PLAN FOR ALL-IRELAND INTER-CLUB COMPETITTIONS
The Golfing Union of Ireland is asking clubs to consider a plan to complete four All-Ireland Inter-Club competitions, the All-Ireland Medal and one All-Ireland Under-18 Inter-Club event later this year.
The Union has been considering options for inter-club golf in 2020 over the past month, through consultation in its internal Committee structure, and externally with host clubs and sponsors. The plan’s circulation today also comes after further consideration of the Republic of Ireland’s Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business and Northern Ireland’s Plan for a Phased, Strategic Approach to Recovery.
However, the Union is clear that these competitions will only go ahead following consideration of feedback from the clubs themselves, and subject to public health advice.
Following circulation of the Plan today, an entry questionnaire will be issued to all golf clubs early next week inviting feedback on participation. It will be requested that this is completed by Sunday 7th June, after which the Union will finalise its plans regarding Inter-Club golf for 2020.
The plan focuses on playing the AIG Senior Cup, AIG Junior Cup, AIG Jimmy Bruen Shield and AIG Pierce Purcell Shield, in addition to the Irish Under-18 Boys Inter-Club and All-Ireland Gold Medals, mainly through August, September and October.
It proposes the use of adjusted rules, formats, schedules and protocols to prioritise the safety of all involved and make participation easier from logistical and cost perspectives for clubs.
In order to mitigate against sharing of equipment (including golf balls), the plan envisages the Jimmy Bruen and Pierce Purcell competitions being conducted as four-balls for 2020.
The format would be match play with early rounds (ie, prior to the provincial quarter-finals at least) played on a localised basis where practicable with three matches in the club drawn at home and two matches at the club drawn away.
Normal conventions around practicing, team dining and other issues surrounding the playing of matches would be dispensed with or modified as necessary to incorporate social distancing guidelines and make clubs’ participation more affordable and logistically less onerous.
The remaining All-Ireland inter-club competitions (the AIG Barton Shield, Irish Mixed Foursomes, All-Ireland Four-Ball and Fred Perry Trophy) will not proceed in any event, and all entered clubs will have their entry fees refunded following the period for feedback from the questionnaire period.
To facilitate this plan, the All-Ireland Finals have been provisionally rescheduled for 15-18 October in Donegal Golf Club. We are extremely grateful to Donegal for their continued support as the host venue for the 2020 finals. The plan also outlines the broad timeline that would need to be met in order to make it possible to stage the All-Ireland Finals, and the contingencies available should it not be possible to meet these. For the benefit of clubs wishing to participate, the Union will strive to make decisions at the earliest possible moment on these matters and as such is continually monitoring and consulting public health advice.
The ILGU has produced a similar plan and is separately communicating with clubs seeking feedback on Women’s Inter-Club competitions. Further details of this are available on
www.golfnet.ie.