The Seniors Open Amateur Championship will return to Royal Portrush in 2011 and Hesketh Golf Club in Southport, England will be used as a qualifying venue for the 2011 Amateur Championship, it was announced by the R&A today.

Royal Portrush previously hosted the Seniors Open Amateur in 2001 and has twice hosted the Amateur Championship; 1993 and 1960 when the legendary late Joe Carr won the last of his three Amateur Championships over the Antrim links. Carr was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame earlier this month.

Hesketh was used as a Final Qualifying venue for the 1991 and 1998 Open Championships at Royal Birkdale. The club will host next year's Junior Open Championship before acting as the qualifying course when the Amateur Championship returns to Hillside Golf Club during its centenary year in 2011.