Author: niall@corkgolfnews.com

2025 a year to remember

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John Doyle (Fota Island) receiving the Munster Stroke Play trophy from Paul Buckley from C2O Group, sponsors of the tournament.
Picture: Niall O’Shea

2025 proved to be a year to remember for Cork golf, with several notable successes in the bag.  Douglas, Monkstown and Lee Valley all won green national pennants, and there were notable individual successes as well.

Douglas did a rare double, winning the AIG Senior Cup in the Women’s and Men’s, taking full advantage of the status as hosts for the AIG Inter-Club finals at the end of August.  Monkstown travelled to Northern Ireland and came home as winners of the AIG Junior Cup, and Lee Valley won their Girls Inter-Club title in Donabate in August.

It was a breakout year for John Doyle, the Mitchelstown teenager started the season in style with wins at the Irish Boys and the Munster Continue reading →

5th win for Wayne in Spain

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Wayne O’Callaghan who won the Senior Golf Tour Europe event last week, pictured with his dad Brendan who caddied for him.

Wayne O’Callaghan rounded off a good year on the course last week in Spain, winning the Marbella Senior Open and claiming the Senior Golf Tour Europe Order of Merit.

O’Callaghan played in six of the tour events this year, and came away with an impressive haul of five wins.  The Senior Golf Tour is a competitive over 50’s event for professionals and amateurs, and features a season long schedule of 12 every across nine countries.

After finishing 10th in Valencia in his first event in April, O’Callaghan reeled off five straight wins thanks to some work on his putting in the studio.  Based in Cork Golf Centre in Inniscarra, the Advanced PGA Professional has built up a reputation as a top class putting coach.  “I didn’t have a great start in Valencia, I putted poorly and came back and was contemplating giving it up” said O’Callaghan.  “But I came home and checked my putting on the SAM Puttlab and found a new putter that helped with my aim, because I found a big aim issue with the one I was using.”

The difference was clear, and O’Callaghan went back on tour with renewed confidence.  “I went from there to Italy and I played some really good golf.  I don’t think I had a bogey until the final round and shot four under and won by two shots.  I had a big result in Prague where I shot five under par for my last ten holes.  I finished on six under for the tournament and caught Continue reading →

Byrne Secures Tour Status for 2026

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Sara Byrne in action in the Curtis Cup in Sunningdale.
Picture: Niall O’Shea

Sara Byrne rounded off her season on a positive note in Spain last weekend when she secured a top 70 finish on the Ladies European Tour.  That was enough the secure her playing status for her second year as a touring professional.

Byrne started the year with playing rights on the LET, but also had a full card for the Epsom Tour, the LPGA’s secondary tour.  She played seven events in the first half of the season, making three cuts and recording one top twenty finish.  She prioritised t Continue reading →

Golf Ireland reports on a positive 2025

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Golf Ireland
Picture: Niall O’Shea

Golf Ireland celebrated another strong year when they provided a scorecard of their own performance for 2025.  It was a positive year on many fronts, from showpiece events, international success, and overall participation in the game.  Clubs around the county have been reporting another positive year for membership, and that was also the case nationally.

It has been another year of growth across all areas of membership.  By the end of October membership figures had reached 236,384.  Just five years ago the membership figure stood at 182,000 prior to a Covid related boost, and the 30% increase over the past five years represents a sustainable growth.  Women now account for Continue reading →

Golf Ireland Professional Scheme 2026 now open

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James Sugrue who should be eligible for Golf Ireland Professional funding in 2026.
Picture: Niall O’Shea

Applications are now being accepted for the 2026 Golf Ireland Professional Scheme, a grant scheme to support Irish professional golfers in the early stages of their careers, and it’s possible that a few Cork golfers will be involved in the programme next year.

The scheme was established in 1999, and has been an invaluable source of funding for early stage professionals for 25 years.  A number of Cork golfers have benefitted from the scheme in the early years.  Mervyn Owens and Padraig Dooley were recipients when they were on the Europro Tour, Claire Coughlan for the Ladies European Tour, and Niall Turner was funded for two years when he was on the Challenge Tour and the Asian Tour.  The funding was previously called the Team Ireland Golf Trust, and was renamed as the Golf Ireland Professional Scheme a few yeas ago.

Sara Byrne and James Sugrue have both confirmed their tour status for 2026 and it’s likely that both will feature on the scheme.  2025 Golf Ireland professional Sara Byrne has enjoyed Continue reading →

Fota Island hosts Munster PGA

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John Hickey

The Munster PGA Winter Series is enjoying a strong resurgence with over 30 members playing in the event which took place on Monday.  With a busy season behind them, PGA Professionals based in Munster are taking to the course, and on Monday they travelled to Fota Island.  The three-time Irish Open host venue was in great condition and the players were hosted by Fota’s Director of Golf Kevin Morris.

