Lahinch event honours MacKenzie designer

OVER 100 members from MacKenzie-designed golf courses across the world will be in Lahinch next month for the annual international get together for members of Dr Alister MacKenzie-designed courses.
Teams from New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Britain and the USA will join their Lahinch counterparts from May 14 to 17.
This is the sixth staging of an event that started in MacKenzie’s home in Pasatiempo in California. Lahinch requested to host this event and their application was successful.
In 1927, the great golf architect Alister MacKenzie was invited to submit a design for a new layout. The re-design work took one year to complete and featured undulating triple-tiered greens.
MacKenzie said, “Lahinch will make the finest and most popular course that I, or I believe anyone else, has ever constructed”. After Lahinch, MacKenzie went on to design, among others, Augusta National, Cypress Point and Royal Melbourne.
“There has been a wonderful response and we will have 61 ladies and 51men participating,” explained Ann O’Sullivan of the Lahinch organising committee.
A round of golf at the Greg Norman-designed Doonbeg course is included on the Monday for the visitors. On Monday evening, the official flag-raising ceremony will take place at 6.30pm, followed by a reception and dinner in the clubhouse.
A tour of the Burren has been organised for Tuesday and this will include a visit to O’Connor’s in Doolin, where there will be a traditional music session to entertain the visitors.
“There will be a ladies team-of-four competition on the championship course on Wednesday and Thursday, while the men will play the Castle Course on Wednesday and the Championship Course on Thursday. There is a huge emphasis on sociability and the whole theme is friendship. In fact, the cup that will be presented is named the Friendship Cup,” explained Ann. “It will be a great boost to the local economy, with over 100 people staying in the area for the week.”
Participants will play with visitors from different clubs and the pairings will change each day. At the conclusion of play on Thursday, there will be a prize-giving reception in the clubhouse, followed by a farewell ceremony.
Meanwhile, Frank Considine (10) was the winner of the singles competition at Lahinch on Saturday with 44 points. James O’Connor (10) was second with 40 points with Michael Hennessy (6) third with 38 points. Aaron McNulty won the gross with 34 points.
Stephen (5) and Michael Hennessy (6) won Sunday’s fourball competition with 44 points from PJ O’Dea (14) and Gearóid Williams (13) with 43 points. In third spot were John Morris (10) and Michael Vaughan (10) with 43 points.
The ladies’ 14-hour competition on the Castle Course on Sunday was won by Jenny Cagney (14) with 29 points.
In the ladies singles v par competition on the championship course, Gráinne Hennessy (15) was the winner with four up from Angela Cullinan (12) with three up, Jenny Cagney (15) with three up and Georgina O’Brien (16) with three up. Mary Sadlier won the gross with six down.

Ennis
ENNIS seniors group held a modified scramble on Thursday last when the winners, with 79 points, were Colm McNevin, Gerry Gilligan and Conor Murphy. In second place were Noel Ruane, Michael Finn and  John McEntee on 76 points, followed by  Joe O’Brien, Maurice Walshe and Ferdy O’Donoghue on 75,  Pat Cusack, Sean Ryan and Michael Nunan on 74 and John Keane (ESB), Bill Leacy and Tom Pender on 74.
In the ladies monthly medal competition, the winner of the silver section was Yvonne Keohane from Maura McNicholas, while the bronze medal section was won by Aideen Considine from Eileen J Corry.
The men’s club singles competition on Sunday was won by Tony McInerney with 41 points from Morgan Lahiffe on a similar score. In third spot was Cyril Corry, followed by Tony McEnery and they also had 41 points. In fifth spot with 39 points was Gerard Hannon on 39 points.

Woodstock
THE semi-finals of the Spring League took place at Woodstock on Sunday and, as a result, Jason Dormer’s team will play Adrian Kearney’s team.
In the semi-final, Dormer’s team scored a 3-1 win over Mike Reen’s team with Dormer, Liam O’Connor and Andrew Mason winning against Reen, John O’Connor and Joe Casey. In the other match, Aaron Donegan beat Dermot O’Neill.
In the other semi-final, Adrian Kearney’s side was victorious over Conor Brennan’s team and the score was also 3-1 with Kearney, Paul Sherlock and Tony Barrett beating Brennan, Tom Dormer and Eugene Quinn. Alan Garrihy accounted for James McMahon in the remaining match.
In the weekend club singles, Kevin Toner (11) won with 40 points from Joe Davis (12) with 39 points and Tommy Flynn (10) with 38 points.
In the ladies’ section, Joan Barrett was the winner on Sunday with 30 points from Mary Sadlier on 29 points. The nine-hole March winner was Mairéad Carroll with 56 points.
There will be an open fourball this Saturday and Sunday, while there will be an open singles every Wednesday from now until October.
The club mixed will start this Thursday at 5.30pm.

Shannon
THE winner of the open singles at Shannon last week was Lewy Halpin junior (3) with 41 points from Ted Hurley (18), who had a similar score. In third spot was Michael Condon (15) with 40 points, while the gross was won by Paul O’Neill with 38 points.
The winner of the ladies’ singles last week was Deirdre Hennessy (22) with 73 from Catherine Vaughan (11) with 74, Lynn Kelly (18) with 75 and Yoka Walsh (34) with 76 nett. The gross was won by Jean Murphy Wright (9) with 86.

