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