back nine's only par-5 features the course's only water—a stream right of the green. With bunkers right off the tee and thick rough left, the fairway is narrow, while the convex green creates tricky run-offs.
Hole 13: Feather Bed – Par 3 – 199 yards
Five bunkers protect a green sloping front-right to back-left, making a front-left pin hard to approach. The narrowing fairway and risk of roll-offs make par a strong score.
Hole 14: Causeway – Par 4 – 466 yards
Now over 80 yards longer thanks to a new tee, players must avoid a bunker just short of 330 yards. Failure to reach it leaves a blind shot to a right-to-left green, guarded by a deep front-left bunker.
Hole 15: Skerries – Par 4 – 429 yards
A leftward dogleg named for nearby islands, Skerries offers a generous fairway, though the left side is preferred. Bunkers right and a false front on the green demand precision.
Hole 16: Calamity Corner – Par 3 – 236 yards
Arguably the most famous hole here. A deep chasm waits right, while Bobby Locke's Hollow offers a safe miss short-left. The elevated green is wind-exposed and has a false front that repels timid shots. Will be essential viewing on Sunday.
Hole 17: Purgatory – Par 4 – 409 yards
Pull the drive left and you'll find a new bunker or gorse but a steep slope past the 300-yard mark could carry balls all the way down near the green. Its undulating surface and tight entrance punish careless approaches.
Hole 18: Babington's – Par 4 – 474 yards
Shane Lowry's crowning glory. From an elevated tee, players must aim just left of centre on a fairway that arcs right. A front-right bunker guards the green, while a dramatic run-off left and OB add risk. A fitting finale.
