Greens
Type of grass - mixture of Fescue, Bent and Annual Meadow Grass
Height of cut - 4mm
Speed / stimpmeter reading - target speed 10' (Monday before event 9'9")
Any specific comments - a recent extensive programme of Rye grass removal on greens and surrounds has been successful

Fairways
Type of grass - mixture of Fescue, Bent and Annual Meadow Grass
Height of cut - 10mm
General width and contouring - 40 yards (average)

Tees / collars
Type of grass - mixture of Fescue, Bent and Annual Meadow Grass
Height of cut - 8mm

Rough
Type of grass - mixture of Fescue, Bent and Annual Meadow Grass with some areas of coarse grasses like Yorkshire Fog
Height of cut - semi 32mm, rough unmaintained

Weather
Weather in advance - poor spring growth conditions, heavy rain recently with 48mm on the Friday before the event
Forecast for tournament - rain Thursday and Friday, windy weekend

Course
Opened - Established 1888
Course designer - Harry Colt designed the Dunluce Course in 1929
Special features - 5th hole has a heavily undulating green perched on the edge of a large drop down to the beach with views across the White Rocks beach and the Dunluce Castle, while 14^th hole named ‘Calamity Corner’ is played to a green over a huge ravine with mounds and hollows to the back and left of the green. 
General playability - classic links course
Undulating / flat - undulating
Tree lined / exposed - exposed
Many / few water hazards - limited number of lateral water hazards
Changes to the course - Championship tees have been built over the last few years: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 8th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 15th, 16th & 17th

Other features
- Royal Portush has two links courses, the Dunluce Links (The Irish Open Course) and the Valley Course.  It is sited on a particularly beautiful stretch of the North Antrim Causeway Coast. Constructed in an area of natural dune land with limestone cliffs on its Eastern side, Royal Portrush occupies a triangle of giant sand hills with views of the hills of Donegal to the West with the Isle of Islay and the Southern Hebrides to the North. The course is overlooked by the ruins of the 13th century Dunluce Castle, which gives its name to the Dunluce course.
- The Dunluce Course is recognised by many as one of the finest Links Courses in the world. 
- The Irish Open was staged here in 1930, 1937 & 1947, The Open Championship in 1951 and since then the Senior British Open Championship between 1995-1999 and again in 2004.