I walked the whole course to find you the best places to watch The Open at Royal Portrush

A grandstand at Royal Portrush for The Open.

If you’re coming to watch The Open at Royal Portrush this week, then this is the guide for you. We’ve walked every hole to find you the ideal spectator spots to see the best of the golf.

The Open Championship kicks off in Northern Ireland on Thursday, and there’s a fantastic line-up of players heading to tee it up at Royal Portrush in pursuit of the Claret Jug. 2024’s Champion Xander Schauffele will be looking to defend his title as he heads out at 9.58am on Thursday morning alongside US Open Champion JJ Spaun and Jon Rahm.

And with huge numbers expected to descend on the Causeway Coast, we went out on a mission to find the best vantage points to ensure you see the most golf possible if you’re coming to Portrush this week. 

1st Tee

The first is a great spot for the first two days of The Open, being able to see the best players in the world get their opening rounds underway before the all important cut is made. It’s a really tough opening hole, with out of bounds either side of the fairway, leaving a very narrow landing area. The right hand side of the grandstand is favourable here, as it offers better views of the rest of the hole, allowing you to see play continue up towards the green.

6th Hole

The sixth hole may be one of the farthest points you can walk to on the course, but it truly offers some of the best views of the course, and the North Atlantic Ocean. You’ll be among a cracking group of holes in this spot, the 5th, 6th, 7th and 11th, allowing you to experience plenty of action without having to go too far.

13th Tee

The grandstand behind the tee here will allow you to see all the action on this 199-yard par-3. We recommend getting as close to the top of the stand as you can, as you’ll be able to see players tee off on the 14th hole, as well as groups coming towards you up the par-4 17th.

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15th Green

The grandstand at the 15th green will be a bit of a different experience, as there’s no seating available. It’s fairly small, but due to it’s location you will be able to see play coming up the 15th, as well as players heading away from you down the 8th hole.

17th Green

The grandstand beside the 17th green is an ideal spot. It gives you views of shots into the green on this stunning par-4, and if you sit to the far left hand side of the grandstand, you’ll be able to see the entirety of play on the par-3 13th hole, too. A great place to stop and take in the action for a couple of hours.

18th Hole

The 18th is a long, sweeping left-to-right dogleg, with incredibly undulating dunes lining the fairway. You can use these to your advantage, as they’re very high in parts. Find a spot on top of one of the dunes approaching the green, and you’ll be able to see players taking their shots from the fairway, as well as finishing their rounds. This would make an ideal spot on Sunday afternoon, especially if the grandstand is full when the final putt is holed.

18th Green

Without a doubt the most impressive grandstand on the course, framing one of the most spectacular finishing holes in golf. This will be incredibly busy for the majority of the tournament, but there are plenty of seats and queues at the entrances do tend to keep moving as spectators exit on a regular basis. If you want to watch the action draw to a close here on Sunday, our top tip is to get here as early as possible. Just don’t forget your umbrella, as the weather is looking a bit unpredictable.

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