The Kildare Country Club, otherwise known as "The K Club”, is one of the most renowned golf resorts in Ireland and has a rich history attached to it.
The Palmer North course, designed by the legendary Arnold Palmer, opened for play in 1991 and in 2006 it provided the setting for the biggest golfing event in Irish history - the 36th Ryder Cup. The K Club witnessed a memorable event as Europe won by 18 and a half to nine and a half points to equal their record winning margin from 2004. The 2023 European Ryder Cup Captain Henrik Stenson made his Ryder Cup debut in 2006 at The K Club and secured the winning point in a dominant European performance.
The 36th Ryder Cup proved to be a deeply emotional occasion as Northern Irishman Darren Clarke returned to the golfing stage for the first time since the death of his wife, Heather, to cancer. Clarke heroically returned three points from three matches and the huge crowds at The K Club gave him an extraordinary reception.
The K Club was the venue for the European Open between 1995-2007, which witnessed some of golf’s greatest names triumph. In 1995, the first European Open to take place at The K Club, two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer secured his 35th DP World Tour win after he defeated Englishman Barry Lane in a play-off. Former World Number One Lee Westwood secured his first European Open victory in 1999, before defending his title in 2000, his most successful year to date. The Englishman won five-times on the DP World Tour in 2000 to climb to the top of the Rankings, ending Colin Montgomerie's run of seven Order of Merit wins between 1993-1999.
Clarke secured victory in 2001, finishing three shots ahead of 2018 European Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjørn, two-time Open Champion Pádraig Harrington and 1991 Masters winner Ian Woosnam in another star-studded field at The K Club. U.S. Open winners Michael Campbell and Retief Goosen have both claimed European Open victories at The K Club, in 2002 and 2004 respectively, while Montgomerie won the 2007 edition, his last victory on the DP World Tour.
In 2016, The K Club once again welcomed some of golf’s biggest names for the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open hosted by the Rory Foundation. Four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy triumphed at the event and subsequently donated his winner’s cheque to charity.
The Horizon Irish Open will return to The K Club as part of a long-term deal with the DP World Tour, which will see the island of Ireland’s national Open played at the former Ryder Cup venue in 2023, 2025 and 2027. The resort’s second Arnold Palmer-designed course, Palmer South, will also play host to the Challenge Tour’s Irish Challenge in the intervening years, beginning this July and again in 2024 and 2026.
