AFTER making history by competing in his 50th successive South of Ireland Amateur Golf Championship, Ennis man Noel Pyne was in the news again this week. He competed in the Munster Veterans Amateur Open Championship at Dooks Golf Club in Glenbeigh, Kerry and emerged as the winner of the 36-hole event.

With rounds of 84 and 73 for a total of 157, Noel had three strokes to spare over Bert Burke from Moate.
“Conditions were extremely difficult on day one and this is reflected in the scores but things improved on day two,” he told The Clare Champion.

The former captain and president of both Ennis and Lahinch golf clubs was one of a number of Clare competitors in the championship.

Lahinch’s JD Smith finished on 170 (88 and 82), followed by Ennis president Michael Vaughan on 172 (89, 83). Greg Young, Kilrush also finished on 172 (88 and 84). Tom Mernagh from Spanish Point finished on 182 (93, 89), Rory Kennedy, Woodstock was on 192 (97, 95), Jim McMahon (Woodstock) had rounds of 99 and 99 for a total of 198 with James Meade, Woodstock on 205 (101 and 104).

Ennis
ENNIS Seniors held a team competition last week, which resulted in John Normoyle, Willie Delaney, Johnny Cullinan and Aidan Guilfoyle emerging victorious with 81 points. In second place were Michael Torpey, Eamon Murphy, Tony Blake and Sean Fitzpatrick on 79, followed by Michael Finn, Pat Cahill, Johnny Guerin and Padraig Ryan with 78 and Joe McMahon, Ferdie O’Donoghue, Tom Pilkington and Michael Kerin, who scored 76. Matt Fanning, Dick Herbert, Michael Connolly and Ned Ryan finished with 75, while Luke Coote, Peadar Cosgrove, Brian Higgins and Tom Purcell had a similar score. A total of 83 played in the competition.

In the Friday open singles, Gerry Bredin was the winner with 40 points from Shane Moan (Warrenpoint) on 39 and Kevin Moloney (Abbeymoore) on 39. The gross was won by Michael Sweeney with 29 points. Cora Kerins won the ladies’ competition with 36 points.

Lahinch
Valerie  Shannon (7) was the winner of the ladies’ September Medal at Lahinch with 78 nett from Patricia Ramsey (22) with 79 nett and Marie O’Connor (16) with 80 nett.

In the men’s singles Stableford competition on Saturday, Padraig Hayes (8) was the winner with 38 points from John Skerritt junior (6) with 37 points and Gary Lavelle (5) with 35 points.

Shannon
IN the men’s open singles at Shannon last Wednesday, the winner was Jim Begley with 41 points from Kevin Thompstone on 40 and Mike O’Callaghan with 38 points. Damian Casey won the gross with 32 points.

In the men’s team of four competition at the weekend, the winners with 102 points were Kevin and Ben Moylan, Padraic Carew and Dermot Fagan from Jim McNamara, Jim Fitzgerald, Billy Grimes and John Pearse, who also returned 102 points.

East Clare
THE winners of the East Clare Seniors outing last week were Eamon Long, Jim Greene and Liam Nolan from Jack Manly, Flan Mullane and JJ Barton, with third spot filled by Willie Roche, Mick Gough and Charles Stuart.

In the ladies’ seniors outing the winners were Sue Casey, Mary Bugler, Brigid Minogue and Breda Reid from Pauline Nugent, Hannah Guinnane and Patricia Kerr.

The Belvedere Cup team travelled to Tipperary last Saturday to play in the Munster final of that competition.

While putting up a good performance, they were unsuccessful as the competition was won by a very strong Tipperary team.

Next weekend, the men’s club have their player-of-the-year final, while the ladies’ club have an 18-hole Red Ball competition.

Spanish Point
LAST weekend, the last of the current year’s golfer of the year singles competitions was played in 18-hole stroke format and was crucial in deciding the 2012 winner. Played over a series of eight competitions, with the best five scores to decide the winner, the main contenders leading into last weekend were Joe O’Rourke and Eoghan O’Loughlin, with several other players in contention.

Both players have been consistent all year with Eoghan off three handicap for most of the season and Joe bringing his handicap from 17 to 12 since last March.

Conditions were difficult on Sunday with rain and high winds and Joe played very well to bring in 64 nett against the par of 68 to win the singles and also secure this year’s golfer of the year title.

In the recent seniors open, the winner was Tony Crowley (19) with 36 points from John Fitzgerald (20) with 43 points.

In a recent singles competition, Eoghan O’Loughlin (3) with 36 points won from John Kelly (22) with 35 points.

A full schedule of the winter turkey competitions is on the notice board and begins next weekend with an 18-hole singles, followed by a team scramble on October 13 and 14. The senior open continues each Tuesday and time-sheets are in the clubhouse.

Woodstock
IN the nine-hole mixed scramble at Woodstock last week the winners were John McBride, Rosie Heaslip and Seamus Kelly from Mark Torpey, Joan Barrett and Tom Dormer.

