Open Championship at Royal Portrush delivered €300m benefit to north

More than half of attendees travelled to the Antrim coast from outside Northern Ireland, with almost 80% of those attending The Open for the first time

Tue, 18 Nov, 2025 - 15:32

Leonard Allen

Staging The Open golf championship at Royal Portrush in Antrim generated more than €318m (£280m) of economic benefit to Northern Ireland, studies have shown.

Research by Sheffield Hallam University found that The Open provided just under €100m (£89m) to Northern Ireland's economy, with just under €50m (£43.7m) generated within the Causeway Coast and Glens council area.

Global exposure of the tournament through television coverage and digital produced €217m (£191m) worth of destination marketing, based on YouGov research.

The independent studies into the event, which attracted 278,000 fans, were commissioned by golf governing body the R&A and Tourism NI.

The return of The Open to Portrush in July attracted record breaking numbers, making it the biggest ever sporting event staged in the north. The figures represent a significant increase on the economic impact generated from the the last time The Open was held at Royal Portrush in 2019 - up 180%.

More than half of attendees travelled to the Antrim coast from outside Northern Ireland, with almost 80% of those attending The Open for the first time.