Ballyliffin Golf Club asks to be added to rota of Irish Open venues

Ballyliffin has staged European Challenge and Senior Tour events

Ballyliffin Golf Club representatives have asked the European Tour to add it the rota of Irish Open courses.

Officials from the club, which is based in Inishowen, Donegal, were at the K Club, host venue for this week's Irish Open, on Tuesday.

Ballyliffin wants to host the Irish Open in 2019, a few weeks before the Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

Next year's Irish Open may be staged at Portstewart after the European Tour withdrew the event from Lough Erne.

Ballyliffin has already hosted European Challenge Tour and Senior Tour events.

Most recently, Ballyliffin's Old Course staged the 2008 Irish Seniors Open but the club's Pat Ruddy-designed Glashedy links would be the venue if the main European Tour event comes to the Inishowen peninsula.

Ballyliffin has maintained close links with the European Tour in recent years and the club made no secret of the fact that it viewed events such as the Seniors Open as a dry-run for the main Irish Open.

However, the Donegal club would face major challenges - not least financial - in order to fulfil its ambition of staging an Irish Open.

Nearby Malin Head was in the news last week after filming for the upcoming Star Wars movie took place at Ireland's most northerly point.