Walker Cup FAQs
(Alternate title: Why we are so obsessed with some niche amateur matchplay tournament.)
A small crowd watches players tee off at the 2023 Walker Cup.
We recently announced that in 2026 we’re taking a group of 20 to watch the Walker Cup in Lahinch, Ireland—and we are really doubling down on our hot take that this is the coolest golf viewing experience in the world.
You read that right.
The reality is that the Walker Cup isn’t on very many people’s radar (that’s partly what makes it so good.) So we’re here to give you a bit more context and answer some common questions. Got more? Shoot us an email!
The Cliffs of Moher, just 20 minutes away from Lahinch.
What is the Walker Cup?
The Walker Cup is a biennial amateur matchplay championship contested between a team representing Great Britain & Ireland (GB&I) against a team representing the United States.
Each country fields a team of ten players, based on world amateur ranking points, every other year.
The two-day event consists of “foursomes” matches (alternate shot) and singles matches played across the following format:
Day 1: 4 foursomes matches, 8 singles matches
Day 2: 4 foursomes matches, 10 singles matches
Why is the Walker Cup so important?
If you gave the USGA Illuminati truth serum, they’d admit that the Walker Cup is more historically important to them than the US Open—here’s why.
The Walker Cup has a long history dating back to 1921, when a team of American amateurs (including Bobby Jones, Francis Ouimet, and Fred Wright) travelled to Royal Liverpool (Hoylake) for the British Amateur. They played a match against a group of British amateurs (including Tommy Armour, Ernest Holderness, and Colin Aylmer) the day before the Amateur Championship began.
From 1922 through 1924, “The Matches” were played annually. In 1925, they became biennial. To this day, they alternate between venues in the U.S. and Ireland or Great Britain. (Fun fact: the Ryder Cup is actually younger, dating back to 1927.)
The Walker Cup itself is named after George Herbert Walker who was president of the USGA in 1920 when the match was initiated. Walker is the grandfather and namesake of George H. W. Bush and great-grandfather of George W. Bush.
Unlike the Ryder Cup, which similarly began as a competition between the U.S. and the United Kingdom, the Walker Cup has never been expanded to include all European amateur golfers.
What famous players have competed in the Walker Cup?
Past American Walker Cup competitors include Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Jordan Speith, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, and Phil Mickelson.
Past British Walker Cup competitors include Rory McIlroy, Colin Montgomerie, Luke Donald, Matt Fitzpatrick, Sandy Lyle, and Graeme McDowell.
What makes the Walker Cup experience so good?
The Walker Cup provides a unique opportunity to see the best amateurs in the world (and tomorrow’s Ryder Cup stars) compete head-to-head without crowds—or, in many cases, ropes.
While the US Open is limited to only courses that can host the ever-growing infrastructure requirements of major championship golf, the Walker Cup can still be hosted at some of the best and most exclusive courses on earth that are no longer big enough for majors. Seminole, National Golf Links of America, Royal County Down, and Chicago Golf Club have all hosted in the past 20 years.
Given the small following this event has, you can watch each player up close and personal, stand greenside as they putt, and walk the fairways alongside them. It is truly unlike any other event of this calibre.
Plus, as a niche amateur event, you are among the most diehard of golf fans, sharing a very unique collective experience with people who share your love of the game.
What should you expect from our 2026 Walker Cup trip?
Our 2026 trip will begin in Dublin, where we meet up and board our transportation towards the southwest of Ireland. We’ll spend 2 full days watching the Walker Cup and staying in nearby Doolin, County Clare.
While we’re in this neck of the woods, we’ll also lead a hike Doolin up the Cliffs of Moher—this is an incredible way to see a worldly wonder that skips the tour bus lineup and crowds. I’m not a hiker, but I’ve done this hike three times (!!) and can’t wait for round four.
Once the Walker Cup wraps up, we’ll ditch the golf fans battling over tee times in the southwest and instead head north to explore some seriously underrated links along the north coast of Ireland and into Northern Ireland. We’ll play 7 rounds of golf in 5 days, including Carne, Enniscrone, Rosapenna, St. Patrick’s Links, Ballyliffin, Castlerock, and Royal Portrush.
While we’re in Portrush, you’ll have the option to tack on an excursion to the Giant’s Causeway—another earthly phenomena that’s highly worth a visit. We’ll wrap things up in Belfast!
Spectators watch top amateur Gordon Sargent tee off at the Old Course.
The view from the 5th fairway at Royal Portrush
