Clare golfers look to St Andrew’s

The NCBI Holmpatrick Cup is underway in Clare, with club qualifiers in progress for the annual All-Ireland fourball challenge in aid of NCBI, the national sight loss agency. Ultimately, there is an opportunity to play at the world-famous St Andrew’s course in Scotland.
Six of the 11 clubs in the county took part in the competition last year, with Lahinch emerging as champions. NCBI is hoping to see even more Clare clubs enter the competition in 2012. NCBI provides valuable support and services to 16,500 people with sight loss but the charity needs to raise substantial funds on an ongoing basis to maintain these services. Funds raised from the Holmpatrick Cup go to developing services for the 350 people living with sight loss in Clare.
The Holmpatrick Cup can be organised as a dedicated fourball competition or run in conjunction with an existing club competition and should take place by the end of June.
Club winners go forward to their county final in July, with county winners competing for provincial honours later in the summer. The four provincial qualifiers then compete for the Holmpatrick Cup in the All-Ireland Final over 36 holes on the new and old courses at St Andrews from October 7-9.
Information is available from Allison Harvey from NCBI on 1850 334353 or email allison.harvey@ncbi.ie.

Spanish Point
The seniors’ open last Tuesday was well attended. Scoring was good in windy conditions and the competition was won by John O’Sullivan (18) with 35 points. Last weekend, the winter/spring schedule was a singles Stableford competition with more than 50 taking part. In first place was Martin Casey (19) with an excellent score of 40 points and second was Fergal Hehir (16), who scored 38 points. This weekend the competition will be a team event.  The seniors and Friday opens continue, with the time sheet in the clubhouse.

Ennis
Ennis seniors held a modified scramble last week when the winners, with 84 points, were Larry O’Farrelly, Bill Leacy and Luke Coote. They had four points to spare over Noel Ruane, Martin Concannon and Tom Fox with Jim Hennessy, Pierce Cahill and Tom Purcell two points further back in third spot.  In fourth place were Ollie Kenneally, Sean O’Gorman and Frank Landy with 77 points followed by Pat Cahill, Willie Moloney and PJ Garry on 76, with sixth position filled by Michael Cummins, Kevin Murray and Sean Fitzpatrick.
In the weekend men’s fourball the winners were Sean Daly and Richard O’Connell with 42 points from Tony Maher and Fintan McEvoy, who had a similar score.

Mid-West ­Alliance
Round two of the Mid-West Alliance competition at Dromoland took place at the weekend when the gross was won by Paul O’Neill from Shannon with 69 from Jason O’Leary, Dromoland 70, Kieran Cunnane, Woodstock, Tony Cleary, Dromoland and Dave Foley, Dromoland, all on 72.
In the nett section, Nicky Duggan, Dromoland, was the winner with 70 from Alan Butler, Woodstock, with 71, with third spot filled by Jason O’Donnell, Shannon, on 73. Seamus McEnery, Dromoland, was next and he also had 73.
The winners of the nearest-the-pin prizes were Mike Kemmy, Limerick (seventh) and Paul O’Neill, Shannon (13th).
For the second week in a row, Paudie McGrath had five birdies but this week he was in a tie for the prize, with Jason O’Donnell and Paul O’Neill, both Shannon, also having five birdies.

Kilrush
For the second week in succession, Tony McMahon won the weekly singles at Kilrush. He scored 30 points to win by two from Jimmy McSwiggan.
The captain’s drive-in took place on Sunday, when the winners of the scramble were Brian Scanlan, Liam and Helen Williams from Brendan Carrig, Gearóid Williams and Nicola O’Leary with third spot filled by John McGrath, Gay Looney and Maura McSwiggan. Gay Looney won the prize for nearest the pin.
In the weekly seniors competition the winners of the scramble were Ollie McNamara, Maurice Roche, Jim McSwiggan and Barry Taylor from TJ Lyons, Tom Cleary, Murt Collins and Noel Haier.Third spot was filled by Matt Fitzpatrick, Michael Leonard and Tom McGrath.
The officers at Kilrush for 2012 are: president, Jimmy McSwiggan; lady president, Jean Lorigan; captain, Declan O’Donovan; lady captain, Mary O’Sullivan; vice-captain, Michael Hogan; lady vice-captain, Margaret Donnelly; honourable treasurer, Murt Collins; honourable secretary, Kathleen O’Brien; chairman, house and course committee, Tom Cleary.

Lahinch
Lahinch won the annual Latymon Trophy competition when they defeated Ennistymon by 1½ matches on Sunday. The competition was played on the championship course.
In the men’s singles Stableford competition on Sunday, Aaron McNulty (5) was the winner with 40 points from David Murphy (13) with 39 points and Pat Vaughan (17) in third spot with 38 points.

