Lahinch to host Walker Cup in 2026
Lahinch Golf Club, Co Clare. Picture courtesy Lahinch GC
Lahinch will become the third Irish club to stage the Walker Cup when it hosts the 51st match between Great Britain and Ireland and the United States of America from 5-6 September 2026.
The renowned Co Clare links will host the international match for the first time in its history when the two sides meet in the biennial encounter, following in the footsteps of Portmarnock (1991) and Royal County Down (2007).
The 2019 staging of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, which was hosted by Paul McGinley, confirmed Lahinch as a club with the know-how to stage the biggest team event in amateur golf.
“The Walker Cup has long been an iconic fixture at the pinnacle of men’s amateur golf and for Lahinch to be invited to host the matches, following on from St Andrews and Cypress Point in 2025 is a major honour for our Club and links,” said John Gleeson, Chairperson of Lahinch, who revealed that the club is preparing to invest €2 million in the installation of a new wall-to-wall irrigation system this winter..
Phil Anderton, Chief Development Officer at The R&A, said: “Lahinch is widely regarded as being one of the finest links courses in Ireland and so there will be great excitement at the prospect of the Walker Cup being played there for the very first time.
“Whenever we have staged a championship or international match on the island of Ireland, we have always been fortunate to have Irish fans turn out in great numbers to support the competing golfers and generate a fantastic atmosphere.
“We look forward to enjoying another special occasion in 2026 when many of the world’s best men’s amateur golfers will represent Great Britain and Ireland and the United States of America to compete for this historic trophy.”
With Lahinch hosting the Arnold Palmer Cup match between the United States and an International team of college amateurs next year, Ireland will be at the forefront of world golf for the next few years.
The Open returns to Royal Portrush in 2025 and with the 2026 Walker Cup at Lahinch quickly followed by the centenary Ryder Cup at The Golf Course at Adare Manor in 2027, it’s a marketing dream for Irish golf tourism.
Lahinch hosted the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in 2019 when two-time major champion Jon Rahm won Ireland’s national championship for the second time.
It was a huge success with bumper crowds and a party atmosphere throughout the week and with McGInley playing a part in helping the club land the Walker Cup, his name is being mentioned in amateur golf circles as a potential Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup captain.
The 2014 Ryder Cup skipper has said it would be an honour to be considered for the role but the Irish Independent understands that no formal approach has been made to the Dubliner.
However, the appointment of two-time Solheim Cup winning captain Catriona Matthew as the first professional golfer to captain GB&I in the Curtis Cup at Sunningdale next year, sets an interesting precedent.
The South of Ireland Amateur Championship, first played in 1895, continues to be held at Lahinch annually and prospective Walker Cup players may enter 'the South' to boost their chances of selection over the next few years.
Previous winners include three-time Amateur champion Joe Carr, 2011 Open champion Darren Clarke, Ryder Cup-winning captain McGinley and 2010 US Open champion and former Walker Cup player Graeme McDowell.
The match is being played in 2026 so that it is not held in the same year as the World Amateur Team Championships and will continue to be played biannually thereafter.
Tickets for this year’s Walker Cup match being played on the Old Course, St Andrews on Saturday, 2 and Sunday, 3 September, are available to purchase at randa.org.
The 2025 match will be held at Cypress Point in California with Lahinch to follow in 2026.
