The prospect of the Open Golf Championship being staged at Portmarnock Golf Club in north County Dublin moved a significant step closer today with the announcement by the Irish government that it will support the hosting of The Open and also the AIG Women's Open at the famous north Dublin links.
While no decision has yet been made by the R&A, the Irish government's support of up to €40 million is a significant acknowledgement that a first ever staging of The Open outside the United Kingdom is now a very real prospect.
In a statement today, the Taoiseach Simon Harris and Ministers Catherine Martin and Thomas Byrne said they "welcomed today’s agreement by Government to support the hosting of The Open and the AIG Women’s Open at Portmarnock Golf Club, subject to further conditions being met."
The Taoiseach added that the potential to host The Open and the Women’s Open would bring endless opportunities for the country including showcasing Ireland on the world stage and promoting equality in sport.
"It would also provide cultural, economic and social benefits and overall, be a major boost for the country," he said.
"We already have a reputation as a world-leading golf destination and hosting these events would further enhance Ireland as a global destination for the sport. I look forward to the next steps to hopefully make this happen."
Portmarnock Golf Club welcomed the government’s offer of financial support in its attempt to meet the significant infrastructural challenges it faces in its aspiration to host these two major championships.
Portmarnock's location on a peninsula, with one road in and one road out, is an obvious issue that needs addressing is terms of access and egress.
Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A also welcomed the news of official Irish government support while adding: "There is still a lot of work to do to ensure we can deliver on this opportunity, but the support of the Irish Government is critical. We will continue to work through this process with the Government, Portmarnock Golf Club and our other partners."
The proposal is still in its early stages but significant investigations about the viability of Portmarnock Golf Club as an Open venue have been ongoing for a few years.
Two major R&A amateur events - the 2024 Women's Amateur Championship and 2019 Amateur Championship (Men) were particularly successful at the north Dublin links, which has also staged numerous Irish Opens, the last of them in 2003.
As for a time scale, the hope would be for the AIG Womens Open to be staged in 2028 or 2029 and the Open sometime between 2030 and 2034.
In the meantime, the Open will be staged in Royal Portrush in County Antrim for the third time in 2025 - the only venue it has ever taken place outside Britain - while Adare Manor in Limerick will stage the Ryder Cup in 2027.
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