Order of merit title for Spanish Point’s Sinéad

As part of their recently held annual meeting, the Irish Ladies Golfing Union presented various awards for the outstanding achievements of last year. Included among the recipients was Spanish Point girl Sinéad Sexton, who won the ILGU Order of Merit title as best girl golfer in the country for 2010.
At just 17 years of age, Sinéad’s progress since taking up golf has been extraordinary, so much so that in the three years she has been competing, her handicap has improved from 36 to her current playing handicap of three.
She has been a member of the Munster girls’ inter-provincial team for the past two years and last year was undefeated in her six matches against the top girls from the three other provinces.
Her matchplay expertise is such that as a member of the Lahinch Munster Championship-winning ladies’ senior cup team, she played at number one, winning three of her four matches, and was undefeated in her matches as the team lost narrowly at the All Ireland semi-final stage. Last year saw her win the Connacht girls’ title, reach the semi-final of the Irish Girls’ Close Championship only to lose to the eventual winner on the first tie hole, figure in the prizes in the other provincial competitions, win numerous scratch cups and gross prizes and was named at first reserve for the Irish girls’ national team.
At senior ladies’ level, she defeated several established ladies, only to lose in the final against international Sarah Cunningham of Ennis, in the Midland Ladies’ Championship. For 2011, she looks forward to establishing herself as a category one ladies’ golfer and playing for Ireland in the girls’ home internationals.

Lahinch
The championship course at Lahinch will be open for play during February this year, subject to prevailing weather conditions. Traditionally, it has been policy to rest the course during this month. However, as play has not been possible in recent weeks due to severe frost, it has been decided that a sufficient rest period has been incurred. Mats are still to be used.
In a men’s scotch foursomes competition on Sunday the winners were Pat Falvey (14) and Jerry Adler (14) with 38 points.
In the scotch mixed foursomes Stableford competition Ray (3) and Jenny Hennessy (7) were the winners with 37 points from Noel Pyne (1) and Anne Vaughan (13), who had a similar score. In third place with 36 points were Martin Scales (15) and Olivia Lucas (10).
The presentation of the mixed hamper will take place on this Sunday at 5pm, as will the presentation of the following: golfer of the year, Jenny Cagney (13); silver spoon and medal, Olivia Lucas, (10), bronze medal, Pat Ramsey, (21).
In the ladies’ new year competition, Margaret Lacheiner (16) was the winner of the hamper with 37 points from Angela Cullinan (12) on 36 points. Anne Vaughan (13) was third with 35 points while Valerie Shannon won the gross with 25 points.
In the silver division, Nollie McCarthy (20) was the winner with 33 points from Jenny Cagney (13) and Barbara Foley (16), all with 33 points.
In the bronze division, Bernadette Scanlon (25) was the winner with 34 points from Patricia Kelleher (27) with 31 points and Frances Hough (23) with 30 points.
The nines were won by Pat Ramsey (21) with 17 points and Geraldine O’Mahony (20) with 20 points.
Last Monday’s ladies’ singles was won by Anne Vaughan (12) with 35 points from Jenny Cagney (13) with 24 points.

Ennis
The Ennis senior ladies held a 12-hole team scramble last week when the winners were Mary Glynn, Mary McMahon and Nora Kelly from Ann Kehoe, Monica Gallagher, Claire Ruane and Oonagh Fitzpatrick, with third spot filled by Nuala Guinan, Mary Hennessy and Kate O’Ceallaigh.
In the weekly club scramble the winners were Tim McAlister, Kieran Fox and Flor Coffey from Noel O’Connor, Matt Molyneaux and Ann Casey, with third place filled by Ferdia O’Donoghue, Dick Herbert and Deirdre Molyneaux.

Woodstock
Entries are now being taken for the spring league at Woodstock. Round one will be a team-of-four scramble and will take place on the weekend of February 19 and 20. In all there will be six rounds.

East Clare
Darren Rosney (13) was the winner of the men’s singles at East Clare on Sunday with 34 points. He had one to spare over Flan Mullane (19).
The winter league continues with a nine-hole singles until the end of January.
The February competition in the league will be a team-of-three event.

Ennis seniors
Fifty-six members played in last week’s outing of Ennis Men’s Senior Social Group. The competition format was a team-of-four, with two to count and was played over 12 holes.
The winners with 67 points were Dick Herbert, Larry O’Farrelly, George Dilger and Sean Finnerty from Charlie McEnery, John White, Sean O’Gorman and Tony Blake, who carded 66 points.
The next three teams all returned 64 points with Paddy Lane, Pat Cusack, John Cullinan and Denis O’Ceallaigh in third followed by Peadar Cosgrove, John Keane (ESB), Frank White and Joe O’Brien while in fifth place were John Keane, Michael Culliney, Pat Cahill and Tom Pilkington.

Shannon
The men’s 15-hole fourball over the weekend of January 14-15 at Shannon saw Colm Reidy and Pat Madden victorious with 10 up. In second place on nine up were Barry Fitzgerald and Hugh Heaney. Tom McMahon and Tony O’Callaghan captured third place with eight up followed in fourth place on seven up by Don O’Shea and Phil Ryan.
On the social scene, the 45 drive continues on Thursday nights, commencing at 9pm, with the quiz continuing on Friday nights at 8.30pm.
The annual poker classic takes place on Sunday, February 20, commencing at 5.30pm.
Round one in the January men’s winter league will take place this weekend with round one in the ladies’ competition taking place next week. There will be a 15-hole men’s singles on Wednesday.

Spanish Point
Once again frost was a factor in the playing of the postponed hampers and they are now re-fixed for the weekend of February 5 and 6.  Some competitions went ahead and the senior’s open each Tuesday continues to be well supported.
Last Tuesday’s competition was won by Oliver McNamara (12) from Woodstock with 40 points from Gerry Meade (16) with 37 points.
Gerry continued his good form when winning the weekend singles with a score of 43 points from Pat Lorrigan (16), who scored 41 points.
There will be a team competition this weekend and a timesheet will operate.

Portumna
Due to severe weather conditions the course was closed over the weekend. It is hoped to run the usual 14-hole competition this coming weekend, subject to weather conditions. 
The captains’ and presidents’ drive-in will take place on Sunday week,  February 6. The Portumna Junior Cup team, which won the All-Ireland title for the first time, were honoured last weekend at a banquet in the Ardilaun Hotel, Galway.

Gort
Michael Grealy was the winner of the men’s singles Stableford competition at Gort last week with 44 points from Michael Whelan, who scored 42 points.
In third spot was John Tierney with 41 points while Ian McLynn won the gross with 34 points.
In the Monday open singles, Michael McBride (Slievenamon) was the winner with 42 points from John Langan (Ballinrobe), who had 41 points.
This weekend there will be an 18-hole singles on Saturday and Sunday while the weekly open will continue on Monday.
The ladies’ spring league is continuing.

Corofin
The January outing of Corofin Golf Society, which was due to be held at Gort on Saturday, January 15 but which was cancelled owing to the weather conditions, has been rescheduled for this Saturday. The tee is reserved from 9.30am.

Quin-Clooney
The Quin/Clooney Golf Society is having an outing to Dromoland on Saturday, with tee-off time from 10.30am to 11.30am. This is in lieu of the cancelled Christmas outing.

Pitch and Putt
Sunday’s competition at the Clare Road Pitch and Putt club was won by PJ Considine from Noel Cuddihy.
There will be a club competition this Sunday at 10am.