Irish Amateur Open to be held in Royal County Down

After a successful 10-year stint at Royal Dublin, Ireland’s premier stroke play championship is heading north for a two-year sojurn at Royal County Down. The world-renowned links of Newcastle will be home to the Irish Amateur in 2017 and 2018. Colm Campbell will defend his title close to home as the Warrenpoint man goes in search of a rare double. Next year’s Irish Amateur runs from 11-14 May.

Galway Golf Club in Salthill will be home to the AIG Irish Close from 22-26 August. The Close has not visited the western city since 1957 when the legendary Joe Carr won the second of his six titles. Castle’s Alex Gleeson is the reigning champion.

The domestic season begins in earnest at the West of Ireland, which returns to Co Sligo from 12-18 April. Following the Irish Amateur at Royal County Down, the players move south along the coast for the East of Ireland at Co Louth from 3-5 June.

Royal Portrush will host the North of Ireland from 10-14 July and the focus then switches to Lahinch for the South of Ireland from 26-30 July.

Hosts Leinster are bidding for three-in-a-row at next year’s Interprovincial Championship. Carlow is the venue for the men’s interpros from 3-5 July while Blarney will host the boys interpros from 25-27 July.

The Old Course at Ballybunion will stage the Jacques Leglise Trophy from 1-2 August. The Continent of Europe defend the trophy against Great Britain & Ireland.

The Golfing Union of Ireland will host their American visitors from the Metropolitan Golf Association in May for the biennial Carey Cup. An Ireland representative team will face the travelling MGA side for the Governor Hugh L Carey Challenge Trophy at Galway Bay from 17-18 May. Ireland won the Carey Cup at Metedeconk in 2015.

Castletroy will stage the Irish Boys Amateur Open from 27-30 June.

 

GUI FIXTURES 2017

 

JANUARY

19-22: South American Amateur Championship, Martindale

 

FEBRUARY

7-10: South African Amateur Stroke Play Championship, Kingswood

8-11: Portuguese Amateur Open Championship, Montado

14-16: Cape Province Open, Obaay

 

MARCH

1-4: Spanish Amateur Open Championship, El Saler

20-22: Munster Students Amateur Open Championship, Cork

29 Mar-1 Apr: European Nations Cup, Sotogrande

 

APRIL

10-11: Munster Boys Under 16 Amateur Open Championship, Blarney

12-14: Ulster U16 Close Championship, Castlerock

12-18: West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, Co Sligo

19-20: Peter McEvoy Trophy, Copt Heath

19-21: Leinster Boys Amateur Open Championship, Headfort

20: Connacht Boys Under 14 Amateur Open Championship, Strandhill

25: Irish Schools Junior & Senior Championship Finals, Lucan

29-30: Munster Stroke Play Championship, Cork

 

MAY

5-7: Lytham Trophy, Royal Lytham & St Annes

6: Ulster Scratch Foursomes, Malone

11-14: Irish Amateur Open Championship, Royal Co Down

16: Brabazon Trophy Qualifiers, Sanday/Littlestone

17-18: Governor Hugh L Carey Challenge Trophy, Galway Bay

17-19: Irish Seniors Amateur Open Championship, Co Tipperary

19-21: Welsh Amateur Open Championship, Vale National

23-24: Ulster Seniors Amateur Open Championship, Donegal

25-28: Brabazon Trophy, Chart Hills

27-28: Connacht Over-30s Amateur Open Championship, Athenry

 

JUNE

2-4: Scottish Amateur Stroke Play Championship, Western Gailes

3-5: East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, Co Louth

7-8: Connacht Seniors Amateur Open Championship, Claremorris

8-10: European Mid-Amateur Open Championship, Spain

9-11: Palmer Cup, Atlanta Athletic Club

9-11: St Andrews Links Trophy, St Andrews

10-11: Connacht Stroke Play Championship, Athlone

12-14: Leinster Students Amateur Open Championship, Newlands

16-17: Leinster Over-30s Amateur Open Championship, TBC

19-24: The Amateur Championship, Royal St Georges & Prince's

22-23: Ulster Boys Under 16 Amateur Open Championship, Donaghadee

27-28: Leinster Seniors Amateur Open Championship, Dun Laoighaire

27-30: Irish Boys Amateur Open Championship, Castletroy

28-1 July: International European Amateur Championship, Walton Heath

29: Leinster Boys Under 14 Amateur Open Championship, Corballis Links

 

JULY

3-5: Interprovincial Championship, Carlow

3-5: Ulster Under 14 Close Championship, Newtownstewart

4-6: Scottish Boys Under 16 Amateur Open Championship, Fairmont (Kittocks)

5-7: Irish Seniors Amateur Close Championship, Malone

5-7: Munster Boys Amateur Open Championship, Faithlegg

6-9: Irish Open, Portstewart

7-9: English Mid-Amateur Open Championship, Beau Dessert

10-14: North of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, Royal Portrush

11: Munster Boys Under 14 Amateur Open Championship, Kanturk

11-13: Ulster Boys Amateur Open Championship, Knock

11-15: European Men's Team Championship, Diamond, Austria

11-15: European Boys Team Championship, La Manga, Spain

17-18: Connacht Boys Under 16 Amateur Open Championship, Roscommon

18-20: McGregor Trophy, Burnham & Berrow

25-26: Under 14 Interprovincial Championship, Blarney

25-27: Under 18 Interprovincial Championship, Blarney

26-27: Under 16 Interprovincial Championship, Blarney

26-30: South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, Lahinch

27-29: European Young Masters, Norway

 

AUGUST

1-3: Ulster Students Amateur Open Championship, Kirkistown Castle

3-4: Irish Boys Under 14 Amateur Open Championship, Ballina

8-10: Reid Trophy (U14), The Manchester

8-10: Boys Home Internationals, St Anne's Old Links

10-11: Leinster Boys Under 16 Amateur Open Championship, Beaverstown

13-14: Scottish Under 14 Boys Amateur Open Championship, Crail

14-20: US Amateur Championship, Riviera

15-20: Boys Amateur Championship, Nairn & Nairn Dunbar

16-18: Home Internationals, Moortown

19-20: Munster Over-30s Amateur Open Championship, Newcastle West

22: Junior Foursomes All-Ireland Finals, Rockmount

22-23: Munster Seniors Amateur Open Championship, Lee Valley

22-26: Irish Amateur Close Championship, Galway

23-25: Irish Boys Under 16 Amateur Open Championship, Rockmount

29: Fred Daly Trophy All-Ireland Final, Bray

30-1 Sep: Irish Students Amateur Open Championship, Bray

 

SEPTEMBER

1-2: Jacques Leglise (U18) Trophy, Ballybunion (Old)

5-9: European Seniors Team Championship, Sweden

8-9: Mixed Foursomes All-Ireland Finals, Castlebar

9-10: Ulster Over-30s Amateur Open Championship, Rosapenna

10: Walker Cup, Los Angeles Country Club

16-17: GUI All-Ireland Four-Ball Inter-Club Championship Finals, TBC

20-23: Cups and Shields All-Ireland Finals, Carton House

26-28: Seniors Home Internationals, Rosslare

30-1 Oct: Irish Over-30s Amateur Open Championship, Clandeboye

 

OCTOBER

25-27: Connacht Boys Amateur Open Championship, Athenry

26: Ulster Boys Under 14 Amateur Open Championship, TBC

26-28: European Men's Club Trophy, TBC

 

NOVEMBER

2: Ulster Boys Under 14 Amateur Open Championship, Hilton Templepatrick