More than 160 clubs to battle for Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Pro-Am slot
Looking forward to the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open qualifying events are (l-r) K Club Lady Captain Angela Cirillo and Captain Tony Kelly, European Tour Championship Director Rory Colville and Dubai Duty Free Golf Ambassador Des Smyth.
More than than 160 golf across the length and breadth of Ireland have signed up to compete in this year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Club Challenge with a chance to play alongside international golf superstars and world famous celebrities in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open Pro–Am at stake.
The theme for this year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, hosted by the Rory Foundation at The K Club (May 19-22) is ‘History in the Making’ and that will certainly be the case on May 18 when, for the first time ever, one lucky club team lines up to play alongside a top golfer in the prestigious Pro-Am competition.
The European Tour and Irish Open title-sponsor Dubai Duty Free, which has kindly donated one of its own Pro-Am team spaces for the competition, today revealed the venues and dates for the five ‘Club Challenge’ regional qualifiers as well as the names of the 166 clubs who will be represented.
The qualifiers will all take place between Monday April 11 and Monday April 25 at five of Ireland’s top golf courses - Powerscourt GC in County Wicklow, Hollystown GC in Dublin, Rockmount GC in Belfast, Dooks GC in County Kerry and Galway Bay Golf Club.
Details of the qualifying events, which are being managed by the Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI) and leading golf magazine Golf Digest Ireland, are as follows:
DUBAI DUTY FREE IRISH OPEN CLUB CHALLENGE: REGIONAL QUALIFIERS
Where is your club playing?
NORTH: Monday 11th April 2016 at Rockmount Golf Club - 40 teams (top five will qualify)
- 10:00 Rockmount, Dunmurry
- 10:10 Belvoir Park, Bangor
- 10:20 Warrenpoint, Kilrea
- 10:30 Clandeboye, Tandragee
- 10:40 Dunfanaghy, Ballycastle
- 10:50 Spa, Faughan Valley
- 11:00 Loughgall, Greenacres
- 11:10 Banbridge, Clones
- 11:20 Townley Hall, Cairndhu
- 11:30 Lurgan, Moyola Park
- 11:40 Fortwilliam, Ardglass
- 11:50 Fintona, Antrim
- 12:00 Co Cavan, Castle Hume
- 12:10 Ballyclare, Ormeau
- 12:20 Royal Portrush, St Patrick’s
- 12:30 Aughnacloy, Ballyliffin
- 12:40 Portsalon, Blacklion
- 12:50 Donegal, Enniskillen
- 13:00 Letterkenny, Castlerock
- 13:10 Carnalea, Greencastle
WEST: Wednesday 13th April at Galway Bay Golf Club - 28 teams (top four will qualify)
- 10:00 Galway Bay, Galway
- 10:10 Gort, Mountbellew
- 10:20 Oughterard, Portumna
- 10:30 Cregmore Park, Connemara
- 10:40 Athenry, Woodstock
- 10:50 Lahinch, Athlone
- 11:00 Ballinasloe, Roscommon
- 11:10 Doonbeg, Castlebar
- 11:20 Ballyhaunis, Balllina
- 11:30 Enniscrone, Castle Dargan
- 11:40 Mulranny, Co Sligo
- 11:50 Belmullet, Strandhill
- 12:00 Bundoran, Ballyneety
- 12:10 Nenagh, Birr
EAST (1): Tuesday 19th April 2016 at Powerscourt Golf Club- 40 teams (top five will qualify)
- 09:30 Powerscourt, Wickow
- 09:40 Bray, Charlesland
- 09:50 Blessington Lakes, Killiney
- 10:00 Lisheen Springs, Woodbrook
- 10:10 Castle, Slade Valley
- 10:20 Craddockstown, Newlands
- 10:30 Heritage, Gowran Park
- 10:40 Grange Castle, Enniscorthy
- 10:50 The Smurfit, Athy
- 11:00 Tulfarris, The K Club
- 11:10 Carlow, Royal Curragh
- 11:20 Palmertstown Stud, Callan
- 11:30 The Heath, Elm Park
- 11:40 Roscrea, Millicent
- 11:50 Newbridge, Highfield
- 12:00 Grange, Mount Juliet
- 12:10 Tullamore, Knockanally
- 12:20 Faithlegg, Tramore
- 12:30 Borris, Waterford Castle
- 12:40 Foxrock, Cahir Park
EAST (2): Wednesday 20th April 2016 at Hollystown Golf Club – 30 teams (top four will qualify)
- 10:00 Hollystown, Skerries
- 10:10 The Island, St Margaret’s
- 10:20 Howth, Ashbourne
- 10:30 Seapoint, Kilcock
- 10:40 Royal Tara, Mullingar
- 10:50 Westmanstown,Laytown & Bettystown
- 11:00 Black Bush, Co Louth
- 11:20 Clontarf, Sutton
- 11:30 Malahide, Headfort
- 11:40 Beaverstown, Hermitage
- 11:50 Forrest Little, Dundalk
- 12:00 Balbriggan, Donabtate
- 12:10 Kilkenny, Ashfield
- 12:20 Carton House, Milltown
- 12:30 Co Armagh, Rush
SOUTH: Monday 25th April 2016 at Dooks Golf Club - 28 teams (top four will qualify)
- 10:30 Dooks, Killorglin
- 10:40 Killarney, Castlerosse
- 10:50 Ballybunion, Waterville
- 11:00 Kanturk, Castlegregory
- 11:10 Ring of Kerry, Macroom
- 11:20 Lee Valle, Glengarriff
- 11:30 Newcastle West, Mallow
- 11:50 Blarney, Fermoy
- 12:00 Clonakilty (Dunmore), Fota Island
- 12:10 Fernhill, Lisselan
- 12:20 Kinsale, Muskerry
- 12:30 Mitchelstown, Thurles
- 12:40 Skibbereen, Youghal
- 12:50 Gold Coast, Tipperary
Rules
- The format of the event is fourball stableford.
- Teams consist of one male and one female player.
- Handicaps are to be applied in accordance with the CONGU Unified Handicapping System.
- Qualifying teams will advance to the All-Ireland Final to be played on The Smurfit Course at The K Club.
