Lahinch Golf Club will host the 2019 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open the European Tour has confirmed.
The tournament will be held at the North Clare course between July 3rd and 7th next year just weeks before the Open Championship which will be hosted by Portrush Golf Club in 2019.
The Lahinch bid had been backed by former South of Ireland Golf Championship winner Paul McGinley who won the title in Lahinch in 1991.
The Dubliner and 2014 Ryder Cup captain recommended the historic links course to the European Tour which sent representatives to Lahinch to examine the feasibility of hosting one of golf’s biggest events being held there.
Welcoming the news, Mayor of Clare, Councillor Tom McNamara said: “The hosting of the Irish Open in Lahinch will deliver a significant boost to the local economy and will showcase County Clare to an international audience.”
Clare Chief Superintendent John Kerin said: “An Garda Síochána looks forward to working with Lahinch Golf Club, Clare County Council, the local community and all other stakeholders in supporting the hosting of this prestigious event which will bring thousands of visitors and revenue to Clare, along with some of the world’s leading golfers.”
The announcement is also seen as a vote confidence in the West of Ireland region as both a golfer’s paradise and tourism hub, Shannon Group said today.
Matthew Thomas, CEO of Shannon Group, which operates Shannon Airport, Shannon Heritage and Shannon Commercial Properties: “This is a great decision at so many levels. It is a very positive statement about Lahinch and region’s capacity to host such an important event and it also speaks volumes about the incredibly high standard of links courses up and down the west coast of Ireland.
Lahinch is one of a number of internationally celebrated courses that people travel from across the globe to play here. Shannon Airport is, of course, the premier gateway for golfers coming to play these golf courses and we’re seeing them coming in here in big numbers daily, now that the summer season is in full swing, and this drive numbers higher next year again and have a legacy beyond that.