Fota Island’s 10th Green
To celebrate the first golf major of the year, Fota Island are running an open singles competition all weekend, with a major prize on offer for the winner. Starting today and running through to Sunday, the open singles will take place on the Deerpark course, the setting for the 2014 Irish Open. Entry for the competition is €50 per person and the Masters on television in the clubhouse it’s a great way to start the golfing season. The first prize for the Masters weekend competition is membership to the Fota Island Academy for the season. The prize which is valid until December includes access to the incredible practice facilities in the Academy, regular ball credit, and access to the Barryscourt nine holes that surround the extensive academy grounds. There are other prizes on offer also, second place will win a custom fit session with PGA Professional Ronan Collins in the Academy’s state Continue reading
There was a large gathering in Muskerry on Monday to celebrate the 29th anniversary of the founding of the South Munster Senior Golfers. Senior Golfers from almost every club in Cork joined the committee in acknowledging the work that was put in by Tadg O’Halloran in the past three decades. Although the course in Muskerry was closed, the clubhouse was full with well over 100 golfers from all over Munster joining Tadg in the celebration. In 1989, Tadg along with the late Michael Geary came up with the idea and they went on to launch the South Munster Seniors at a small event in Waterrock. On that day members from around four clubs attended but it was enough to start the ball rolling. It was a different time, one in which non club golf was essentially limited to societies. The initiative was a bit of a ump in the way that events were managed and the oganisers had a job to sell to concept to many clubs. The organisers persisted and bit by bit and club by club they convinced more and more managers and committees to hold seniors open days. The very modest green fee was offset by a large turnout and additional pro-shop and catering 
Cork’s most demanding golf event is all set to start next week when 64 golfers will aim to make it through six rounds of matchplay golf. The eventual winner will become the Ford Muskerry Junior Scratch Trophy champion. While many golfers will be looking forward to morning off on Easter Sunday, the four semi-finalists will be facing into their fifth game of golf in three days, and all four will be hoping to reach a sixth game in the afternoon final. Almost two weeks ago, over 250 competitors took part in the two-day qualifier in Muskerry, all hoping to finish in the top 64 and get through to the matchplay stage. With a new handicap limit of 4, the event provides a mix between the established Junior Cup and Bruen golfers, and younger golfers heading for Barton or Senior Cup appearances. Fota Island’s Anthony O’Connell led the qualifiers with a very impressive nett 57 for his 16 hole qualifier. John McSweeney (Muskerry) led four golfers to finished with 58 in the first day of the qualifier. Monkstown’s Billy Egan finished on top of the leaderboard on the second day. He shot the best of the 58’s around the 16 hole course while Seamus Spencer (Berehaven) and David O’Brien (Cahir Park) also finished on 58. Main sponsors Ford have been involved in the competition since 1992, continuing a long tradition of supporting amateur golf in Cork. The trophy holds the names of many popular Cork golfers, including two previous 
