An estimated £500,000 will be pumped into the east Kent economy when Deal’s Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club hosts the Amateur Championship the week after next.

The tournament, organised by the sport’s governing body, the Royal and Ancient, will draw 288 of the world’s top amateur golfers to Deal.

It will be the third time the Deal course has hosted the event, the previous occasions being 1923 and 1982. Previous winners include last year’s Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal, who triumphed in 1984.

The Royal Cinque Ports has been one of the top golf courses in the country for more than 100 years, having hosted the Open in 1909 and 1920. It has also been named one of the courses used for the qualifying rounds of the Open between 2014 and 2017.

The 288 golfers taking part come from countries including the USA, Australia and Singapore and throughout Europe. Among them will be two members of the club itself: Max Orrin, from North Foreland, Thanet — ranked the 25th best amateur player in the world — and Henry Todd, an overseas member from the USA.

The winner of the 36-hole final on June 22 will earn a place in this year’s Open Championship at Muirfield and also an invitation to next year’s US Masters and US Open,

The stroke-play qualifying stage of the Amateur Championship will be played over the first two days at both Royal Cinque Ports and Prince’s, before the field is cut to 64 and ties for the match-play stage over the final four days’ play at Royal Cinque Ports.

See this week's KM Group newspapers for more details plus a competition where you can win a round of golf at Royal Cinque Ports and the Prince's courses.