Irish Venue Moves One Step Closer To Debut Open After Government Agrees To Explore Bid

The Irish government has agreed to explore a bid to host The Open and the AIG Women’s Open at Portmarnock Golf Club.

The famous course, which is located on the north-east edge of Ireland's capital Dublin, has long been tipped as a potential site to become the first host course outside of the United Kingdom in the Open Championship's 152-year history.

However, until now, not all of the relevant authorities - namely the Irish government - have been totally convinced about submitting an official bid.

Yet, on Wednesday, the Irish Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media announced ministers would be looking into a proposal.

In a statement confirming the news, Simon Harris' government said that "any final decision to support the bid to host The Open is subject to a positive outcome to discussions that will take place with The R&A and Portmarnock Golf Club over the summer period and to a positive economic impact assessment."

Should Portmarnock ultimately welcome the world's best players in the men's and women's game, it would follow Royal Portrush as the second host venue of either Open Championship on the island of Ireland.

Portrush hosted The Open in 2019 and 1951, and it will do so for the third time in 2025. Royal Birkdale, near Liverpool, will follow suit in 2026. The AIG Women's Open has only ever been hosted by English or Scottish courses since it began in 1976.

R&A officials previously confirmed to Golf Monthly that Portmarnock is of interest to them in terms of staging The Open at some point in the future, but all parties would need to be on board in order for that to happen.

Speaking in October 2023, an R&A spokesperson said: “Portmarnock is undoubtedly one of the world’s outstanding links courses and we believe there is the potential to host our major championships there, but it is essential that a full evaluation is carried out to assess whether it is feasible and what would be required to make it happen.”

The move has also been given support by huge names in the world of Irish golf including Rory McIlroy and Paul McGinley.

McIlroy - the former World No.1 and 2014 Open Champion - believes it would be "amazing" to see the Dublin location welcome a Major, as long as it could cope with the strains of such an event from a logistical point of view.

In September 2023, he said: "I was looking forward to Portrush but (concerned) in terms of how it would do commercially - there's so many other considerations to hosting a Major championship apart from it being a great golf course.

"There has to be a lot of stuff that that makes sense. But, you know, having a course that's so close to a major city, so close to a major airport, having a great golf course, I think it would be amazing.”

Meanwhile, McGinley shared similar comments and said Portmarnock would rival the best courses on the current rota.

“A lot of ducks have to be lined up before it could happen," said McGinley. "But it’s certainly a potential reality. Who would have thought that 10 years ago?

“It will take a lot of boxes for the R&A commercially, and while St Andrews is unique, Portmarnock is as good as or better than anything on the current rota. The biggest challenge is getting in and out."

Irish ministers believe that a final recommendation on Portmarnock's potential bid will be brought to government at some point in the autumn.