SHORT GAME:CAOLAN KENNEDY, a 15-year-old four handicapper, from Forrest Little was the clear winner of the RaboDirect Bank-sponsored Hilary outing to The Links, Portmarnock.
His nett 66, which included birdies at the fifth, 13th, 14th and 17th, saw him finish three clear of John Williams (3) from the Castle. Third place went to Dara Curran (5) from St Anne’s on 70. The gross winner was Derek Downie (Sutton) with 70 while Christy OConnor (Royal Dublin) was best of the professionals on 71. Kennedy with Ian Brennan from Greenore, Stephen Prendergast (Royal Dublin) and Barry Hughes (The Island) won the team event with a score of 58.
Three Irish players make squad
THREE Irish players, Alan Dunbar from Rathmore, Dermot McElroy from Ballymena and Kevin Phelan from Waterford Castle have been named in a preliminary 12-player Britain and Ireland squad for this year’s St Andrews Trophy match against the Continent of Europe, which will be played at Portmarnock Golf Club, on August 31st and September 1st.
In a largely new-look squad only Dunbar and Rhys Pugh of Wales can boast of Walker Cup experience.
The squad will meet for the first time at Portmarnock from July 4th-6th in a matchplay team environment consisting of two series of foursomes and singles matches.
BI Squad: Alan Dunbar (Rathmore), Rhys Enoch (Truro), Ben Loughrey (Wrag Barn), Dermot McElroy (Ballymena), Kevin Phelan (Waterford Castle), Garrick Porteous (Bamburgh Castle), Rhys Pugh (Vale of Glamorgan), Neil Raymond (Corhampton), Paul Shields (Kirkhill). Jason Shufflebotham (Prestatyn), Ben Taylor (Walton Heath) and James White (Lundin).
* THEMary McKenna Golf Classic, in aid of the Dyslexia Association of Ireland, will be played at Donabate Golf Club on Friday, May 18th. It is a four-person team event and the cost of entering a team is €200. The timesheet is available with rosiebissett@dyslexia.ie or 01-6790276.
Details of Great Irish Links Challenge announced
BALLYBUNION, Doonbeg and Lahinch are partnering once again this May to host the Great Irish Links Challenge.
With the success of the inaugural event last year the organisers are hoping to double last years numbers for the event, which will take place from May 7th-10th.
As in 2011 the event is for teams of four.
There will be an overall team winner – The Great Irish Links Challenge Champions – which will be decided on the teams performance over the three courses. There will also be daily prizes at each of the three courses.
The event begins on Monday, May 7th with registration and a welcome reception at Doonbeg. It will conclude with dinner and an awards ceremony on May 10th in Doonbeg.
The entry fee for this years event is € 595 per person. The fee includes the welcome reception, golf at the three courses, daily transport to the three courses, prizes and the final dinner. It does not include flights or accommodation.
Last year, the winning team came from the US and despite the tough weather conditions there were three holes-in-one, at the eighth and 16th at Lahinch and at the ninth in Doonbeg.
Such was the severity of the conditions the ace in Doonbeg came courtesy of a driver!
Full details can be found on www.greatirishlinkschallenge.comor by telephoning +353 65 9055602.
TopGolfer Tour schedule released
THE TopGolfer Tour has released its schedule for 2012 which includes eight new venues and 12 new events across Ireland.
The popular amateur series which is now in its third season will incorporate a total of 43 scratch cups running from April through to September at established host venues such as Cork, Castle, Woodenbridge, Warrenpoint, Dromoland Castle, Concra Wood and Rosslare.
This season the tour, which is supported by Callaway, ECCO, Kartel and Citizen, will also visit new venues at Dún Laoghaire, Loughrea, Mallow, Grange, Blainroe, Naas, Killeen and the Faldo course at Lough Erne.
The winner of each tour event will receive an invitation to the TopGolfer Tour Championship which, after visits to Carton House in 2010 and Druids Glen in 2011, will this year be hosted by Fota Island Resort in Cork, host to Irish Opens in 2001 and 2002.
Local knowledge proves best at Arklow
THE Leinster Alliance held its penultimate outing of the 2011/2012 season last Saturday at Arklow links course, which was in superb condition.
For the large attendance, scoring was difficult due to a very cold and strong northly wind.
As might be expected local knowledge came to the top with first prize going to three-handicapper Alan Daly from the home club with a very good 35 points. In second place was Ger Synnott, off a seven handicap, from Killeen with 34 points and third place went to another local member, Matt Holt (3), with 30 points.
The gross was won by Leo Connolly, a two handicapper from from Wexford with 31 points with Michael Donnelly second with 29 points.
The final outing will be held in Powerscourt GC on Sunday, March 11th.
Time-sheet is with Michael Neary at 01-2827297, Monday to Friday, between 10am and 5pm.
Days of not being cut numbered
THE days of golfers not being cut for good scores in open singles competitions are at an end following two motions passed at Friday’s agm of the GUI at Carton House. Following a motion proposed by Ballyliffin the GUI is to “investigate the possibility of making it compulsory for all competition software to validate the handicap of all entrants in an open competition”.
And in a related motion, which was proposed by Edenmore and also passed on Friday, “any club hosting an open competition must declare whether or not it is qualifying for handicapping purposes and if it is a handicap qualifying competition they must record all entries/scores on their competition/handicapping software and return all scores via GOLFnet to the visiting players home club.”
Another motion passed was one proposed by the GUI executive committee to amend Clause 41 of their constitution to read that the GUI “is fully committed to the guidelines contained in the Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport in Ireland and in the Code of Ethics for Golf for Young People, or the most up to date equivalents”.
Fintan Buckley (Hermitage GC) was elected the 64th president of the union.
