Hilary Madden pictured with Martin Travers and Cian McNamara
Monkstown’s Hilary Madden will retire this week after 16 years as general manager in the golf club. It’s been a very eventful time for golf clubs in Ireland, with big changes happening in those two decades. In 2002, when Hilary took on the role in Monkstown golf in Ireland was very different. There were waiting lists and large entry fees for anyone wanting to join, that period also marked a big increase in the number of courses. Like many other courses, Monkstown had impressive development plans at the time which included an impressive new clubhouse, a new maintenance and greenkeeper compound. Work on the course which drainage and bunker redevelopment, and it fell to the manager to oversee the plans which was set to reposition Monkstown back to the top table. Luckily for Monkstown the work was completed by time the downturn came, but they still had to finance the projects which was a challenge for the club. “As common with most clubs in Ireland the economic depression from 2008 to 2014 resulted Continue reading
Sean Reddy is one of Cork’s emerging young golfers who continues to work on his game and improve, and the 2018 season was an important one for the 11 year golf nut. Having started playing golf many years ago, Sean joined Douglas Golf Club at the start of the season and quickly became a regular on the course. The young golfer rounded off his season when he got his hands on some important silverware last month, he won the Minor Matchplay Cup in Douglas in September. Any the way he won was pretty impressive. Playing in a matchplay competition, he won the 18th with a birdie to force the match onto the 19th hole. And on the testing par four he won the match with a par. Sean was a busy boy all Summer, playing competitions and practicing. Like most young golfers, the summer holidays meant more time on the course and he put himself to good use picking up the club almost every day. “All summer I played most days in Douglas and then other days I practiced in the Academy in Fota Island” said Sean, “I was usually playing or practicing everyday. I got to play Hollywood in Belfast, Rory Milroy’s home course, it was incredible to play there. My favourite also was the K Club, last time I was there on a Sunday was to watch Rory win the Irish Open in 2016.” Unlike many other golfers of his age, Sean doesn’t just practice for fun, he does it to improve. And he spent the summer working on a few important areas. I worked on my swing path and alignment mostly, trying to keep my swing consistent on every shot” explained Reddy, “I know my swing speed and distance will come as I get older, I am not 12 until next year and I want my swing to be perfect now so when I am older it hopefully will be always be consistent as I swing faster. I worked on many speed and strength drills with Peter for most of the summer.” Now playing off an official GUI handicap, Sean has seen this tumble as he played in Douglas over the Summer. He dropped ten shots and he’s now playing off 14 – a very impressive mark for an eleven year old. “In February had a handicap of 24” explained Sean, “I am now down to 14 since 
After over a decade in the America, Aaron O’Callaghan Made another big career over the summer, taking up the position of Associate Head Coach at Wake Forest. After four years with the Cardinals at University of Louisville, the Douglas native headed for North Carolina to coach with Wake Forest. The Deacons are ranked as a top 25 college in the NCAA Division One golf rankings, playing in the top level of college golf. Head Coach Jerry Hass, brother of tour star Jay Haas, has led the Deacons golf programme for over two decades. He joined Wake Forest 20 years ago and rebuilt the golf programme, winning 15 conference titles and 15 individual wins over that period. The ranking and legacy of success at Wake Forest makes O’Callaghan’s move a great career choice, and with a strong player roster hopes are high that Aaron can add to the results that have repositioned Wake Forest. “Dan Walters [Associate Coach in Wake Forest] had a business opportunity that was going to take them out of college coaching” explained O’Callaghan, who initially qualified as a PGA Professional after college. “As a result both he and Head Coach Jerry Haas reached out to me to see if I was interested in the position. I have had a relationship with Coach Haas over the last four years since I’ve been in college golf. I have always respected and admired him.” Haas is a former tour pro, and brother of Jay Haas. Ireland’s Paul Mc Bride recently graduated from Wake Forest and soon after turned pro, he’ll be one of several Irish golfers to tee it up at the European Tour Qualifying School later this month. Alex Fitzpatrick, brother of tour star Matt Fitzpatrick is currently in his second year with the Deacons.
It was win number four for Gary O’Flaherty in Lee Valley when he won the Munster Mid-Amateur title on Sunday. His season started with a win in the Lee Valley Senior Scratch Cup in April, and he closed out on Sunday with another win on the championship course in Ovens. Back in April O’Flaherty maintained his overnight lead to win his third Lee Valley title, this time he overturned a three-shot deficit to win on the final green in a tense finish. Although the weather was much better than the wet conditions on Saturday, there was a stiff breeze blowing through Lee Valley which tested many of the golfers. O’Flaherty played some very tidy golf, his only bogey of the day came at the 7th and his birdie on the 9th got him back to level for the round. He birdied the par five 15th to get into the red, and he narrowly missed good birdie opportunities on the 16th and 17th. Standing on the 18th, Gary was one 
There was lots to talk about in Raffeen Creek recently. The President of the GUI, John Moloughney paid a courtesy visit to the club and commented about the fact that there were two flags on every green. The occasion was Trevor McCarthy’s President’s Prize and he came up with a clever plan to have two flags in place on the nine hole course. Members aimed at the blue flags for their first nine holes, and the yellow flags were the target on the second loop. It was the first time that someone used that format, and as it was within the rules of golf it was perfect for the major competition. While some may have been skeptical, the two-flag initiative proved to be a great success as the Trevor explained. “The two flag competition was played by both the men and the women” said the President. “It was given a mixed reaction before playing but coming off the course everyone thoroughly enjoyed their 
Fermoy will host one of the final scratch cups of the year on Sunday 16th September. The John Whyte Memorial Senior Scratch Cup takes place, with a bumper prize fund of €1,000, Entry for the 18 hole event is just €30, which includes a meal.