It was ranked fourth by Golf World in their list of "The 100 greatest courses in the British Isles" in November 1996.

it twelfth in their list of the Top 100 Courses in the World, and Golf Digest ranked[when?]

[4] Situated on the North Antrim Causeway Coast, Royal Portrush occupies a triangle of giant sand hills with views of the hills of Inishowen in County Donegal in the west, the Isle of Islay and Southern Hebrides in the north, with the Giant's Causeway and the Skerries in the east.

In 1947, Rathmore Golf Club member Fred Daly became the first Irishman to win The Open Championship, and four years later the club hosted the championship itself, the first time the event was held in Northern Ireland.

Clarke also named Royal Portrush his favourite golf course in the world.

A six-hole pitch and putt course, named Skerries, starts from the same location.

The Valley Links is the home of Rathmore Golf Club whose clubhouse is situated near the first tee.

The fourth hole is a long par four which is more than 480 yards from the championship tees, with out of bounds right and thick rough on the left.

The sixteenth hole, named Calamity Corner is a long 236 yard, uphill par three.

The club's Dunluce course held the 2012 Irish Open which was won by Jamie Donaldson.