Watching The Open?

Watching Scottie tear up Royal Portrush brings back memories. In 2018, I explored this rugged corner of the UK, driving the Causeway Coast and realizing everyone's been sleeping on Northern Ireland.

Sure, Scotland gets the tourism love. Ireland gets the charm reputation. But Northern Ireland? It's sitting there with dramatic landscapes, legendary distilleries, fascinating history, and prices that won't require a second mortgage.

Getting There (Two Options)

Dublin (3-hour drive) gets you cheaper flights—$538 from LAX, $824 from DFW. Plus you see both countries.

Belfast (30 minutes to golf) saves time but costs slightly more. Both work perfectly.

What Makes It Special

The Causeway Coast isn't just scenery—it's geology gone wild. The Giant's Causeway looks like someone played cosmic Jenga with 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns. Dunluce Castle perches impossibly on cliff edges that make you question medieval engineering.

Bushmills Distillery (world's oldest whiskey distillery) sits minutes from the coast. Their 12-year single malt pairs perfectly with sunset views over the Atlantic. The Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge will test your nerve as you cross 100 feet above churning seas.

Belfast itself surprises everyone. The Titanic Quarter tells the story of the world's most famous ship where it was actually built. Cathedral Quarter buzzes with street art, craft cocktails, and restaurants that'll make you forget every British food stereotype.

For Golf Lovers: Royal County Down ranks #1 globally, Royal Portrush hosts The Open, and Portstewart offers links golf at its purest with huge dunes like Mars. I played all three in 2018—they're as beautiful as they are challenging.

Where to Stay & Eat

The Merchant Hotel in Belfast brings Victorian opulence to the Cathedral Quarter. Golf Links Hotel in Portrush caters specifically to golfers—they'll store clubs and wake you at dawn.

Food-wise, forget British stereotypes. EIPIC earned its Michelin star, but my best meal was fish and chips at Harbor Bar, watching boats bring in the day's catch.

The Secret

September is magic. Perfect weather, empty courses, prices drop 30%. Locals call it "the best month no one knows about."

Why This Matters Now

The Open is putting Royal Portrush on every golfer's bucket list. Accommodation prices are climbing. Flight routes expanding.

This is your advance notice: Northern Ireland is having a moment.

The question isn't whether you should go. It's whether you want to discover it before everyone else does, or after it's crawling with tourists who read about it six months from now.

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Thursday: We discuss cultural differences b/w the US & Europe

- Jeff