Dromoland
THE weekend’s singles Stableford competition at Dromoland was won by Cathal Kilmartin with 36 points from Jason O’Leary and Nicky Duggan, who had a similar score.
In the category for over 18 handicaps, Gerry Malone was the winner with 31 points, while Edmond Moriarty won the junior section with 36 points.
Next weekend’s competition will be a singles Stableford with re-entry.
In the ladies’ Stableford competition, the winner was Katrina O’Neill (30) with a score of 43 points from Mary Arthur (17), who had a score of 35 points. with Beate Porter (26) on 34 points in third spot.
Sunday’s competition is a bumper medal stroke event with a timesheet in operation.

East Clare
IN the men’s singles matchplay qualifier at East Clare, Pat McKenna (11) was the winner with 42 points from Tony McMahon (12) with a similar score. Jim Varley (18) was third with 41 points.
In the ladies’ 18-hole singles, Trish Browne was the winner from Noreen Doyle with Catherine Murphy in third spot.
The final qualifiers in the Winter League are the teams led by William O’Brien, Jim Dunne, Kevin Mannion and Tony Scott.
The men’s club will hold their masters green jacket 18-hole singles stroke competition this Friday and Saturday. The ladies’ club will have an 18-hole Stableford competition. There will be a team-of-three competition on Monday.

Spanish Point
AS part of the preparations for their first-round J B Carr match in Spanish Point against the home club, the members of the Woodstock panel paid a visit to familiarise themselves with the course on Tuesday last  and took part in the senior open, which is played each Tuesday.
In general, they were impressed with the condition of the course and from an entry of nearly 40, two of their members took first and third places and team manager Brendan McNamara, together with his players, is looking forward to the match against the locals, which tees off at 2pm this Thursday. The winner was Tom Malone (36), Woodstock with 36 points, from Len Wilson (15) with 35 points and Tom Dormer (14), Woodstock with 34 points.
In the Friday open, the winner was Mick Reilly (20) with 39 points. The club singles last weekend was played in excellent conditions and the scoring reflected the sunny calm day, with Joe O’Rourke (15) shooting a great score of 46 points to win. In second place was Michael Hillery (15) with 42 points, followed by Martin Casey (19), also with 42 points.
Next up is the Easter Hamper on Saturday and Sunday and there will be an open singles on Easter Monday. Time sheets are in the clubhouse.
Geraldine Reddan (24) was winner of the Easter hamper competition with a score of 38 points. In second place was Kathleen Haugh (32) with a score of 37 points and third was Mary Ryan (36) with 35 points. Last weekend’s three-ball scramble was won by Martina Skerritt, Tanya Carroll and Clare McNamara on a score of 63 nett . There will be a nine-hole Easter competition this weekend.

Gort
THE winners of the men’s 18-hole scotch foursomes at Gort were Colman (3) and Gerry Cooney (18) with 62.5. They won from Trevor Cummins (7) and Pat Boyle (14) with 63.5 and David Quirke (3) and Andy Turner (21) with 64.
Monday’s open singles was won by Brendan Hanniffy (12) with 40 points from Tony Curran (13) with 38 points. The gross was won by Brian Murtagh (9) with 29 points.
This Easter weekend, there will be an open 18-hole singles competition. 
In the ladies’ section, the singles competition winner was Maura Hanrahan with 39 points from Sue Madden with a similar score and Ann Jorday with 38 points. The gross was won by Bernie Diskin with 25 points.
In the open singles, the winner was Siobhán Forde with 35 points.

Portumna
THE Sean Cleary fundraiser on Sunday in Portumna was won by Shane Duffy (17) with 44 points from Andrew McCarty (15) with 43 points. Third spot was filled by TJ O’Callaghan (28) with 40 points, fourth by Pat Flynn (10) with 39 points, fifth by Fergal Connelly (17) with 37 points and sixth by Mike Flanagan (19) with 37 points. The gross was won by Billy McGarry (scratch) from Joe Lyons (scratch), Birr.
In the ladies’ 18-hole Stableford competition, Birgt Degenhardt (22) was the winner with 39 points from Ann Cassidy (4) on 39 points and Caroline Carr (27) on 38 points.
Last week’s scotch foursome was won by Anne Fahy and Bríd Kelly from Ann Cassidy and Róisín O’Byrne.
Last week’s Monday open was won by David Cleary (14) with 43 points from James O’Meara (17) with 40 points and Joe Doyle (23) with 40 points. The gross was won by JP McLoughlin (2) with 40 points.
There will be an open fourball this weekend.
A group from the ladies club had a very enjoyable outing last Saturday to Roscrea Golf Club.
The club will host its first open father and son fourball on Good Friday.

Clarecastle GAA
AS part of its 125th anniversary celebrations, Clarecastle GAA Club is holding a 125 Golf Classic at Ennis Golf Club on Saturday, April 21. Teams of four are asked to enter. For more information or to book a tee-off time, contact John Normoyle at 086 8050515.

O’Callaghan’s Mills GAA
O’CALLAGHAN’S Mills GAA Club will hold its annual golf classic at East Clare on Friday and Saturday to raise funds for the running of the club. Full details are available from club officials, including Michael O’Brien (chairman), Joe Cooney and Neil O’Brien.

Éire Óg
EAMONN Sheehy was the winner of the Éire Óg society’s outing to Portumna last Saturday with 41 points. Seamus Durack was in second place with 39 points, with Sean Heaslip in third spot with 38. Gerry Hannon won the guests section with 39 points.
The society’s next outing will be to Galway Bay on Saturday, April 28.