Cork Golf Club General Manager Peter Loughnane says the whole county has rallied together to help facilitate their bumper fixture schedule in 2025.
Golf Ireland has today launched the 2025 Championships programme with Cork set to host the Flogas Irish Boys’ Amateur Open Championship and Boys’ and Girls’ Home Internationals, in addition to the Munster Strokeplay.
The Flogas Irish Boys’ Amateur Open Championship was captured by Seán Keeling in 2024 before he qualified to play at the Amgen Irish Open and subsequently made the cut in Royal County Down.
And Loughnane, who became General Manager in Cork in March, knows this is a huge opportunity for more stars to be born on Leeside.
“Shane Lowry won the last time we hosted the Irish Close, Graeme McDowell won the last time we hosted the Irish Youths, so we are hoping for a winner of similar pedigree from the Flogas Irish Boys’ in April,” said Loughnane.
“Our club member John Carroll is also the captain of the Irish U18 squad in 2025 so it’s great validation of the support that the club has given Golf Ireland over the years that we have our captain on site while we are hosting this event.
“The Munster stroke play it is the foremost stroke play event in Munster. Last year Paul Coughlan won it and he went on to have a great year and made the Irish Mid-Am team at the end of the season. Max Kennedy played in it and made his Challenge Tour card last week.
“The biggest accolade for us is to be trusted with the Home Internationals for boys and girls. We try very hard to encourage junior golf in the club for boys and girls.
“The economic impact shouldn’t be overlooked, the business community in Cork and the tourism community of Cork have been very supportive.”
In a huge year for Irish golf highlighted by the return of The Open to Royal Portrush, Golf Ireland has launched its 2025 Championship fixtures with a host of international events and a domestic programme that includes further additions and enhancements.
Aside from Cork playing a prominent role in showcasing international underage talent, exactly 50 years after it was the stage for the European Men’s Amateur Team Championship, Killarney Golf Club will once again be the venue for one of the world’s most prestigious international amateur team events, with the Killeen Course the stage on which Europe’s best 16 national teams will compete in July.
The depth of international competition which will play in Ireland in 2025 is further underscored by the fact that Golf Ireland will play host to the Under-16 Quadrangular Matches played between Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Netherlands in April. In addition, the 18th playing of the Governor Hugh L. Carey Challenge Cup will be played at Portmarnock (15-17 October) for the second time in the event’s history – 24 years after the first. The biennial match between Ireland and the Metropolitan Golf Association (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut) has boasted among its past visitors to Ireland the current PGA Tour star Cameron Young and multiple Masters participant and Walker Cup mainstay Stewart Hagestad.
Once again, Golf Ireland will expand its G4D competition offering, which includes Golf Ireland’s support for the Disabled and Inclusive Golf Association calendar of events, as well as the ISPS Handa Irish Open for Golfers with a Disability at Roganstown (10-11 June). In 2025, this programme will once again include the G4D at the West of Ireland Championship after a successful pilot event in 2024, and another G4D event staged in Ardee in early August in conjunction with the AIG Irish Women’s and Girls’ Amateur Close Championship (29 July-1 August).
May will, as usual, be a busy month of national Open Championships, with Seapoint the venue for the Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship (8-11 May), Corrstown staging the Flogas Irish Girls’ Amateur Open Championship (16-18 May) and Naas staging the Irish Senior Men’s Amateur Open Championship (21-23 May).
The Flogas Irish Women’s Amateur Open Championship will take place in Headfort in June, while the AIG Irish Men’s Amateur Close Championship will return to Westport exactly 20 years after Rory McIlroy famously clinched the title at the same venue.
The domestic Seniors Championship suite will see the combined Irish Senior Men’s and Women’s Close at Nenagh (12-15 August) and the Irish Senior & Veteran’s Men’s Close and Senior Women’s Open at Kinsale (2-4 July).
The historic West of Ireland, South of Ireland and East of Ireland Championships will continue in their familiar vein in 2025, hosted by County Sligo, Lahinch and County Louth respectively. However, with Royal Portrush playing host to The Open, Portstewart’s revamped Strand Course will be the stage for the North of Ireland championship in September 2025 before it plays host to the 2026 Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship.
“The 2025 season will be a season like no other before it,” said Golf Ireland’s Championships & Rules Director, Mark Wehrly.
“Aside altogether from the momentous return of The Open Championship at Royal Portrush, the addition of four major international events at elite amateur level to an already bumper domestic championship programme is something that we are really excited about.
“We are so grateful to have a superb roster of championship venues once again for the season ahead. Our team in headquarters and in the four regions, in addition to our army of dedicated volunteers, are looking forward to delivering another great season.”