Five Louth clubs unite to launch WAGR County Close Junior Golf

Five of County Louth’s leading golf clubs — Ardee, County Louth, Dundalk, Greenore and Seapoint — have come together to launch the inaugural WAGR Louth County Close Junior Championships.

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The championship will provide junior golfers across the county with the opportunity to earn World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points in the U19 Boys and U20 Girls divisions through a 54-hole stroke play competition. Competition schedule:

● U19 Boys: Greenore (17 Aug), Ardee (18 Aug), Baltray final (20 Aug)

● U20/16 Girls & U15 Boys: Dundalk (10 Aug), Seapoint (19 Aug), Baltray final (20 Aug)

Max Handicap Boys U19 28 / Boys U15 36 / Girls 45 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 players must be a junior member of one of the five golf clubs. Entries will close once fields are full. Further details are available through the clubs and social media channels.

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 marks 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, and Zac Rouiller.

Tournament Committee Peter Tuite County Louth GC pgtuite@gmail.com Robert Murphy Greenore GC robert@greenoregolfclub.com Vincent Conlon Dundalk GC vcon.vince@gmail.com Mark Gallagher Ardee GC 20.gallagher@gmail.com Trudy Rossiter Seapoint Links trudyrossiter@gmail.com