Landslide: Portrush Members Vote 235-2 To Hold The Open

Even though R&A Chief Executive Architect Peter Dawson has all sorts of changes in mind for perennial world top 15 Royal Portrush, the members of the Northern Irish course were not deterred, voting overwhelmingly to join The Open Championship rota and allow major changes to the course, including two new holes and moving another green 60 yards.

Brian Keogh with the full report and details of the renovation work planned. It still sounds tight to have the new holes finished and mature enough for a possible 2019, which the R&A has made clear is not set in stone as the year of Portrush's long awaited Open Championship.

With planning permission now being sought, it is likely that work will not begin on the new holes proposed for the Valley Course until the winter of 2015 which means that the two new holes proposed for the Dunluce Links will almost certainly not be built until the winter of 2016 for play in the spring of 2017.