The UCC Staff golf society will set about retaining their Inter-Varsity title next week, and they’ll have local knowledge on their side as the competition takes place in Cork Golf Club.  On Thursday next ten college staff teams will play for the prestigious national title in a competition that has been running for 35 years.  The UCC team won the event in 2015 when it was held in Ballykisteen.  Having last won in 2010, the UCC Staff GS would love to do the double and win in their home county.  It’s the first time in ten years that the event has been hosts by UCC as it rotates among the ten colleges who take part in the competition.  With the heavy weather of the winter finally behind us now, Cork Golf Club should be in great condition to host the national competition.  The inter-varsity competition has been running since 1981 and was formed after a match that originally saw UCC take on Cork RTC.  From there it developed into a national competition and now includes ten colleges from all over the country.  The format is fourball with five pairs representing each college.  The four best cards count with the fifth card counting in the event of a tie.  The fifth card came into play last year when UCC tied with Cork Institute of Technology after the first four cards were counted.  College got the edge over their Cork counterparts when Don Walshe and Barrie Curley’s card was taken into account.  UCC Staff GS Captain Alan Dobson and Team Manager Willie Weir will have a large squad to pick from, and hopes will be high that the Cork side can do the double, especially as they are hosting the event.  As well as the overall team title, prizes will be awarded for the best pair from each team and longest drive and nearest the pin.

The UCC Staff Golf Society pictured with the Inter-Varsity trophy. Included are (front row) Eddie McCarthy, Rosemary O’Connor (Captain), Michael Murphy (President UCC), Terry Brenan (Collegegear, sponsor), Mark Rea and (back row) Barry Curley, Willie Weir, Richard Studdart, Kieran Barrett, Dan Walsh, Maurice Conway, Alan Dobson. Picture: Niall O’Shea

The 100 competing golfers will start in Cork Golf Club at 11am on Thursday morning.  The teams are: University College Cork, Cork Institute of Technology, NUI Maynooth, NUI Galway, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick, Dublin City University, University College Dublin, Galway/Mayo Institute of Technology, Athlone Institute of Technology.