Cork golf clubs prepare for inter-club competitions

The slow but steady stretch in the evenings has been welcomed by golfers, as has the lower levels of rainfall. 

Although summer golf and firm ground is still not here, there has definitely been a large increase in the numbers of golfers getting out for a few holes.

2025 was a good year for Cork golf, and it might be hard to top some of those successes this year. 

There were national inter-club titles for Douglas, Monkstown and Lee Valley and on the individual front David Howard captured a championship win in Co Louth and John Doyle won the Irish Boys in Cork Golf Club.

There was success on the tour front also as Sara Byrne retained her LET tour card after an impressive rookie season, and James Sugrue won a HotelPlanner tour card after finishing third on the Clutch Pro Tour. 

While the successes of 2025 are still being celebrated in some quarters, everyone will now be turning to the 2026 calendar. 

Many golfers are just returning to the course, but many clubs have been planning on how they might win a coveted Munster pennant in 2026.

There are 18 inter-club competitions total, 12 national events and six provincial competitions. 

The Golf Ireland inter-club events are one of the largest organised events in Europe with thousands of matches and thousands of golfers competing on a provincial and national level.

The Men’s Senior Cup will see the 32 teams take part with one preliminary round taking place before the last 16 clubs will go to Kinsale on the 18th July. 

Holders Douglas have a home tie against Castlemartyr with the finals hosts Kinsale up against Lee Valley. Four rounds of golf will follow over that Saturday and Sunday with the Munster East winners crowned on Sunday evening.

There are seven teams in the Women’s Senior Cup. Three first round matches take place in Mallow in June before the three winners along with Douglas (first round bye) head for Kinsale on the 19th July.

The Women’s and Men’s AIG Junior Cups will be decided in Muskerry in early July. 

In the Womem’s Junior Cup the first two rounds will take place in East Cork in mid-June before the final four clubs head to Muskerry. 

The Men’s Junior Cup has 34 teams entered meaning there will be two matches in round one before the final 32 play off for a place in the draw for Muskerry in the round of 16. 

The hosts will have to overcome Bandon in the second round if they are to be among the final 16 on Saturday 4th July.

The AIG Barton Shield and Senior Foursomes finals will take place in Tipperary in July. In the case of the Senior Foursomes, two rounds will be held in Muskerry in June with four semi-finalists going forward to Tipperary. 

In the Barton Shield the 21 Cork Clubs will all have a preliminary match to identify the final 16 clubs who will play in up to four rounds of matchplay in Tipperary.

The Flogas Irish Mixed Foursomes has a strong entry of 35 clubs in Munster East, with home advantage counting in the first five rounds before the final two clubs head for Muskerry in late August. 

The Irish Mixed Four-Ball is now in its third year and 29 clubs have entered. The final is also scheduled for Muskerry in late August.

Youghal will host the third and fourth rounds of the Jimmy Bruen Shield in late July, with the four remaining clubs going forward to the semi-finals in Clonmel in early August. 

The Minor Foursomes final also takes place in Clonmel. The final of the Pierce Purcell Shield and the Intermediate Foursomes will take place in Tramore on 3rd August.

The draw for the 2026 West of Ireland Championship was released earlier this week, and there’s a large number of Cork golfers set to tee it up in Co Sligo for the first major of the year.

David Howard and Sean Reddy made the start list thanks to their WAGR ranking, with Sean Barry, Joe O’Neill, Darren Kelleher, Ryan Lyons, Paddy Quill and James Walsh getting in on the handicap ballot. 

Barry Anderson makes it into the field as a past winner. Another seven Cork golfers will be hoping to make the Championship via the qualifier. 93 golfers will be hoping to finish in the top 8 to tee it up on Friday 3rd April. 

The cut for the championship fell at +2.5, with a handicap index of +0.9 needed to gain a place in the qualifier.