Irish amateur golf is now an international game with as many as 49 overseas events included in the list of "main fixtures" provided by the Golfing Union of Ireland for 2016.

Irish golfers will not necessarily be sent to all events but with trips as far away as South Africa, the Dominican Republic, Peru and Australia listed for January alone, the cost is likely to be considerable.

As for the domestic scene and the list of events the GUI will be sending the World Amateur Golf Ranking officials for inclusion in the official WAGR list of events over the coming days, the blue riband is the AIG Irish Amateur Close, which will be played at Ballyliffin’s  Glashedy Links from August 16-20
 
The GUI writes: 

The Irish Close is visiting the Inishowen Peninsula for the first time. Slated for the end of May, the Close will run from 16-20 August.
 
Home to the Ladies' Irish Open in 1998 and the North West of Ireland Open in 2002, the last major amateur event to visit the Glashedy was the Interprovincial Championship 10 years ago.
 
ntrusted to renowned architects, Pat Ruddy and Tom Craddock, the Glashedy was only established in the mid-90s but it is hard to imagine a time when the course did not exist.
 
The course has been strengthened in recent years as Pat Ruddy returned to one of his favourite tracks. Through a strategic repositioning of bunkers, the sand traps are now more prominent.
 
The original course record was set back in 2002 by Scotland’s Andrew Coltart during the North West of Ireland Open and since Ruddy’s revamp in 2011, Belfast pro Peter Martin has added another 67. Ballyliffin will also host the Boys Home Internationals on the Glashedy Links from 2-4 August.
 
Meanwhile the Irish Boys Championship returns to Dublin in 2016. Castle Golf Club in Rathfarnham will welcome the island’s brightest young talents from 28 June to 1 July. Last year the title went abroad as French amateur Adrian Pendaries won at Tuam.
 
Royal Dublin is host to the GUI’s premier championship, the Irish Amateur Open, which returns to Dollymount from 5-8 May. Fota Island will host the Interprovincial Championship from 4-6 July while the Irish Youths visits Galway from 24-26 August. The dates for next year’s provincial championships have also been confirmed.
 
The season begins in earnest at the West of Ireland, which will run from 23-29 March at Co Sligo. The East of Ireland returns to Co Louth on 4-6 June while the North of Ireland runs from 11-15 July at Royal Portrush. Lahinch is the venue for the South of Ireland from 20-24 July.
 
For the third successive year the AIG Cups and Shields Finals will be played out at Carton House, running from 14-17 September with the Irish Mixed Foursomes Final takes place at Shandon Park in Belfast from 2-3 September

There is a new addition to the fixture list for 2016 with the addition of the GUI All Ireland Inter-Club Four Ball Championship. Open to all those aged over 30 on 1 January, the GUI All Ireland Inter-Club Four Ball Championship is limited to players with a handicap of 16 or more. Each team shall consist of 10 members, five pairs, and the minimum combined handicap for each pairing is 36.

All matches will be played off scratch, similar to existing inter-club events like the AIG Pierce Purcell Shield and the AIG Jimmy Bruen Shield, which are played by foursomes.

GUI "MAIN FIXTURES FOR 2016"

JANUARY

13th-16th: Lake Macquarie Amateur Championship (Belmont)
12th-17th: Australian Amateur Championship (Metropolitan & Kingswood)
14th-17th: Latin American Amateur Championship (Dominican Republic)
21st-24th: South American Amateur Championship (Lima, Peru)
29thJan-2nd Feb: New South Wales Stroke Play & Match Play (TBA)

FEBRUARY

2nd-5th: South African Stroke Play (TBA)
10-13: Portuguese Amateur Open Championship (Montado)          
23rd-26th: European Nations Championship (Sotogrande)

