Exciting year of golf ahead for all golfers

2026 promises to be another great year for golf in Cork. 

There’s plenty to look forward too, even if the recent wet and cold weather has seen a large number of course closed signs across the county. 

The soft winter conditions aren’t for everyone, but all golfers will be looking forward to the brighter and longer afternoons and firmer ground as we move towards the spring.

Anyone interested in swinging a club over the coming weeks can use the many practice facilities. 

Frankfield driving range and Cork Golf Centre should be busy places in January, and there are also a number of practice studios that can be booked by the public. 

Several clubs now have their own trackman studios but there are also indoor studio practice facilities available in Raffeen Creek and Mount Oval Bar.

The year ahead promises to be another landmark season for Irish amateur golf. 

While there are no national championships in Cork, there are some important events taking place in Munster. 

The Walker Cup returns to Ireland for the first time since 2007, when Lahinch will play host to the famous match between GB&I and USA on 5 and 6 September.

Following on Lahinch’s hosting of The Palmer Cup in 2024, their Munster neighbours Tralee will host the event in early July. The Amgen Irish Open is also headed for Munster, with Doonbeg in Co Clare set to host the flagship professional event in September.

Golf Ireland Championships Director Mark Wehrly said “To have the Palmer Cup and Walker Cup both coming to Ireland within a couple of months of each other and also having the chance to deliver the European Ladies’ Team Championship and the Men’s and Women’s Home Internationals, it’s going to be a huge year for our dedicated staff and volunteers.

On the Irish championship schedule, Woodbrook has been confirmed as the host venue for the R&A Men’s & Women’s Home Internationals and the inaugural East of Ireland Women’s Amateur Open Championship. The R&A Men’s & Women’s Home Internationals will return to Ireland for the first time since its inception in 2022.

On the back of Killarney’s successful hosting of the European Amateur Team Championship this summer, PGA National Slieve Russell have been selected to host the European Ladies’ Team Championship from 7-11 July.

April will see the traditional curtain raiser to the elite amateur season, the West of Ireland Amateur Open Championship, take place at County Sligo (3-7 April), before the Flogas Irish Boys’ Amateur Open Championship begins in Malone (17-19 April).

May will be a busy month of national Open Championships, with Corrstown once again hosting the Flogas Irish Girls’ Amateur Open Championship (1-3 May), before Seapoint welcomes back the Flogas Irish Men’s Amateur Open Championship (7-10 May), and Newlands stages the Flogas Irish Women’s Amateur Open Championship (15-17 May).

The Irish Senior Men’s Amateur Open Championship will take place in Castlerock (20-22 May) before the month concludes with the East of Ireland Men’s Amateur Open Championship at County Louth (29-31 May). Cork will host the Munster Strokeplay in May.

After hosting a number of national events in 2025 there are no national championships taking place in Cork in 2026, however it is possible that Cork clubs will host some of the AIG Inter-Club finals which take place in August and September.

2026 will bring changes for two young Cork golfers. John Doyle, Barry O’Connell and Sean Reddywill be heading for the US in August to take there place in the US college golf programme. Doyle signed a letter of intent with Louisiana State University last July, and O’Connell is heading to Michigan to Grand Valley state University. Sean Reddy is set to head to Florida in August after committing to Jacksonville University. They join Morgan Cain, Jack Murphy and Dean Browne who are already studying and playing in the US.

There’s an exciting year ahead for Cork’s tour golfers as well. James Sugrue is set for a full year on the HotelPlanner Challenge Tour after inning a tour card last year. John Murphy will be focusing on the Clutch Tour as he tries to advance through the ranks again, and Sara Byrne is set for her second year on the top level Ladies European Tour.