Doonbeg
The singles winner at Doonbeg Links on Sunday was Pat O’Malley with 45 points from Seanie Moloney, who had a similar score. Diarmuid O’Donnell was third and he also scored 45 points.
In the previous week’s competition, Nigel Dillon was the winner with 39 points from Pat Hanrahan on 36 points.
The captain’s drive-in is on this Sunday. There will be a scramble, with the draw taking place at 9am.

Portumna
The captain’s drive-in took place on Sunday when a nine-hole scramble was held in conjunction with the event.
The overall winners were James Patrick McLoughlin, Mary F Madden and Mike Cowan.
In the competition for the front nine the winners were Leo Kelly, John O’Donnell and Catherine Fahy with 29.1 from Peader Ryan, Betty Lynch and Brendan Naughton with 28. The back nine winners were Ollie Flanagan, Aiden Conroy and Mary Madden with 29.6 from Pauline McEvoy, Lesley O’Meara and Martin Carty with 28.2.
In the monthly three-ball the January winners were David McGrath (17) (Nenagh), Joe McGrath (15) (Shannon) and Pat Carey (20) (Shannon) with 52 points from James O’Meara (17), Aiden McIntyre (15) and Donie O’Meara (20) with 51 points. 
Many golf courses in Connacht are taking part in the 36-point challenge, where those who score 36 points or more in a men’s open competition in any of the five courses listed qualify for the grand final, to be held in October at Cregmore Park.
The closing date for entries is September 21 and further information is available on 087 7593357.
The participating courses are Athenry, Ballinasloe, Ballinrobe, Ballyhaunis, Carrick-on-Shannon, Claremorris, Connemara, Cregmore Park, Curran West, Ennis crone, Galway Bay, Gort, Mountbellew, Oughterard, Portumna, Roscommon, Strandhill, Tuam and Westport.

Gort
Owen O’Donnell was the winner of the men’s singles competition at Gort at the weekend with 42 points. He had two to spare over Gerry Donoghue, with third spot filled by Noel Ruane with 40 points. He was followed by Seamus Noone with 39. Colman Cooney won the gross with 33 points.
There will be a similar competition this weekend.
On Sunday, the captains for 2012, Frank Higgins and Regina Malone, will drive-in to office at 1.30pm and this will be followed by a nine-hole scramble. The ladies’ spring league will continue until March 6.

Woodstock
In the club singles at Woodstock at the weekend, Jason Considine (9) was the winner with 44 points from Andrew Mason (18), who had 43 points.
The first round of the spring league will take place this weekend. In the weekly seniors’ competition, a team of three modified scramble over 15 holes, the winners were Tom Dormer, Brendan Arthur and Tom McKaigney with 47 points.

East Clare
In the men’s 14-hole singles at East Clare, Martin Crotty (21) was the winner with 34 points from Teddy O’Hanlon (14) with a similar score.
In the men’s seniors the winners were John Farrell, Conor Tuohy and Martin Mason from Tony McNulty, Pat Browne and Ted Harrington, with third spot filled by Liam Nolan, Chris Davis and John Brett. The winner of the ladies’ seniors’ competition was Mary Collins from Phil Burke, with Joan Kinsella in third spot. There is a men’s 14-hole fourball competition taking place this week and over the weekend.
Meanwhile, round two of the winter league has commenced. This is a team-of-three scramble over 14 holes and teams must include at least one lady. Teams must submit their best three scores over the month.
Early leaders are Frank O’Meara, Kevin O’Brien and Connie McKenna, who were 11.2 under par for 14 holes. Running close behind them are Val Donnellan, Brendan Moloney and Kathleen O’Brien, who were 10.6 under. The next best-placed team is Ger Hogan’s team of Catherine Minogue, Brendan Foley and Danny Minogue with 6.8 under par.

Dromoland
The winner of the weekend competition at Dromoland was Killian Howard with 41 points.
In the team event, the winners with 112 points were Sean Shanahan, PJ Hehir, Mark Lennon, Killian Howard and Damian Ryan followed on 109 points by Tony Kelly, Sean Donnellan, Tim Kenneally, Adrian McNeill and Brian Kelly. In third place with 108 points were Sean Myatt, Paul O’Brien, Niall Geraghty, Michael Flannery and Dale Foley.
Round four will take place this weekend and the format will be V par.
The annual captain’s dinner will take place on this Saturday and tickets can be had by contacting the clubhouse.

Shannon
In the Wednesday 15-hole singles at Shannon, Dermot Glynn (13) was the winner with 41 points from Gerry O’Malley (21) with 40 points. Eamonn Fanneran (8) won the gross with 33 points.

Pitch and putt
At the Clare Road Pitch and Putt Club on Sunday, the winner of the strokeplay competition was Noel Cuddihy. The gross was won by Marty Fawl.