Stryker win Fota Island Inter-Company Challenge

 

Golf_Fota Island Inter Company Challenge_Stryker_Dec 2015Fota Island rounded off another busy golfing year recently when they hosted the final of the Inter-Company Challenge.  This is the second year that the novel event has been held and entries were up for the qualifying rounds.  The format was based on eight colleagues playing in a singles format with the top five scores counting towards the team total.  After a number of busy qualifying dates, Cork Airport PJ Hegarty, Stryker and Vistakon all made it to the series final.  Stryker came out on top of the four finalists with a grand total of 162 points, and they won a society outing in Fota Island including dinner for 20 Continue reading

Coleman Golf’s Massive 50% Off Sale

Coleman Golf Winter Sale 2015Although he’s always a great man to do a deal, Paul Coleman has added fuel to the current retail price war by announcing a massive 50% off sale – starting on Thursday morning.  The popular retailer who is based in Lee Valley has been running his shop for over 7 years and has spent that time looking for innovative ways to drive customers to his shop and to give them the best possible deals.  From try before you buy, bespoke hampers, customised footwear, a custom fitting solution in association with Drive Golf Performance, Paul has pioneered several new ideas.  This year he added payment plans, a price match promise and custom filled Christmas hampers to that list.

And to top that he’s just announced a huge sale offer with 50% off everything.  This come on the back of a very competitive landscape in Cork.  In 2013 Halpenny Golf arrived in Cork to challenge the existing retailers and last month Dublin retailer McGuirks opened up their first Cork store.  Golf retailing is competitive;  McGuirks have plenty of opening offers, Halpenny are offering their “staff prices” promotion regularly and American Golf recently ran a successful 25% off offer at the end of November.  So after a few weeks of poor weather, Paul decided to put the pressure back on his larger competitors; “Business since November has been poor for a number of reasons, the weather has been a huge factor and everybody Continue reading

Murphy wins Munster Junior Golfer Title

Munster Branch GUI ADM & Awards 24th November 2015Kinsale’s John Murphy won the Munster Junior Golfer of the Year award last week, rounding off 2015 for the talented 17 year old.  He follows in the footsteps of his friend and club mate Cathal Butler in becoming the second winner in a row from Kinsale Golf Club.  The club has been to the forefront of both individual and team junior golf over the past few years.  John had a very busy year, with the key highlights including a Munster final appearance in the Fred Daly Trophy Munster final, a win in the Kerry Boys, and a cap for Munster at the Boys Interprovincials.  John was travelling almost every week during the summer, competing in all four Provincial Boys championships as well as several of the Youth championships.  In the Boys events, he was runner-up in Ulster, 5th in Connacht and 7th in Leinster.  He also took 4th place in Irish Boys Championship.  He took on the unique challenge Continue reading

Large Attendance at Munster Golf Delegates Meeting

Munster Branch GUI ADM & Awards 24th November 2015The Munster Branch held their Annual Delegates Meeting in Mallow on Tuesday evening and a very large crowd attended to reflect on a another positive year for golf in the province.  It was an occasion to celebrate the successes during the year which included national wins for Dooks, Ballybunion and Thurles.  The Branch reported a deficit of over Continue reading

Muskerry Lead the Charge for New Members

Muskerry are one of the early birds looking at 2016, they have put in place a very attractive offer for new members under the age of 35.  Munster clubs have seen membership drop by over 20% in the past five years, that’s over 7,400 members between the 86 clubs.  Nationally the game has lost almost 50,000 members so many clubs are now looking at new ways to attract and retain members.  In addition to the membership loss, clubs are also having to manage an aging profile.  This has an impact on revenue and in many clubs, older members qualify for discounts or reduced membership fees.  At a recent EGM, Muskerry approved a new scheme that will see new members pay €520 in their first year of membership.  They then graduate to €700 in the second year and €900 in the third year.  After the third year Continue reading

Super 63 from Ryan to win Munster PGA Opener

Munster PGA Fota Island 16th Nov 2015

Munster PGA Captain David O’Sullivan presenting the winners prize to David Ryan who shot a 63 at the opening PGB Munster PGA event. The comeptition was held at Fota Island Resort and was sponsoted by Titleist & Footjoy. Also included is Stephen Hayes, Munster PGA.

Cahir Park’s David Ryan shot a sensational eight under par 63 to win the first PGB Winter Series event at Fota Island Resort.  The event was in the new pro-am format and was sponsored by Titleist & Footjoy. Marian Riordan and Davey Barry were tied in second place on 69 and Tim Rice shot a 70 to take fourth place.  Killarney’s Dan Sugrue was fifth with a level par 71 while newcomer Conor Coyne was among those tied for 6th place in his first PGA event.

Unsurprisingly David Ryan also took the pro-am prize, he partnered with his Dad Ellis to score a winning 46 points.  Marian Riordan and Colm Riordan were second with 44 points.  Tommy Higgins won the amateur category with 41 points.  David O’Donovan and Colm Riordan were tied for second with 39 points.  The next PGB winter series event will take place in Killarney Golf Club on Monday 30th November and this will also be a Continue reading

Marymount Benefits from Fota Ladies

Golf_Fota Ladies_Marymount_Nov 2015Fota Island Ladies recently presented a cheque for over €3,000 to Marymount Hospice.  The large donation was the proceeds from their annual charity open day which took place a few weeks ago.  Fota Island Lady Captain Anne Horgan was delighted to present Marymount’s Miriam Dennehy with the proceeds and she explained how they raised the funds: ““The money raised was as a result of a recent semi open competition held in Fota Island.  It was a four person team event and each team had a Fota member playing with guests.  The prizes were again sponsored Continue reading

Castlemartyr Launches Race to Old Thorns

Castlemartyr's 4th hole  Picture: Jamie Gibson.

Castlemartyr’s 4th hole Picture: Jamie Gibson.

Not satisfied with another very strong golfing season, Castlemartyr are running another open qualifier series, running all the way into December.  The popular links style course was the venue for open competitions right through the peak season and now they have a top quality prize on offer for their November and December events.  The series winner will win a trip for two to the Old Thorns golf estate in southern England.  The Shaw family from Old Thorns recently completed the purchase of the five star resort in Castlemartyr and this is the first sign of collaboration between both venues.  The qualifiers were very popular during the summer with up to 200 golfers competing weekly, obviously it’s a different time of the year but we’re still expecting a lot of interest.  We’ve harvested a Continue reading

4 Cork Golfers Included in National Panels

Kinsale's Cathal Butler

Kinsale’s Cathal Butler

The GUI national panels were announced today and four Cork golfers have made the training panels.  Kinsale’s Cathal Butler made his return to competitive golf this week in Rosslare and he has been added to the Men’s Development Panel.  Butler’s Kinsale stablemate John Murphy has gone straight into the Boy’s Panel while Sean Desmond (Monkstown) made it into the Boy’s Development Panel.  Mallow’s Ed Walsh is the 4th Cork golfer to get the call up, he is on the Boy’s Under 16 Panel. Continue reading