Golf in Ireland


Golf in Ireland dates to at least the mid-19th century, with the Royal Curragh Golf Club being founded in 1858. The two "oldest governing bodies in world golf", the Golfing Union of Ireland and the Irish Ladies Golf Union, were formed in 1891 and 1893 respectively. By 2008, the GUI had 166,419 members and the ILGU had 49,822 members, making them the third and seventh largest sports associations in Ireland by membership. Operating as separate unions for over 120 years, the two entities merged to form a combined organisation, Golf Ireland, which ratified its first board in early 2021.
As of the 21st century, golf is among the most-played sports in the country, with a 2008 report for the Irish Sports Council ranking golf as the fourth most popular sport by participation rate at that time. As of 2009, Ireland reportedly had the fourth-highest number of golf courses per capita in the world, and a 2012 Fáilte Ireland report stated that overseas visitors to the country spent €183m on golfing activities.

History of golf in Ireland

Early development

Golf in the modern world originated from a game played on the eastern coast of Scotland during the 15th century. The game later spread throughout the British Empire, including to Ireland. While golf may have been played near Bray in County Wicklow during the 1760s, the game in Ireland largely developed during the mid-19th century, when a number of courses were built. One of the oldest and most popular at this time was the Royal Curragh Golf Club, which was founded in 1858.

Formation of amateur organisations

The Golfing Union of Ireland was established in 1891, making it the oldest national golfing union in the world. Based at Carton House, Maynooth, as of 2018, it represented 430 golf clubs and 170,000 members.
The Irish Ladies' Golf Union was founded in 1893, just two years after the GUI, and is recognised as the "oldest Ladies Golf Union in the world". Based at Sandyford in Dublin, as of 2008 the ILGU had almost 50,000 members.
Following a consultation process which commenced in 2015, and after separate votes by representatives of both the GUI and ILGU, the two "oldest governing bodies in world golf" agreed to form a new joint governing organisation for golf in Ireland. The new combined body, "Golf Ireland", held its first general meeting in February 2021.

Professional and other organisations

The Professional Golfers' Association (Great Britain and Ireland) was founded in 1901 and is based out of The Belfry, England. It was established to professionalise careers in golf and grow the golf community in Great Britain and Ireland. The Professional Golfers' Association initially included 70 members, later growing to over 7,500.
The Confederation of Golf in Ireland, an umbrella body, was formed by the GUI, ILGU and the PGA to "help advance the sport of golf on the island of Ireland". Formed in 2013, CGI was dissolved following the formation of Golf Ireland in 2021.

Tournaments

The Irish PGA Championship has been held annually at many of the nation's courses since its founding in 1907. It is the oldest tournament in Ireland. The Irish Open is a professional tournament established in 1927. It was revived in 1975 and is now on the European Tour and a qualifying event for the Open Championship. The Irish Amateur Open Championship is a 72-hole stroke play event established in 1892 by the Golfing Union of Ireland. It has been held at the Royal Dublin Golf Club since 2007. The Irish Senior Open is a 54-hole stroke play event in the European Seniors Tour. It was established in 1997. The Volopa Irish Challenge was established in 2015 and is a tournament on the Challenge Tour.

Past tournaments held in Ireland

Notable courses

There are around 300 different courses on the island of Ireland. Around the entire coast of Ireland are links-style golf courses, played on sandy soils with firm conditions, often with views of the sea while inland there is a wide variety of parkland courses more usually containing trees and water hazards.
There are a number of historic courses in Ireland, whether that be tournament hosting history such as Portmarnock in the Dublin region, which was home to fifteen Irish Opens or Royal Portrush in County Antrim, the only course in Ireland to have held The Open Championship. A number of other clubs and courses were established in the 19th century such as the Royal Curragh Golf Club in Kildare and Lahinch Golf Club in County Clare. Below is a list of some of the notable courses in Ireland;

Courses in Ireland

Notable golfers

was the first golfer from Ireland to win The Open Championship. Rory McIlroy won it in 2014, and Shane Lowry won the 2019 Open Championship when it was played at Royal Portrush in County Antrim. Other notable Irish golfers include: Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell, Alexander William Shaw, Rhona Adair, Philomena Garvey, and Paddy Skerritt.

Irish golfers

Other Irish golfers, to have won major amateur championships, professional tour competitions, or have competed for Ireland in the World Cup include: