PITCH AND PUTT/Paul Gallagher on how the growth of pitch and putt has extended far and wide since W A Collins founded the first course in Fountainstown in 1937.

When Ireland recently hosted the Men's European Pitch and Putt Team Championships and won it for an unprecedented third time, it illustrated how Ireland's experts in the miniature version of golf are a major driving force in promoting and developing the sport far beyond these shores.

In truth, Ireland has been streets ahead of their European counterparts when it comes to pitch and putt competition, winning all three European Championships since the inaugural event at Chelmsford, England, in 1999. One obvious reason for such dominance could be that the sport has been played in Ireland for much longer than any other European country, with the established Pitch and Putt Union of Ireland (PPUI) in place since 1960.

However, if any message was to come from Ireland's closer-than-expected win against Catalonia in the final (5½-3½) at McDonagh in Kildare last month, it was that competitors like the Catalans, along with France and Holland, are equally as determined to reach the standard Ireland has set as Ireland are to maintain their dominance.

"Ireland has been playing pitch and putt competitively for donkeys' years compared to other countries who are really only starting, and in some respects they are playing catch up," explained John Manning, PRO to PPUI.

He believes the Catalans are leading the chase to narrow the gap on Ireland, noting that two of the singles matches went down to the wire in the closely contested final.

It was Irishman Martin Whitelaw, whose father ran a pitch and putt course near Mullingar, who introduced the game in that part of Spain after he met a Catalan woman and settled there.

Earliest references to pitch and putt, or miniature golf, can be traced back to England at the turn of the last century where it was usually played on country estates. In Ireland the game gained popularity when courses were built in recreational parks and was often seen played on hotel grounds in seaside resorts around the country - particularly in Cork.

Today there are almost 150 affiliated clubs in Ireland, with the majority in the provinces of Leinster and Munster. "The game has struggled in Connacht and Ulster as clubs are often like outposts. One club will be in a certain place and then there mightn't be another for 40 of 50 miles," said Manning. He notes Newry in Co Down is the only affiliated club in Ulster.

On a positive though, Manning confirmed there are some 13,000 members, with at least the same amount again paying to play pitch and putt across Ireland in the last year.

The early days were testing times for the pioneers of pitch and putt as two different movements emerged in Munster and Leinster after W. A. Collins, manager of the National Bank in Cork at the time, suggested the first pitch and putt course in Fountainstown near Cork in 1937. Due to Collins's vision and demand for the game at the holiday destination, pitch and putt courses soon sprung up all around Cork.

It wasn't until 1944 that the Irish Amateur Pitch and Putt Union (IAPPU) was founded with Collins installed as the first president and the first constitution drawn up. Some years later Collins relocated to Dublin and under his influence a number of courses were built along the east coast - the first being Ferrard near Baltray in Co Louth.

Due to such rapid growth the Central Council, based in Cork, suggested the Leinster clubs form a Leinster Council and become affiliated to the IAPPU. But fearing provincial prejudices and a "Cork Rule" scenario the Leinster movement rejected this and went their own way.

Instead, the National Pitch and Putt Association (NPPA) was formed in 1954 and the only sensible outcome both parties could come up with was not to encroach on either organisation's territory.

The obvious drawback to this was that pitch and putt was still in its fledgling years and surely the best way to move forward was on a unified front. Indeed, the print press and radio at the time were reluctant to give worthwhile coverage for fear of upsetting their markets in "the other province".

Another major stumbling block to overcome also presented itself at a playing level. Courses in Leinster often measured a 1,000 yards in length with individual holes measuring up to 100 yards and three clubs were permitted. In Munster, however the maximum length of courses reached just 500 yards with holes no longer than 50 yards. Often this was for logistical reasons as many courses in Munster had been built in restricted areas with little or no scope for expansion. Moreover, in Munster players only used two clubs, one of which had to be a putter.

Just when it seemed the twain would never meet, Paddy Murphy, president of the Munster Council, and Sean O'Braonain of Trim recognised the need for unity and set about thrashing out a solution. Both organisations wanted to maintain national status and neither would simply affiliate to the other in fear of losing their identity. With Larry Furlong (Leinster) now on board a joint sub-committee was formed and through a number of meetings in the spring of 1960 a new united constitution was drawn up. With compromises on both sides the PPUI was formed the same year.

The major compromise, in playing terms, was found by limiting the length of courses to 750 yards and individual holes to play no more than 75 yards. That distance has since been revised and today the maximum length a hole can be is 70 metres, using two clubs only.

The same principle of golf applies to pitch and putt but one of the main draws to the shortened version is the relative inexpense of taking up the game. Annual membership to a pitch and putt club can still be obtained for less than €100 and with only two clubs and a few golf balls needed, it is certainly a much cheaper option than playing golf.

Over the years several Irish professionals have learned their trade on pitch and putt courses as juveniles, often before they were able to join a golf club. John McHenry, former European Tour player and current resident professional at the K Club in Kildare, enthused about what pitch and putt had to offer especially in his younger years.

"I first got into pitch and putt because my father played and, like many of my friends, I was too young to join a golf club," says McHenry, who represented his province as a junior. "I played pitch and putt for Munster from 1975 to 1978 and won the Junior Munster Strokeplay Championship in 1978."

Damien McGrane, the Wexford professional and European Tour player, also played pitch and putt in his younger years. The 32-year-old played for Meath and won the Junior Inter-County Championship at Shandon in 1985. Similarly, in the women's section, Aideen Rogers from the LPGA circuit won the Ladies' Irish Strokeplay Championship at Shandon in 1985 before embarking on a career in the paid ranks.

"A lot of our members start out playing pitch and putt for a couple of years, particularly in the younger fraternity, and then move on to play golf," explained Manning. "We see that as a positive in one sense because pitch and putt can act as a nursery for young upcoming golfers."

That said, pitch and putt commands respect in its own right and recently I had the opportunity to see how the game is played at the highest level by joining two Ireland players for a round in Portmarnock.

Geraldine Ward has won nine national titles, seven matchplay and two strokeplay, leaving her just one short of the all-time record. A long- standing member of the Irish team, Ger played on the Irish ladies' team who won 9-0 against a Europe select team. That match served as the curtain-raiser to the men's European Championships at McDonagh.

Darren O'Reilly also competed at McDonagh, making his Ireland debut after the CPM player won the men's national matchplay championship this year.

There is no doubt players at this level have a swing tailored to the demands of pitch and putt. Swings tend to be more upright so as to achieve a higher ball flight, allowing the ball to stop more quickly on the small greens. On this particular summer's evening at Ward's home course, both she and O'Reilly executed enough deft touches around the greens to be the envy of any single handicap club golfer. Both went round in four under 50 to defeat this column with considerable ease.

Both individuals are examples of players who dedicate their time to pitch and putt rather than overlapping into golf. "I didn't play golf, then swap to pitch and putt, pitch and putt came first for me," explains Ward who has been playing for over 20 years. Incidentally, her best score around Portmarnock is 43 - 11 under par.

O'Reilly is equally dedicated to his sport. "Don't get me wrong I enjoy a game of golf but when you are competing at this level you need to keep focused on pitch and putt. I know people who are very good pitch and putt players and then tried golf. Then when they came back you could see their game had dipped a little, not a lot, but the edge had gone," explains O'Reilly.

The pitch and putt movement is certainly moving in the right direction, with Ireland playing the lead role. Holland has already been pencilled in as the venue for the 2005 European Championships, and there is talk of a world invitational event in Italy next year.

"There has been a lot of interest around the world after Italy recently suggested they would host a world invitational event," explains Manning who is also involved in the European movement. "This sort of concept could lead to the formation of a world governing body, effectively doing what Chelmsford did for the European movement in 1999."

Whatever direction pitch and putt goes from here, both in Ireland and beyond, the short-course experts from these shores remain the standard bearers of the sport wherever they compete.

Golfers who began playing pitch and putt

John McHenry - (K-Club professional and former European Tour player) Won the Munster Junior Strokeplay Championship in 1978 and represented Munster from 1975-1978

Damien McGrane - (Wexford GC professional and current European Tour player) Played for Meath and won the Junior Inter County Championship at Shandon in 1985

Aideen Rogers - (LPGA tour player) Irish Girls' Strokeplay Champion in 1985 Other players of note Jimmy Bruen - Held the first course record - 17 shots for nine holes - at Fountainstown, Cork

Joe Carr - Played pitch and putt in Sutton and Howth, North Dublin Notable

Pitch and Putt dates 1937

- First pitch and putt course was built in Fountainstown, Cork 1944

- Irish Amateur Pitch and Putt Union (IAAPU) was formed in Munster 1954

- National Pitch and Putt Asscoiation (NPPA) was formed in Leinster 1960

- Pitch and Putt Union of Ireland (PPUI) was formed 1999

- First bi-annual European Pitch and Putt Championships held in Chelmsford, Essex England 2003

- First time the European Championships were held in Ireland, McDonagh, Curragh Kildare