Game of Thrones castle provides scenic background for British Open

Game of Thrones fans tuning into the British Open this weekend might catch a familiar sight in the background: Dunluce Castle. Sitting just two miles down the coast from the Royal Portrush golf course in Northern Ireland, Dunluce Castle stood in for the House Greyjoy stronghold of Pyke. If the golfers squint, maybe they can see what Yara is up to?

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This year’s British Open is being playing outside of Great Britain for the first time in over 50 years, and given the number of Game of Thrones filming sites in Northern Ireland, we’re gonna go ahead and say that whoever chose the Portrush was also a big fan of the show. I’ll bet they’re on a locations tour right now.

Within just a few miles of the course, you have Murlough Bay, aka the road to Pyke where Theon and Yara get reacquainted. Then there’s Ballintoy Harbour, which has also stood in for the Iron Islands over the years. Larrybane Quarry, which is also nearby, was where Renly held his tournament in the Stormlands, and Cushendun Caves is the place where Melisandre gave birth to her shadow baby. Fairhead Cliffs, where Jon Snow did some pretty heavy brooding on Dragonstone, is just an hour away. And of course, who could forget the Dark Hedges, the iconic tree-lined road that served as the Kingsroad in season 2? That’s just a half-hour south.

Maybe we just figured out the real reason Tiger Woods bombed out of the tournament so fast?

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h/t SI.com