MARCH

2nd-6th: Spanish Amateur Open Championship (Sevilla)    
16th-18th: Sir Michael Bonallack Trophy (Turkey)   
23rd-29th: West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship (Co Sligo)           
30th-31st: Wales Boys v Ireland Boys (Cardigan)
31st: Connacht Under 14 Boys Amateur Open Championship (Strandhill)
30th Mar-1st Apr: Four Nations (Under 16) Development Matches (Hilton Templepatrick)
30th Mar-1st Apr: Munster Youths' Amateur Open Championship (Monkstown)
30th Mar-1st Apr: Ulster Under 16 Boys Close Championship (Ardglass)

APRIL

4th-9th: Scottish Boys Amateur Open Championship (Murcar Links)
13th-14th: Peter McEvoy Trophy (Copt Heath)
19th: Irish Schools Senior Championship (Athlone)
20th: Irish Schools Junior Championship (Athlone)  
29th Apr – 1st May: Lytham Trophy (Royal Lytham & St Annes)    
29th Apr – 1st May: Fairhaven Trophy (Fairhaven)
29th Apr – 1st May: Munster Stroke Play Championship (Cork)

MAY

1ST: Ulster Scratch Foursomes Open Championship (Malone)      
5th-8th: Irish Amateur Open Championship (Royal Dublin)  
10th-11th: Munster Seniors Amateur Open Championship (Tramore)
17th: Brabazon Trophy Qualifiers (Hadley Wood & Fulford)
18th-20th: Irish Seniors’ Amateur Open Championship (Ardee)
20th-22nd: French Amateur Open Championship (Chantilly)           
20th-22nd: Welsh Amateur Open Championship (Royal St Davids)
19th-22nd: Irish Open (K Club)          
27th-29th: Scottish Amateur Open Championship (Gullane No.1)   
28th-29th: Welsh Youths Amateur Open (Whitechurch)       
27th May-1st Jun: NCAA Division 1 Finals (Eugene, Oregon)

JUNE

2nd-4th: European Mid Amateur Championship (Czech Republic)  
3rd-5th: St. Andrews Links Trophy (St Andrews)      
4th-6th: East of Ireland Amateur Open Championship (Co. Louth)  
7th-8th: Connacht Seniors’ Amateur Open Championship (Roscommon)
9th-11th: European Seniors Individual Championship (Spain)
11th-12th: Connacht Stroke Play Championship (Athlone)  
13th-15th: Leinster Youths' Amateur Open Championship (Esker Hills)
13th-18th: The Amateur Championship (Pyle & Kenfig)       
18th-19th: Irish Mid-Amateur Open Championship (Limerick)         
21st-22nd: Leinster Seniors’ Amateur Open Championship (Glasson)        
21st-23rd: Leinster Boys’ Amateur Open Championship (Mullingar)
24th: Connacht Boys Under 16 Open Championship (Ballinasloe)  
22nd-25th: Brabazon Trophy (The London Club)      
23rd-25th: Palmer Cup (Formby)      
29th: Munster Under 16 Boys Open Championship (Nenagh)         
28th Jun-1st Jul: Irish Boys Amateur Open Championship (Castle)

