The European Senior Tour describes it as "ground-breaking" but the 2010 schedule looks decidedly thin and the Irish Seniors Open does not figure at all - so far.

New destinations in South Africa and The Netherlands and a first visit to Carnoustie’s historic links are some of the highlights for the over 50s brigade.

However, it is not at all certain that the Irish Seniors Open will be played for the 14th year in a row.

No surprise there.

Andy Stubbs, Managing Director of the European Senior Tour, said: “Many of our relationships are forged over many years but it is encouraging to see new sponsors and venues join the Tour family and, with the relaxed ambience of the Senior Tour, we hope they remain with us for some time to come.

“In addition, we have a number of ongoing conversations relating to further tournaments on the 2010 schedule and these will be added in due course.”

The rank and file have been aware that the current economic climate is making it difficult to secure sponsorship and so far, there are just 15 confirmed events on the 2010 calendar with four more carrying the "To Be Announced" tag.

The Irish Seniors Open is the biggest absentee and while a date (June 11-13) appears to have been earmarked, it remains to be seen if Failte Ireland will continue to support the event.

AIB were the title sponsors from 1997 to 2007 but stepped back following the 2006 Ryder Cup to plough its marketing cash into the 2011 Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle.

The bank continued to support the event alongside Failte Ireland in 2008 and 2009 but announced last June that the Ballybunion staging would brings its involvement to an end.

The press release from the European Senior Tour indicates that further events will be announced next month.

Before the Senior Open Championship visits Carnoustie for the first time, the Senior Tour will have visited a number of far-flung destinations, starting with the second edition of the Aberdeen Brunei Senior Masters presented by the Stapleford Forum from March 5-7.

The Senior Tour will then make its maiden voyage to South Africa three weeks later for the inaugural Berenberg Bank Masters at the stunning Gary Player-designed Links at Fancourt.

Later in the season, the inaugural Van Lanschot Senior Open at Royal Haagsche Golf and Country Club from July 9-11 will see the Senior Tour return to The Netherlands for the first time in nine years. 

Those events join long standing tournaments, the Jersey Seniors Classic (June 4-6), the Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open (July 2-4), the Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters (September 3-5) and the Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open (June 18-20), which returns to Royal Porthcawl Golf Club just four months before the nearby Celtic Manor Resort hosts The Ryder Cup itself.

The Cleveland Golf/Srixon Scottish Senior Open returns to Fairmont St Andrews for the second time  from August 20-22, a month after The Senior Open Championship presented by MasterCard from July 22-25.

That will be the season’s second Senior Major Championship following the US Senior PGA Championship which, in 2010, will be played at Colorado Golf Club in Denver from May 27-30, while Sahalee Country Club in Seattle will host the US Senior Open from July 29 to August 1.

In addition, the Senior Tour’s other four round event, the De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship, will once again be played at De Vere Slaley Hall in Northumberland from June 24-27.

If, as in 2009, the Senior Tour Order of Merit remains closely fought until the end of the season, the lucrative Casa Serena Open in the Czech Republic could prove decisive when it returns to Casa Serena Golf for the third time from September 17-19.

The season will then end with the traditional finalé, the OKI Castéllon Senior Tour Championship, which again takes place at the Club de Campo del Mediterráneo, in Spain, from November 5-7. 

Sam Torrance finished third in Castéllon last month to edge past Ian Woosnam in the battle of the Ryder Cup Captains to capture the John Jacobs Trophy as Senior Tour Number One and the duo will go head to head again in 2010, which promises to be another exciting season for the Senior Tour.

EUROPEAN SENIOR TOUR SCHEDULE 2010 

December

11 – 13 Mauritius Commercial Bank Open, Constance Belle Mare Plage, Mauritius

March 

05 – 07 Aberdeen Brunei Senior Masters presented by the Stapleford Forum, The Empire Hotel & Country Club, Brunei

12 – 14 TBA TBA

26 – 28 Berenberg Bank Masters, The Links, Fancourt, South Africa

May

27 - 30 US SENIOR PGA CHAMPIONSHIP Colorado GC, Denver, Colorado, USA

June 

04 – 06 Jersey Seniors Classic, La Moye GC, Jersey

11 – 13 TBA TBA

18 – 20 Ryder Cup Wales Seniors Open, Royal Porthcawl GC, Wales

24 – 27 De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship, Hunting Course, De Vere Slaley Hall, England

July                   

02 – 04 Bad Ragaz PGA Seniors Open, Golf Club Bad Ragaz, Switzerland            

09 – 11 Van Lanschot Senior Open, Royal Haagsche Golf & Country Club, Netherlands

22 – 25 THE SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY MASTERCARD, Championship Course, Carnoustie, Scotland

29 – 01 US SENIOR OPEN* Sahalee CC, Seattle, Washington, USA

August 

20 - 22 Cleveland Golf / Srixon Scottish Senior Open, Fairmont St. Andrews, Scotland

September 

03 – 05 Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters, Duke’s Course, Woburn GC, England

17 – 19 Casa Serena Open, Casa Serena Golf, Czech Republic

24 – 26 TBA TBA

October 

15 – 17 TBA TBA

November 

05 – 07 OKI Castellón Senior Tour Championship, Club de Campo del Mediterráneo, Spain                   

* Money won does not count towards the 2010 European Senior Tour Order of Merit