LUXURY TO A TEE

An all-too-short visit to Dunluce Lodge has left a lasting impression on Alistair Bushe

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Was it just me or was there almost as much discussion about Rory Mcllroy staying at the five-star Dunluce Lodge during the Open Championship as there was about the Ulsterman’s battle with Scottie Scheffler for the Claret Jug?

Rory fell short on that Sunday in July, but he was effusive in his praise for his stay at a hotel which straddles the fourth fairway at Royal Portrush. It's not difficult to see why as you drive into the hotel grounds on a mild but grey October Saturday.

Northern Ireland boasts its fair share of hotels in gorgeous locations, but this is an unrivalled setting. You can't fail to have missed Dunluce Lodge if you've been driving in or out of Portrush over the last year.

It’s all the more breathtaking if youre a golf fan, but even those oblivious to the sport's charms can't fail to be blown away. Many of the course’s treacherous but stunning holes are visible from the grounds with the Atlantic swell and Portrush town in the distance - this really is Northern Ireland at its most beautiful.

Dunluce Lodge is compact and that is part of the attraction. It's an incredibly luxurious setting, but it’s intimate too, meaning that the restaurant and bar areas don't lose any sense of personality, a fate that befalls too many larger hotels.

Yes, you might be sitting right next to someone over your evening meal or breakfast but it never feels overbearing or not private enough.