Royal Portrush

July is coming, and that means one thing and one thing only: Portrush and the hosting of The 148th Open. 

From Sunday July 14 to Sunday July 21 Northern Ireland goes golf mad as the most prestigious major in golf returns to its shores for the first time since 1951.

The atmosphere is already building over in Northern Ireland and it pays to plan ahead if you too are hoping to take in some of the action in that historic week.

So here is our handy guide to getting to and from Portrush during the week.

By Car

The first thing to note is that there is no public parking at the club or in the immediate area.

So all people arriving by road will need to make use of the public parking at managed park and ride sites with shuttle buses running to and from the club from there.

There will also be additional traffic regulation and parking registrations, enforced by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, to minimise congestion in the area and increase safety and security.

It is recommended that you turn off your sat-navs and follow the appropriate signage and police instruction when in the area.

Directions

If travelling from the South East/Belfast, follow the M2 to Antrim, then take the A26 to Ballymena and follow the M2/A26 towards Coleraine/Portrush. When approaching Coleraine, follow signs to the public parking.

If travelling from the South West (Derry-Londonderry), follow the A2 towards Limavady, take the A37 then continue on the A29 towards Coleraine/Portrush before parking as above.

From the South (Armagh/Mid Ulster), follow the A29 towards Coleraine and again park as instructed.

From the North East (Ballycastle), follow the A2 from Ballycastle to Bushmills, continue on the A2 and on approach to Portrush follow signs for Public Parking.

There are weekly car park passes available for £60 but only in advance from TheOpen.com or by calling on 0044 (0)1334 460010.

The cost for a motorbike £5 per day while a minibus is £25 and a coach £40. The latter car park for larger vehicles is actually walking distance from the course.

Guests with mobility impairments or specific accessibility requirements are advised to telephone The Open Ticketing Team in advance on +44 (0) 1334 460010.

By train

If you opt for the train you can arrive from Belfast, where there will be additional services to cope with demand during the week, to both Portrush and Coleraine.

From Derry-Londonderry, your train will terminate at Coleraine where shuttle buses will be in operation.

A full train timetable will come on Translink.co.uk

By bus

If you opt for the bus, then there are regular goldline services from Belfast but be warned it takes approximately one hour 40 from the capital.

More locally, the 140 bus is your friend if travelling between Coleraine, Portrush and Portstewart while the 402 coastal service from Ballycastle will also run every 30 minutes.

By air

If coming from overseas, there are four airports for you to choose from.

The closes is the City of Derry but both Belfast International and Belfast City are within 60 miles while Dublin is 156 miles away.

By bike

And finally, if cycling is your thing, then don’t rule out taking a bike and using the designated bicycle park available from Portrush – more details to follow.