Interviews

Oakmont: An interview with Gil Hanse

With the 2025 US Open arriving at Oakmont, Richard Humphreys spoke with the architect, who renovated the course in 2023, about what to expect

Martin Ebert: Design journey

With a portfolio that includes eight of the ten Open venues, Mackenzie & Ebert occupies an enviable position in the golf design industry. Adam Lawrence spoke with principal Martin Ebert to learn how they got there

Designs for the big screen

Chad Goetz and Agustin Piza discuss their design decisions for the virtual holes that featured in the first season of TGL

Bob Harrison: Wizard of Oz

The Australian designer has had a long career and, like many of his countrymen, has spent much of it away from home. Adam Lawrence listened to his tales from the road

Ben Cowan-Dewar: Shock and awe

Golf development firm Cabot now has properties in six countries. Richard Humphreys speaks with co-founder and CEO Ben Cowan-Dewar about what makes a great site, selection of golf course architects, and more

Team building

Turfgrass has launched its US arm with the appointment of John Lawrence, Adam Moeller and Brad Owen. Richard Humphreys speaks with them, Turfgrass founder John Clarkin and director of agronomy Julian Mooney to find out more

Brian Curley: Life of Brian

The designer has surely clocked up more air miles than anyone else in the business. Adam Lawrence caught up with him in between flights to discuss his career and his new venture with Jim Wagner

Oakmont: An interview with Gil Hanse

With the 2025 US Open arriving at Oakmont, Richard Humphreys spoke with the architect, who renovated the course in 2023, about what to expect

Martin Ebert: Design journey

With a portfolio that includes eight of the ten Open venues, Mackenzie & Ebert occupies an enviable position in the golf design industry. Adam Lawrence spoke with principal Martin Ebert to learn how they got there

Designs for the big screen

Chad Goetz and Agustin Piza discuss their design decisions for the virtual holes that featured in the first season of TGL

Bob Harrison: Wizard of Oz

The Australian designer has had a long career and, like many of his countrymen, has spent much of it away from home. Adam Lawrence listened to his tales from the road

Ben Cowan-Dewar: Shock and awe

Golf development firm Cabot now has properties in six countries. Richard Humphreys speaks with co-founder and CEO Ben Cowan-Dewar about what makes a great site, selection of golf course architects, and more

Team building

Turfgrass has launched its US arm with the appointment of John Lawrence, Adam Moeller and Brad Owen. Richard Humphreys speaks with them, Turfgrass founder John Clarkin and director of agronomy Julian Mooney to find out more

Brian Curley: Life of Brian

The designer has surely clocked up more air miles than anyone else in the business. Adam Lawrence caught up with him in between flights to discuss his career and his new venture with Jim Wagner

Sean Dudley
/ Categories: News

Ebert pleased with progress of work at Royal Portrush

With the R&A having confirmed Royal Portrush as host course of The Open Championship in 2019, Golf Course Architecture spoke to Martin Ebert of Mackenzie & Ebert about the work he and his team are carrying out at the Northern Ireland club in preparation for the event.

Royal Portrush is home to two courses designed by Harry Colt, the Dunluce Links – upon which the Open will be competed – and the Valley Links.

During the Open, the site of the existing holes 17 and 18 on the Dunluce Links course will accommodate the spectator village. As such, Ebert has been brought in to develop two new holes for the course, which will become the seventh and eighth. He will also oversee a number of alterations to existing holes on the course.

“It’s been a busy couple of days, but it’s been great to be at Royal Portrush and be around the club when such historic announcements are being made,” Ebert said.

“The work is progressing well, and we’re hopeful that the changes to the green on the second hole will be completed within the next two weeks,” he explained. “We’re also working to finish the reshaping work on the eighth green – which is, of course, not a Harry Colt green.”

“Preparatory work has been ongoing with the two new holes for the Dunluce Links course, and we can now begin to turn our full attention to these,” Ebert added. “We’re hopeful that these will be completed by the new year.”

The two new holes are to be located on land that currently forms part of the Valley Course. Ebert has designed three new holes for the Valley Course to bring that course back up to its full complement. He confirmed that the work on these holes is nearing completion.

A video outlining the plans for the course can be viewed below:

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    The proposed new seventh hole on the Dunluce Links course at Royal Portrush

Sean Dudley

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