A Very Warm Welcome

It is a great honour for us to be elected as Captains of Lahinch Golf Club for 2022 and we look forward to welcoming all our members, guests and visitors to the Golf Club for this coming year. In the aftermath of two Covid restricted years, we are very hopeful that this will be a completely normal golfing season. It has been a tough two years for many, and we offer our sympathies to all who were impacted by the pandemic.

The Championship Course, founded in 1892, was originally designed by Old Tom Morris and further enhanced by the world-renowned course architect, Dr Alister MacKenzie, in 1926. It was returned to its natural beauty, in more recent times, by our current course Architect, Dr Martin Hawtree. It is a true links with many towering dunes, overlooking Liscannor Bay. The ever-changing Atlantic weather provides a variety of golfing challenges and enjoyment to golfers but is also worthy of respect. Indeed, the Club has invested considerable sums over recent years to protect the course from the many storms which roll in from the sea.

Lahinch is the permanent home of The South of Ireland Championship which was first played in 1895 and has rightly, over recent years, regained its status as the premier Amateur Open Championship in Ireland. The South, as it’s known by many, has been won by Major Champions Graham McDowell and Darren Clarke and by recent Ryder Cup Captain and honorary member, Paul McGinley. Last year’s Ryder Cup Captain and three times major winner, Padraig Harrington, won the Irish Amateur Close Championship when it was played at Lahinch. We look forward to the 120th staging of the South when it takes place in late July.

The Championship Course is currently rated number four in Ireland. Many of the world’s greatest golfers have played the course, particularly in preparation for the Open Championship. Two of our Overseas Honorary Life Members, Phil Mickelson and Stewart Cink, have indeed been winners of that trophy.

We are fortunate to also have the adjacent Castle Course which is a true links with high quality greens and testing and interesting holes. Coupled with our short game academy and our new state of the art indoor teaching facility, it provides golfers with multiple opportunities to hone their skills.

Lahinch Golf Club was the proud host in 2019 of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open which featured fifteen of the world’s top 50 players and finished with Jon Rahm as the worthy winner. The tournament took place in splendid weather conditions and the week was also memorable for the accompanying festivities in the village. Lahinch has long been known as the St Andrew’s of Ireland due to its proximity to the village and to the knowledgeable and friendly welcome that our golfers and visitors enjoy within the local community. Later in 2019, we hosted the Home Internationals featuring the top amateurs on these islands. In 2024, we will host the Arnold Palmer Cup which pitches the top amateur students from the USA against those from the Rest of the World. This will be a terrific opportunity to see the future stars of both the Men’s and Ladies’ professional games.

We extend a warm welcome to all our members and visitors and we hope to have the opportunity to meet you during your visit to Lahinch in 2022.

Frances Wood & Jim Nolan
2022 Captains