Open Golf Competitions & Fixtures in Ireland

Ireland's golf clubs run open competitions from April through October, hosting singles events, mixed opens, and society outings every week. Clubs across Leinster, Munster, Connacht, and Ulster welcome visitors to championship venues and parkland courses throughout the season.

Most open competitions follow 18-hole stroke play or stableford formats, with entry fees ranging from €10 to €30. Prizes typically cover overall winner, gross and nett categories, and handicap sections. Entries are managed through online booking systems, with tee times allocated in advance.

Open competitions remain one of the most popular ways for club golfers to experience courses beyond their home club. Golf Ireland manages the fixtures calendar, which lists over 700 events during peak season months across all four provinces.

Open Singles & Fixtures

Open singles events allow individual golfers to compete at clubs across Ireland without needing a playing partner or team. These competitions are popular among players looking to experience unfamiliar courses and build competitive rounds outside their home club.

Most clubs publish their open fixtures directly on club websites and through booking platforms like BRS Golf. Clubs typically finalise open competition timesheets by Tuesday for the following week, with entries closing 48-72 hours before the event.

Open singles events span every region - from links courses along the Atlantic coast to midlands parkland and championship venues in Leinster and Ulster. During peak summer months, over 50 open competitions run across Ireland each weekend.

Open Days & Society Events

Golf open days offer visitors a chance to experience Irish courses at reduced green fees, typically with a casual competition format and prizes. Unlike formal singles opens, open days emphasise the social side of golf and welcome players of all standards.

Many clubs schedule open days midweek to accommodate golfers who play outside weekends. Tralee Golf Club's links, Glasson Lakehouse on Lough Ree, and Woodenbridge in the Wicklow valley are among the clubs running regular open day programs. Cork Golf Club at Little Island, Tullamore's parkland layout, and Arklow's seaside links also host popular midweek events throughout the season.

Society groups often book open day slots for team outings. Clubs in tourist regions - the southwest Kerry coast, the Causeway Coast in Ulster, and the Dublin coastline - actively promote packages combining green fees with meals and prizes. For a deeper look at courses and open days in Ulster - from Royal Portrush to Donegal Golf Club - see our golf in Ulster guide.

Tralee Golf Club on the Kerry coast runs sought-after open days on its Arnold Palmer links layout. Glasson Lakehouse on Lough Ree and Woodenbridge in the Wicklow mountains offer midweek open day slots at parkland and valley courses. Cork Golf Club at Little Island, Tullamore in the midlands, and Arklow's seaside links maintain consistent open day calendars throughout the season.

Resort courses, including Fota Island and Galway Bay Golf Club, combine open days with resort facilities and coastal views. Most clubs announce open day schedules in March as the season approaches, with entries managed through club websites and booking platforms.

The Golfing Union of Ireland governed men's amateur golf from 1891 until 2021, when it merged with the Irish Ladies Golf Union to form Golf Ireland. The ILGU, established in 1893 as the world's oldest ladies' golf union, governed women's golf for 128 years. Golf Ireland now oversees the sport across the island for all golfers - men, women, and juniors. Read the full ILGU and GUI history.

Golf Ireland operates through four regional branches - Ulster, Munster, Leinster, and Connacht - managing handicapping, competitions, club affiliation, and coaching for approximately 400 affiliated clubs and over 200,000 registered golfers.

All GUI and ILGU records transferred to Golf Ireland during the 2021 merger, including handicap histories and CDH numbers. The structure of inter-club competitions, provincial championships, and national events continues under Golf Ireland's governance.

What Is a GUI Number?

A GUI number - now officially called a CDH (Central Database of Handicaps) number - is the unique identification number assigned to every registered golfer in Ireland. Golf Ireland issues your CDH number when you join an affiliated club or register through the iGolf system.

Your CDH number links to your handicap record, tracks every qualifying score you submit, and allows you to enter competitions at any Golf Ireland-affiliated club. If you previously held a GUI or ILGU number, the same number carries forward under the Golf Ireland system.

To find your CDH number, check your Golf Ireland membership card, log in to your club's online system, or contact your club secretary. For a full explanation of how handicaps work in Ireland, see our World Handicap System guide.