John Hickey took the spoils with a great score of 42 points on a day of great weather that defied Continue reading →

SIMply Golf 365 launches in Raffeen Creek

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Jack Howard who has recently launched a new simulator experience, SIMply Golf 365.
Picture: Niall O’Shea

Jack Howard has just launched a new golf business, Simply Golf 365.  The new venture is a mobile golf simulator, and it will be based in Raffeen Creek for next few months.  Howard has spent the past few months setting up the business and is now up and running.

After a number of pop-up events, the new business is now based in Raffeen Creek Golf Club, and to launch the new location Jack invited members of the club to come and try out the new simulator last week.  The feedback was very positive and was key part of the decision to base the new venture at Raffeen for the remainder of 2025.  “The feedback from Raffeen Continue reading →

Walsh Wins Second BoyleSports Lee Valley Title

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Robbie Walsh had a dramatic win in Lee Valley over the weekend as the Douglas member won his second BoyleSports Lee Valley Scratch Cup.

Walsh was declared the winner after a total of 58 holes – the standard three rounds of 54 holes plus four play-off holes.  He came into the final day trailing the leader Ben Murray by nine shots, but a four under par 68 low round of the tournament gave him a chance to reclaim the title he won two years ago.  In a final round where three players held the lead at different points, Murray dropped shots on the 16th and 17th to finish level with Walsh. 

Gallery: BoyleSports Lee Valley Scratch Cup 2025

For the first time in the history of the event it went to a play-off, with the 1st, 16, 17th and 18th designated as the four holes for the decider.  Murray led by one after the first, but gave the shot back on the 16th.  The Lee Valley member got into trouble on the right of 17 before going long with his approach, and Walsh’s regulation par meant he had a comfortable lead going up the 18th.  Both finished with pars, giving Walsh a win that many felt unlikely at the start of the day. 

“I thought I had obviously a small chance, I thought there was always a chance if I could post the score and just needed to hole a few putts” said Walsh after the win.  “I played nicely yesterday but just nothing really went in for me, so I managed to hold a few more today although I thought I was going to come up maybe one short.”

“I thought I thought I might be one short but then maybe five minutes after I finished I heard that Ben bogied 16th so I knew there was a chance.  The birdie on 18 ended up being huge and got me into the play-off”

Having fought his way back into contention, and error on the first play-off hole handed his opponent the advantage.  But the setback didn’t sway Walsh and he stuck to the process.

“I just had a bad wedge into the 1st and the chip was unlucky but just tried to keep doing what I was doing.  I said if I could shoot level par for the play-off, they’re not easy holes like, so I knew I’d give myself a chance.”

The UCC student now joins a small group of players who have multiple wins in Lee Valley, and he’s put himself in a good position to add more and it’s clear the course suits his game.  Walsh was part of the Douglas AIG Senior Cup winning panel and has been working on his game all year, through the Golf Ireland championships and other events. 

Anyone interested in the event may have been surprised to hear that the first two rounds went ahead on Saturday morning in the immediate aftermath of Storm Amy.  The course had been closed since Thursday and although there was heavy rainfall on Friday, the near gale force winds on Friday night and into Saturday helped to dry the course.  Tournament Director Vincent Drinan made the decision to play preferred lies on Saturday morning, meaning the event would still qualify for WAGR ranking points. 

Several golfers struggled with the winds on Saturday morning, leading to some high scores.  2016 winner Colm Campbell had the measure of the conditions and led the way after shooting a one under par 71.  Ben Murray went lower in Saturday’s second round with a 69, thanks in part to five birdies on the back nine.  Jordan Boles was only one behind after two rounds of 72 and Rian Carvill was next best on +4.

While Walsh set an early target of +4 for the 54 holes, both Murray and Boles held the lead at different points.  Boles was one ahead until a lost ball on the 15th took him out of contention.  Murray had a disappointing three over front nine, but was leading until two late bogies brought him back to +4 meaning additional holes.

While first and second place were determined by the play-off, Colm Campbell took third place and Rian Carvill took fourth spot.  Keelan McCarthy won best Lee Valley and 2015 winner Dave O’Donovan took the net prize.  Although Walsh beat the home player, most of the Lee Valley members stayed for the presentation, and while they were backing their own man, they were happy for the 2023 winner when he went on to win.

 

 

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Millstreet take Silver at World Championships

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Millstreet Community School were celebrating last week after their golfers finished in second place at the World Schools Golf Championship in Scotland.  The event brought together over 100 golfers from 23 schools across 17 countries and six continents, competing on some of the most iconic courses in the Scotland.

They included Royal Musselburgh, The Musselburgh Golf Club, and finally the world-renowned Fairmont St Andrews, as the stage was set for three days of thrilling international competition.  The team scores are calculated by taking the three best stableford scores from each team for Continue reading →