Play Royal Portrush before the Pros

1 September 2025 – Imagine walking the historic fairways of Royal Portrush Golf Club – the same course where legends and global stars of the game have competed in pursuit of glory.

For two lucky South African amateurs, that dream will become a reality with the third GolfRSA Race to The R&A 9 Hole Challenge.

The South African pair will tee it up in the 2025 R&A 9 Hole Challenge at Royal Portrush with the winning teams from Argentina, Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland and Wales.

2024 NATIONAL FINAL HIGHLIGHTS

Besides the honour of flying the flag for South Africa the 9-hole net Stableford scoring competition ahead of the 153rd Open Championship in Northern Ireland from 17-20 July, the local pairing will also earn the opportunity to watch the world’s best golfers in action at The Open.

“Year on year we are seeing more people competing in The R&A 9 Hole Challenge with its popularity spreading all over the world,” said Kevin Barker, Director – Golf Development: GB&I and Africa at The R&A. “So many people are time poor because of work, family and other commitments and nine-hole golf is the perfect solution for people to play golf, or to play more golf, but in less time than a standard 18-hole round. The concept also allows for golf to be played competitively by people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds.

“For all golfers taking part, there is the incredible opportunity to compete on golf’s biggest stage ahead of The Open and I would encourage players to enter a qualifying competition at your local club to give you the chance to play at Royal Portrush.”

In 2024, more than 150 golf clubs participated in the GolfRSA Race to The R&A 9 Hole Challenge.

“The GolfRSA Race to The R&A 9 Hole Challenge led to a significant increase in nine-hole rounds played in South Africa and it has been fantastic to see how amateur golfers and golf clubs embrace this concept,” said GolfRSA CEO Grant Hepburn.

“Our second edition was highlighted by the growing number of men and women golfers competing for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that The R&A’s 9 Hole Challenge offers. For instance, the clubs that participated increased their nine-hole rounds by 14.18% in February and 11.42% and March.

“We are excited to launch the third edition of our GolfRSA Race to The R&A 9 Hole Challenge, and we extend a big thank you to our partners at The R&A for this incredible opportunity, Paul Adams, who manages the project and our sponsors and partners, who support this fantastic concept.”

The 2025 GolfRSA Race to The R&A 9 Hole Challenge format:

• Each club in South Africa that registers for the 2025 GolfRSA Race to The R&A 9 Hole Challenge will run their own internal 9 Hole Competitions or Series to identify the two golfers to proceed to the Regional Final
• The two golfers must be nominated by the end of February 2025.
• The winners of each club will be entered into the Regional Final draw for the GolfRSA Race to The R&A 9 Hole Challenge National Final.
• The Regional Final draw will take place in the second week of March and the allocation of the National Final places will be in proportion with the number of clubs registered per Union for the 2025 Challenge.
• The National Final will be played at Mooinooi Golf Club from 13-15 April 2025. The top two players from this event will represent GolfRSA at The R&A 9 Hole Challenge at Royal Portrush.

Eligibility
Players will be eligible for the GolfRSA Race to The R&A 9 Hole Challenge and final prize if they meet all of the following criteria:

• GolfRSA affiliated member with a handicap with HNA (no handicap limit)
• South African citizen / passport holder
• Adult of over 18 years of age
• Be in possession of a passport valid for 6 months after return date of travel (end Jan 2026) at the National Final (a copy will be required to be provided).

For information on how to sign up for the 2025 GolfRSA Race to The R&A 9 Hole Challenge, view the documents below, enquire at your golf club or contact Paul Adams on paul@golfnotions.co.za.

2025 GolfRSA Race to The R&A 9 Hole Challenge Launch
2025 GolfRSA Race to The R&A 9 Hole Challenge Rules
2025 GolfRSA Race to The R&A 9 Hole Challenge Terms and Conditions
2025 GolfRSA Race to The R&A 9 Hole Challenge Launch Poster PDF
2025 GolfRSA Race to The R&A 9 Hole Challenge Launch Poster Landscape PDF
2025 GolfRSA Race to The R&A 9 Hole Challenge Launch Poster JPG
2025 GolfRSA Race to The R&A 9 Hole Challenge Launch Poster Landscape JPG