16 February 2012, St Andrews, Scotland: Sandy Lodge, The West Lancashire and Wildernesse have been named as future venues for Open Championship Regional Qualifying. 

Pictured: the 1st hole at The West Lancashire 

The courses have been added to a list of 12 qualifying venues across Great Britain and Ireland and they will host Regional Qualifying from 2015 to 2019. 

Located north-west of London, Sandy Lodge was founded in 1910 and designed by six-time Open Champion Harry Vardon. 

The West Lancashire, founded in 1873, is among the 10 oldest golf clubs in England and co-hosted the Amateur Championship in 2009. The links course has hosted Final Qualifying when The Open has been played at Royal Liverpool and Royal Birkdale and will do so again this year when it returns to Royal Lytham & St Annes. 

Wildernesse, near Sevenoaks in Kent, has regularly hosted English Golf and county events throughout its 122 year history and was a Regional Qualifying Course from 1998 to 2003. 

Rhodri Price, Director – Championship Operations, said: “Our qualifying process is designed to give competitors a range of geographical options in their bid for a starting place in The Open Championship. 

“We only play our events on courses of the highest standard and Sandy Lodge, The West Lancashire and Wildernesse are all welcome additions to our roster of qualifying courses.” 

The R&A announced last year that, from 2014, competitors who make it through Regional Qualifying will go on to the Final Qualifying stage at one of four venues - Glasgow – Gailes Links, Hillside, Woburn and Royal Cinque Ports. Competitors will compete for three Championship places at each venue. 

The other current Regional Qualifying courses are Bruntsfield Links, The Buckinghamshire, Hankley Common, Little Aston, Luffenham Heath, Moortown, Northumberland, Remedy Oak and The Island. 

Source: The R&A Media Release, powered by the Golfblogger Network