Dun Laoghaire to host 2016 Curtis Cup

The 14th at Dun Laoghaire, host club for the 2016 Curtis Cup.Dun Laoghaire Golf Club has beaten off stiff competition to host the 2016 Curtis Cup Match.

“We are delighted that the next home Curtis Cup match will be held in Ireland in 2016,” commented Shona Malcolm, CEO of the Ladies Golf Union. “Dun Laoghaire Golf Club submitted a very compelling bid for hosting the 2016 match.

“The quality of the course and top class facilities at Dun Laoghaire, coupled with the commitment and enthusiasm of the club’s team, convinced us that we were selecting a great venue.”

The first Curtis Cup Match was played in 1932 at the Wentworth Club in England and was won by the American team.

The match was last held in Ireland in 1996, when it was played on the Killeen Course at Killarney Golf & Fishing Club. The GB & I team won on that occasion and did not win again until Sunday’s 10 1/2 to 9 1/2 victory at Nairn in Scotland.

Padraig Harrington, who lives nearby, is a member of the Dun Laoghaire which joins an elite list of host venues which include Royal County Down, The Old Course at St. Andrews, Royal St. George’s, Muirfield, and Royal Liverpool.

Club President Derek Montgomery said: “This is a tremendous achievement for our club.  It will be a fitting showcase event for our course, and for ladies golf in Great Britain & Ireland.

“We are determined to host a very successful event, and are confident that, with the support of our members, we can make it a truly memorable occasion.”

The 27-hole championship course at Ballyman Glen, on the border of counties Dublin and Wicklow, was designed by the renowned course architects at Hawtree Limited. The 102-year-old club moved to Ballyman Glen in the summer of 2007 from its original 18-hole home in the Dublin suburb of Dun Laoghaire.

Irish golfing legend Mary McKenna MBE, past Curtis Cup player and Captain, is thrilled with the announcement and looks forward to welcoming the players and supporters to Ireland for this great event.

“It will be a great boost for ladies golf, and will give the up and coming girls an added incentive to strive to make a Curtis Cup team, which is the pinnacle of Amateur Ladies Golf,” McKenna said.

The United States Golf Association announced on Sunday that St. Louis Country Club will host the 2014 Curtis Cup Match

The United States leads the all-time Curtis Cup series with a record of 27-7-3.