Five Louth clubs join forces to launch innovative Junior Golf Championship
Pictured left to right Conor Mulholland (Seapoint Boys Captain), Roan Norton (Dundalk Boys Captain), Erin Gallagher (Ardee Girls Captain), Daniel McKenna (County Louth Boys Captain), Aoibhe Reilly (County Louth Girls Representative), Caolan Rafferty (Dundalk GC), Luke Woods (Ardee Boys Captain), Ana Gaztambide (Greenore Girls Captain) Andrew Clarke (Greenore Boys Captain), Grace Cosgrove (Dundalk Girls Captain).
Five of County Louth’s premier golf clubs have united to launch the inaugural Louth County Close Junior Championship.
Scheduled from August 17-20, the event is believed to be the first of its kind in Ireland, bringing together Ardee, County Louth, Dundalk, Greenore and Seapoint to create a unique, multi-venue tournament.
The championship offers a significant platform for young talent with the winners of the older divisions set to receive valuable World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) points.
However, the organisers have stressed that the event is designed to be both inclusive and competitive.
By spreading 54 holes of competition across five different venues—with each club providing dedicated four-hour blocks of tee times—the format maximises participation for up to 187 competitors while minimising disruption to club members during the busy summer season.
Competition will be split into four divisions: U19 and U15 Boys, and U20 and U16 Girls.
The opening rounds will be held at Greenore and Dundalk, followed by the second rounds at Ardee and Seapoint.
After a 36-hole cut, all four divisions will then converge on County Louth Golf Club’s famous Baltray links for the final round.
A spokesperson for the organising committee highlighted the project's collaborative spirit.
“This championship is unique in bringing together five clubs to maximise opportunities for junior golfers across the county,” they said.
“Keeping the competition local and affordable helps remove barriers and provides a genuine pathway for juniors into championship golf.”
The event also serves as a celebration of Louth’s rich amateur pedigree.
The U15 Boys division will be named in honour of Dundalk’s Caolan Rafferty, whose recent historic domestic grand slam stands as an inspiration to the county’s next generation.
He is just one of several top amateurs, including Walker Cup player Gavin Tiernan, to emerge from the region’s strong junior system.
With entries now open at €30 per competitor, the championship is exclusively for junior members of the five participating clubs.
The initiative has been made possible by the support of local 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.
The organisers hope this "one-of-a-kind" pilot event will not only provide a memorable week of competition for Louth's juniors but also serve as a potential model for similar collaborative tournaments across the country.
Registration is available at https://www.golfgenius.com/register
The official website will soon be live at www.louthjuniorclose.ie