JULY

1st: Ulster Under 14 Boys Open Qualifier (Foyle)
1st-3rd: English Mid-Amateur Open Championship (Brokenhurst Manor)   
4th: Leinster Under 16 Open Championship (Beaverstown)
4th-6th: Interprovincial Championship (Fota Island)  
5th-7th: Ulster Under 14 Boys Amateur Close Championship (Greenacres)
5th-7th: Connacht Boys Amateur Open Championship (Galway)
5th-7th: Scottish U16 Boys Championship (West Lothian)
5th-9th: European Boys’ Team Championship (Diamond GC, Austria)
5th-9th: European Team Championship (Chantilly, France)
6th-8th: Irish Seniors Close Championship (Tralee)              
8th: Leinster Under 14 Boys Amateur Open Championship (Balcarrick)
11th: Leinster Under 16 Boys Close Championship (Ashbourne)     
11th-13th: Junior Open Championship (Kilmarnock-Barassie)        
12th-14th: McGregor Trophy (Royal Ashdown Forest)        
11th-15th: North of Ireland Amateur Open Championship (Royal Portrush)
13th-15th: Munster Boys’ Amateur Open Championship (Dromoland)
14th-17th: The Open Championship (Royal Troon)  
19th: Munster U13 Boys Close Qualifier (East Cork)
19th: Connacht Junior Close Qualifiers (Castle Dargan & Cregmore Park)
20th: Munster U13 Boys Close Qualifier (Adare Manor)
20th-21st: Boys (U14) Interprovincial Championship (Tullamore)
20th-22nd: Boys (U18) Interprovincial Championship (Tullamore)
20th-24th: South of Ireland Amateur Open Championship (Lahinch)           
21st-22nd: Boys (U16) Interprovincial Championship (Tullamore)   
21st-22nd: St Andrews Trophy (Princes)      
21st-23rd: European Young Masters (Switzerland)  
21st-24th: Senior British Open (Carnoustie)              
23rd-24th: Ulster Mid-Amateur Open Championship (Malone)        
25th: Ulster Under 14 Open Qualifier (Blackwood)
26th-28th: Ulster Boys’ Amateur Open Championship (Bangor)
29th: Irish Boys Under 14 Amateur Open Championship (Lurgan)

AUGUST

2nd-4th: Boys’ Home Internationals (Ballyliffin-Glashedy)
2nd-4th: Reid Trophy (Porters Park)
2nd-4th: Ulster Youths' Amateur Open Championship (Royal Belfast)        
3rd-5th: British Seniors Amateur Championship (Formby)               
3rd-6th: International European Amateur Championship (Estonia)
4th: Munster U15/U17 Boys close Championship (Carrick-on-Suir)
5th-6th: Leinster Mid-Amateur Open Championship (Carlow)          
8th: Connacht Junior Close Finals (Claremorris)      
8th-9th: Scottish U14 Boys Championship (Craigielaw)
10th-12th: Home Internationals (Nairn)         
11th: Ulster Under 16 Boys Open Championship (Donaghadee)     
11th: Leinster Under 13 Boys Series Finals (Kilcock)
9th-14th:- Boys Amateur Championship (Muirfield & Renaissance)
11th-14th: Olympic Games (Rio de Janeiro)
15th-21st: US Amateur Championship (Oakland Hills)         
16th: Junior Foursomes (National Final) (Clonmel)
16th-20th: Irish Amateur Close Championship (Ballyliffin - Glashedy)         
17th-19th: Irish U16 Boys’ Open Championship (Clonmel)  
18th: Munster U14 Boys Amateur Open Champioship (Tipperary)
18th-19th: Ulster Seniors Amateur Open Championship (Castlerock)                     
22nd: Ulster Under 14 Boys Amateur Open Championship (Dunmurry)
23rd: Fred Daly (National Final) (Galway)
24th-26th: Irish Youths Amateur Open Championship (Galway)      
25th-27th: Junior Players Championship (Sawgrass)
26th-27th: Jacques Leglise Trophy (Princes)
30th Aug-1st Sep: Italian U16 (Biella)
30th Aug-3rd Sep: European Seniors Team Championship (Slovenia)       

SEPTEMBER

2nd-3rd: Irish Mixed Foursomes (National Final) (Shandon Park)   
2nd-3rd: Munster Mid Amateur Championship (Limerick)    
13th-15th: Seniors Home Internationals (Machynys)            
14th-17th Sep: Cups & Shields (National Finals) (Carton House)    
14th-17th Sep: European Boys Team Championship Division 2 (Czech Republic)
21st-22nd: Munster Veterans Amateur Open Championship (Ring of Kerry)          
21st-24th: World Amateur Team Championship (Mexico)   
24th-25th: Connacht Mid Amateur Championship (Athenry)
26th-27th: Ryder Cup Junior Match (Minnesota)
30th Sep-2nd Oct: Ryder Cup (Hazeltine, Minnesota)

OCTOBER

8th-9th: Ireland U16 v England U16 (Castletown Links, Isle of Man)           
20th-22nd: European Club Cup Trophy (Crete)