The 111th staging of the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship takes it to a new Ladies’ Golf Union venue ‐ the Jack Nicklaus‐designed Machynys Peninsula Golf & Country Club, near Llanelli in South Wales.
Not many golf course designers get adjacent roads named after them but this course is on ‘Nicklaus Avenue, Machynys, Carmarthenshire’! The £3.5 million course opened to a blaze of publicity in 2005 as a ‘modern’ links course ‐ ’old’ links lay‐outs don’t have 25 acres of new salt and fresh water lakes, but this one has.
It was built to hold championships but also to be enjoyed by the higher handicap golfer, hence it has five sets of tees.
From the back tees, it measures 7,121yd. The composite course to be used from 11 – 15 June for the LGU’s flagship event for amateurs will come in at 6,290yd, a little longer than when the four Ladies European Tour events were played at Machynys and Kirsty Taylor set the women’s professional course record of 61.
On paper, the standard of competitors for the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship just keeps getting better. To get into next month’s field, capped at 144, a player had to have a handicap of at least +0.2.
Andy George, Director of Golf at Machynys Peninsula G&CC, says: “We are very excited to welcome the Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship and we are confident the course will provide a stern test for all the competitors. We have, in only eight years since opening, hosted an unprecedented eight championships.” Andy is not the only one looking forward with bated breath for arguably the biggest, most international ladies’ amateur championship in the world.
Stephanie Meadow from Jordanstown, Northern Ireland and a student at the University of Alabama, who won the title over the Carnoustie links last June, says: “Winning the British Amateur has been one of the most memorable moments in my golfing career. There are so many great names that have won this championship and I am so honoured to be a part of them. I am very excited about defending the title in June, but the championship is always fun, no matter the outcome.”
The winner who steps up to receive the magnificent trophy on 15 June will also earn places in the starting fields at this year’s Ricoh Women’s British Open over the Old Course, St Andrews, the US Women’s Open and the Evian Championship ‐ if she is still an amateur when the relevant events are played.
Ladies’ Golf Union www.lgu.org