Five of County Louth’s leading golf clubs — Ardee, County Louth, Dundalk, Greenore and Seapoint — have united to launch the inaugural Louth County Close Junior Championships, supported by the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR).
The championship will be played over 54 holes across five venues, with each club providing four hours of dedicated tee times. This format maximises participation, allowing space for up to 187 competitors across four divisions, while minimising disruption to valuable tee times during the peak summer period.
Divisions include:
● U19 Boys – Greenore (Round 1) and Ardee (Round 2)
● U20 Girls – Dundalk (Round 1) and Seapoint (Round 2)
● U16 Girls – Dundalk (Round 1) and Seapoint (Round 2)
● U15 Boys – Dundalk (Round 1) and Seapoint (Round 2)
A cut will apply after 36 holes, with all divisions concluding with a final round at County Louth Golf Club.
Registration is now open. Entry is €30 per competitor and, as this is a County Close Championship, players must be a junior member of one of the participating clubs. Entries will close once fields are full.
A spokesperson for the organising committee said:
“This championship is unique in bringing together five clubs to maximise opportunities for junior golfers across the county. By hosting rounds across multiple venues with dedicated tee times, we hope to give as many eligible players as
possible the chance to compete.
While WAGR points will attract elite players, the event is designed to be inclusive, with significant prizes also available for nett scores. Keeping the competition local and affordable helps remove barriers and provides a genuine pathway for juniors into championship golf.”
County Louth has a proud tradition of producing top amateur talent. Recent highlights include Dundalk’s Caolan Rafferty, who completed an historic domestic grand slam, and Walker Cup player Gavin Tiernan, both products of the county’s strong junior system.
In recognition of Rafferty’s achievements, the U15 division of the Louth Boys Close Championship will be named in his honour. Widely regarded as one of Louth’s greatest amateurs, Rafferty’s journey from junior golfer to one of Ireland’s leading amateurs remains an inspiration to young players across the county.
The championship builds on decades of collaboration between the five clubs and represents another significant step in developing junior golf across Louth.
This event would not be possible without the support of club members and the generosity of the
following sponsors:
Anord Mardix, Greenore Port, Remax Elite, Ping Golf, Links Landscaping, Farrell Furniture, Hanna McDonnell Marketing, Stephen Murphy and professionals Brian Kerley, David Carroll, Leslie Walker, Scott Kirkpatrick & Zac Rouiller.
Leave a comment