Portmarnock on FSX Play: Ireland's East Coast Gem

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Portmarnock on FSX Play is the best Irish links course in the Foresight Sports course library, and it is one of the best licensed course purchases you can make for FSX Play. The Portmarnock Golf Club sits on a narrow peninsula just north of Dublin, and it ranks 63rd on the Golf Digest World Top 100. The FSX Play version is a professional 4K LiDAR capture that brings the full links experience to your simulator without the three-hour drive to the west coast of Ireland.

If you own FSX Play and you have been rotating between Pebble Beach, St Andrews, and the American resort courses, Portmarnock delivers something those courses cannot: a championship links layout that has hosted the Irish Open and the Canada Cup, designed by the same natural forces that shaped Royal Melbourne and Royal County Down.

The Portmarnock Experience on FSX Play

Portmarnock Golf Club was founded in 1894 and sits on a narrow tongue of shallow dune land that extends into the Irish Sea. The course was originally laid out by W.C. Pickeman and later refined by Harry Colt, who gave the course the strategic green complexes and bunker placements that define it today. The routing is a pure out-and-back links: the front nine plays out toward the sea, the back nine plays back toward the clubhouse, and the wind direction determines which nine plays harder on any given day.

The FSX Play version of Portmarnock is a licensed Foresight Sports premium course, available as a standalone purchase from the Foresight website for approximately 50 to 80 dollars. The course was captured in professional 4K LiDAR, and the fidelity is excellent. The dune topography is accurately rendered, the sea views on the front nine are dramatic, and the green complexes play as Colt designed them.

The standout holes at Portmarnock include the 14th, a 420-yard par 4 that is widely considered one of the best par 4s in Irish golf. The tee shot must carry a dune ridge to a fairway that slopes toward the sea, and the approach shot plays to a green protected by a deep bunker on the left. The 15th is a 375-yard par 4 that doglegs left around the dunes, and the green is set in a natural bowl that collects approach shots from the right angle.

The 18th is a 400-yard par 4 that plays directly toward the clubhouse with the Dublin Mountains visible in the distance. The green is protected by a deep bunker short-right, and any approach shot that lands long will feed off a bank behind the green.

Quality Assessment

FSX Play’s 4K capture of Portmarnock is professional grade. The LiDAR data is high resolution, and the dune contours that define the course are faithfully reproduced. The green complexes are the most important feature to get right at Portmarnock, because Colt designed them to reward specific approach angles and punish others. FSX Play’s green physics handle this accurately.

The wind at Portmarnock is the course’s primary defense, and FSX Play’s wind physics handle the exposed links setting well. The front nine plays directly into the prevailing southwest wind for the first five holes, then turns back toward the clubhouse on the 6th through 9th holes. Set wind to Medium for the authentic Dublin links experience.

The one limitation is that Portmarnock is a premium purchase, not an included course. FSX Play ships with 25 courses in the base subscription, and Portmarnock is not one of them. You need to purchase it separately from the Foresight Sports online store. The price ranges from 50 to 80 dollars depending on sales and bundles.

How to Access Portmarnock on FSX Play

Portmarnock Golf Club is available as a premium course purchase from the Foresight Sports online store (foresightsports.com). Search for “Portmarnock” in the FSX courses collection. The course costs approximately 50 to 80 dollars and is compatible with FSX Play only – it is not available for FSX 2020.

The course requires FSX Play software installed on a Windows PC with a Foresight Sports launch monitor (GC2, GC3, GCQuad, QuadMAX, Falcon, or GCHawk). After purchase, the course downloads and installs automatically through the FSX Play interface.

How Portmarnock Compares Across Platforms

Portmarnock is available on GSPro (free community build) and FSX Play (licensed premium purchase, 50-80 dollars). The GSPro version captures the Colt routing and the dune topography with excellent LiDAR data, and it is free if you own GSPro. The FSX Play version benefits from professional 4K licensed capture and does not require any third-party downloads.

Portmarnock (the championship course) is also available on E6 Connect as “Portmarnock Hotel and Golf Links,” which is a different course on the same property. The championship course is specifically the FSX Play version.

For FSX Play owners, Portmarnock is one of the best premium course purchases available. It is a legitimate championship links in the top 100 of the world, and the FSX Play 4K capture is the best licensed version in simulation.

For a complete guide to every course worth playing on this platform, read Best Courses on FSX Play. For the full platform breakdown, see the FSX Play review.

FAQ

Is Portmarnock available on FSX Play?

Yes. Portmarnock Golf Club is available as a premium purchase from the Foresight Sports online store. The cost is approximately 50 to 80 dollars.

How realistic is Portmarnock on FSX Play?

FSX Play’s 4K LiDAR capture accurately renders the dune topography, Harry Colt’s strategic green complexes, and the sea views on the front nine. The green physics correctly model the approach-angle requirements that define the course.

Is Portmarnock included with the base FSX Play subscription?

No. Portmarnock is a premium course that must be purchased separately. FSX Play ships with 25 courses in the base subscription, and Portmarnock is available as an add-on purchase.

What wind setting should I use for Portmarnock on FSX Play?

Set wind to Medium. Portmarnock sits on an exposed peninsula in the Irish Sea, and the prevailing southwest wind is the course’s primary defense.

Is Portmarnock compatible with FSX 2020?

No. The FSX Play version of Portmarnock is only compatible with FSX Play software. FSX 2020 users cannot run this course.

Which version of Portmarnock is better: GSPro or FSX Play?

The GSPro version is free and has excellent LiDAR data. The FSX Play version has professional 4K licensed capture and is the only officially licensed version. For FSX Play owners who want the best possible licensed links experience, the premium purchase is worth the cost.

For a complete guide to every course worth playing on this platform, read Best Courses on FSX Play. For the full platform breakdown, see the FSX Play review.