In the club championship for the ESB Cup, the winner was Niall Reynolds (11) with 65 from Kieran Cunnane (0) with 70 nett. The gross was won by Cathal O’Connor (2) with 74.

Dromoland
THE men’s weekend singles Stableford competition at Dromoland was won by Niall Geraghty with 40 points from PJ Phelan on 38 points and Ryan O’Neill, also on 38.

This weekend’s competition is the Fred O’Flanagan Memorial V Par and Golfer of the Year competitions.

Kilrush
THE weekly seniors outing at Kilrush was won by John Robinson, Tom Coffey and Noel Enright from Tom Cleary, Michael Hemmings and Maurice Roche, with third spot filled by Murt Collins, Brendan McNamara and Tom Clarke.

Last week’s ladies’ singles was won by Anne Coen (15) with 33 points from Marie Maguire (23) with 31 points and Mary McCarthy (26) with a similar score. The category winners were Imy Kerrigan (16) with 28 points, Mary Bolton (20) with 31 points and Ursula Lineen (29) with 29 points.

Last Thursday’s ladies singles was won by Carmel Lillis (30) with 36 points from Mary McCarthy (26) with 35 points. In third place was Mary O Sullivan (21) with 33 points, followed by Annmarie Donnellan (30) with 32 points.

The Winter League will commence on Sunday, October 14 and will run for four weeks, ending on Saturday, November 10. Details on the league format are on the club notice board.

There will be a men’s singles Stableford competition this Sunday and a timesheet will operate.

Gort
RORY Gantley (20) was the winner of the men’s singles at Gort at the weekend with a score of 46 points.

He won by three from David McAllan (18), with third spot filled by Pat Curtis (14) with 31 points. Trevor Cummins (7) won the gross with 33 points. There will be a similar competition this weekend.

Last week’s ladies’ singles was won by Siobhán O’Connor with 34 points.

Portumna
THERE was no men’s competition last weekend due to the All-Ireland hurling final. Last Monday’s open singles was won by Martin Kennedy (9) with 40 points from Laurence Weir (Athenry) (8) with 34 points and John Molloy (Mountbellew) (23) also with 34. Peter Ryan (6), Galway won the gross with 26 points.

Last week’s seniors competition was won by John Hynes (17) with 31 points from Mike Keyes (11), also on 31 and John Kennedy (13) on 30 points.

Portumna Golf Club will host a Texas Hold ‘Em poker classic on Friday at 8pm.

The club celebrates its centenary in 2013 and are in the process of compiling a book on the history of the club.

John Joe Conwell, local historian, has been given the task of writing the history of the club and he is appealing for any old photographs or documents pertaining to the club.

The open three-ball competition is up and running again.  Each month there are two teams to qualify, one of them a visiting team. The final will be held in May 2013.

Clarecastle
CLARECASTLE Golf Society will hold its next outing at Nenagh on Saturday. The first tee is reserved from 9.30am and members are asked to text their preferred tee time to 086 3246015.

Inagh-Kilnamona
THE Inagh-Kilnamona Golf Society’s captain’s prize was played for at the Castle Course in Lahinch on Saturday, when Eoin Hegarty emerged as the winner from Barry Conway, Michael Vaughan and Michael Shannon. Jason Woods and Oliver Mescall won the nines, while Martin O’Leary won the guests’ section.

The prizes were presented by the captain Paddy Conway at an enjoyable function in Dillon’s Bar in Inagh on Saturday night.

Pitch and putt
AT the Clare Road last Sunday, the winner of the Helen Cuddihy Memorial Trophy was Tommy Kelly with Michael Kerin in second place. Marty Fawl won the gross.

Tommy Kelly has won the player of the year award, while the Masters’ Trophy has been won by Marty Fawl.

 

Dromoland celebrate team success

DROMOLAND Castle Golf and Country Club hosted a celebration evening for their mixed foursomes panel last weekend. The team won the Munster Championship earlier in the summer, which was a historic achievement for the club.

The team won out the Clare section with victories over Ennis, Woodstock and Shannon respectively.
Dromoland then played Adare Manor in the North Munster final and achieved a thrilling victory in the final match on the 18th green in Limerick with Dorothea Madden holing a 6ft putt.

Youghal Golf Club was the venue for the Munster finals and Dromoland faced the formidable Dungarvan team in the morning semi-final.

Dromoland got through with the narrowest of margins, winning the vital match on the 20th hole.

The Munster final pitted Dromoland against Newcastle West, who had earlier beaten Lisselan in their semi-final. Dromoland played their best golf of the season to secure the three matches required to win their first Munster Pennant at this level.

In the All-Ireland finals held in Clontarf, Dromoland beat Claremorris in the semi-final to qualify for the final against Rosapenna from Donegal. Dromoland narrowly lost out in an epic match, which went to the 21st hole.

The panel were presented with silver medals as All-Ireland runners-up.

Club captain Willie Fitzgerald paid tribute to the panel of players, caddies and supporters for their “magnificent commitment to the mixed foursomes campaign all season”.

Along with the lady captain, he also acknowledged the managers, Joan Ryan and Jimmy McManus.