GUI Golf Insurance

Golf Ireland membership includes insurance cover for registered members. The cover typically includes public liability protection while playing or practising at affiliated clubs, personal accident cover during golf activities, and hole-in-one insurance for qualifying competitions.

Cover limits and specific terms vary depending on the membership category. Golf Ireland publishes the current insurance policy summary on its website annually. For detailed policy terms, excess amounts, and claim procedures, visit golfireland.ie or contact your club's office directly.

It is worth noting that GUI golf insurance - now under the Golf Ireland policy - covers registered members only. Golfers playing as visitors or through the iGolf system should verify their cover status separately.

The 2026 Irish golf season features a packed professional and amateur calendar across the island.

The 2026 Amgen Irish Open takes place at Trump International Doonbeg from September 10–13. The DP World Tour event returns to the County Clare links, bringing a world-class field to the Wild Atlantic Way. General admission and premium tickets are available through the DP World Tour.

The KPMG Women's Irish Open returns in 2026, continuing to attract larger fields and international attention to women's professional golf in Ireland.

Adare Manor hosts the Ryder Cup in September 2027 - the centenary edition of golf's premier team event. Ireland's second Ryder Cup follows Europe's 18½–9½ victory at The K Club in 2006.

The 2026 AIG Cups & Shields draws are published, with provincial qualifying beginning in April. Inter-club competitions run through September, with provincial and national finals across the summer. Visit our live scores page for tournament coverage, tee times, and leaderboards during major Irish events.

Golf betting draws significant interest from Irish sports fans, particularly during major tournaments on Irish soil. The Amgen Irish Open at Doonbeg this September and the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in 2027 rank among the most anticipated betting events on Ireland's sporting calendar.

Darren Maguire, Golfnet's Golf Betting Analyst, covers betting markets weekly throughout the season. His analysis includes outright winner and each-way selections for major championships - the Masters, The Open, US Open, and PGA Championship - along with bookmaker odds comparison for Irish and international events.

Each-way betting is popular in golf due to large field sizes (typically 144 players), which makes outright winners difficult to predict. Common bet types include top-10 and top-20 finishes, first-round leader markets, and head-to-head matchups. Darren publishes weekly golf betting tips backed by course form and statistical analysis. Compare the latest golf odds across bookmakers for current tournaments.

For the complete guide to golf betting in Ireland - including how betting works, bookmaker reviews, and major event previews - visit our golf betting section.

Golfnet covers every aspect of the Irish golf scene. Below you will find our core sections, each covering a specific area in depth.

Live Scores & Leaderboards

We track live scores, leaderboards, and tee times for Irish golf tournaments - from the Amgen Irish Open and KPMG Women's Irish Open to the South of Ireland Amateur Open at Lahinch, the West of Ireland Championship in Sligo, and the North of Ireland Championship at Royal Portrush. During tournament weeks, leaderboard updates and daily tee times are published on our live golf scores and leaderboards page.

World Handicap System Guide

The World Handicap System replaced the CONGU Unified Handicapping System in Ireland in November 2020. Our comprehensive guide explains how your WHS handicap index is calculated, the difference between handicap index and course handicap, score differentials, and how to get a handicap in Ireland - whether through club membership or the iGolf system. Read the full World Handicap System guide.

Golf Tournaments Calendar

Ireland's annual golf calendar features 18 inter-club competitions under the AIG Cups & Shields banner, four provincial championships (South, West, North, and East of Ireland), national championships including the Flogas Irish Amateur Open, and the prestigious scratch cup circuit led by the Mullingar Scratch Trophy. Our Irish golf tournament calendar covers fixtures, formats, and results across the full season.

Golf Clubs & Travel

With over 400 courses across the island, Ireland is one of the world's premier golf destinations. From the famous links of Ballybunion, Lahinch, and Royal Portrush to championship parkland layouts at Adare Manor, The K Club, and Mount Juliet - our course guide covers the best golf courses in Ireland, golf breaks and holiday packages, and stay-and-play options by region. Explore our golf clubs and travel in Ireland guide.