“Arnie’s Army Charitable Foundation is pleased the Arnold Palmer Cup will return to the west of Ireland for the 2020 matches at Lahinch Golf Club,” said Kevin Bingham, CEO of Arnie’s Army Charitable Foundation. “Lahinch boasts a long and rich history and shares Arnie’s Army’s passion for the game and the positive lessons it teaches us all, most especially young people. Mr. Palmer was a great proponent of international competition and the way it brings people closer together. We’re pleased that future college players and their junior caddies will enjoy this character building experience on one of the world’s finest links.”

Lahinch Golf Club was founded in 1892 and is consistently ranked in the Top 50 golf courses in world golf. Originally laid out by Old Tom Morris, the services of Dr. Alister MacKenzie were retained in 1926 to redesign the course, following which he declared “Lahinch will make the finest and most popular golf course that I, or I believe anyone else, ever constructed.”

Since 1895, the spectacular links course has played host to Ireland’s oldest amateur championship ‘The South of Ireland’. Past Champions include Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Graeme McDowell, who participated in the 2000 & 2001 Arnold Palmer Cups. Other past champions of “The South” include Justin Keogh and Stuart Grehan, who were honored to represent Europe in the 2002 and 2016 Arnold Palmer Cups, respectively. To add to this rich tradition of promoting and encouraging the amateur game, three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington won the Irish Amateur Championship at Lahinch in 1995 while, last year, the Club hosted the Irish Ladies Championship for the twelfth time, with Olivia Mahaffey winning the title in glorious sunshine at Lahinch.

The links regularly plays host to U.S. golfers as they plot their preparations for The Open Championship each July.

Commenting on the decision to award the 2020 Arnold Palmer Cup to Lahinch, Club Captains Gerry Pierse and Angela Cullinan said, “This is a great honour for Lahinch. It is also, we believe, recognition of the Club’s support and encouragement for the amateur game stretching back over a century, with the hosting by the Club of the first South of Ireland Championship in 1895 and the Irish Ladies Close Championship in 1904. We have no doubt but that the experience of competitive golf on a classic links course will create lasting memories for the young men and women who are selected to represent their respective teams. As a Club we will do all in our power to ensure that the tournament is true to the ethos of the game and the vision of Mr. Palmer by using our friendship in golf as one of the great avenues for communication and understanding between the nations of the world. Above all we can assure all visitors to Lahinch who come to participate, whether as player, spectator or administrator, a truly unique and wonderful Irish welcome.”