Cork Golf

Sustainability to the fore for Golf

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

While golf is often considered to be environmentally friendly, there is now a major drive to make the sport more sustainable.  Golf Ireland has positioned sustainability as one of its key programmes.  Drive the Green is the plan that was launched earlier this year and has the aim of advancing sustainability and climate action through the sport.

The view on Ireland’s golf courses can be mixed.  Some take the view that courses are already environmentally friendly with others countering that the active management of the course limits the ecological value of the land.  Ireland’s golf courses cover an estimated 20,000 hectares of land with over half of this estimated as “out of play” landscape available for nature.  Just 5% of golf course land is designated intensively maintained such Continue reading →

Work Continues at Fermoy Golf Club

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

The back nine in Fermoy Golf Club
Pic: Niall O’Shea

Fermoy Golf Club was a busy spot all summer, and that has continued through the Autumn as the club embarked on an impressive course improvement programme.  This included an intensive sanding programme in addition to some work on tee boxes and the irrigation system.  Fermoy manager Denis Twomey has been overseeing the progress and he gave some details of the current work and the next phases.

“We completed the installation of a new irrigation system on all 18 holes plus practice area in 2024” said Twomey.  “We also upgraded six tee boxes and have connected irrigation to the new tee boxes. The plan is to start connecting irrigation to all tee boxes on a phased basis over the next three years.”

When this is added to the sanding programme, you can see that Fermoy is building towards providing members and Continue reading →

Exciting 2025 Ahead for Cork Golf Club

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

The view back from the 15th green at the famous Alister MacKenzie designed course at Cork Golf Club. Picture: Niall O’Shea

Next year promises to be a busy one for Cork Golf Club, as the Little Island course will hold several major competitions.

Golf Ireland have launched the 2025 championship schedule and Cork will host three major events.  In addition to the Munster Stroke Play which has been held on the May Bank Holiday weekend for over a decade, the course will also host the Flogas Irish Boys Amateur Open and the Boys Home Internationals.  In addition to these, the club will also host the Women’s Cork Scratch Cup in early April.

Cork has a habit of being a winning venue for golfers who went on to greatness.  Shane Lowry won the Irish Close Championship when it was last held in Cork in 2007.  He beat local favourite Niall Turner in the final to claim his first Irish title.  He went on to win the West and North, and the Mullingar Scratch Cup the following year, before winning the Irish Open in Baltray to Continue reading →

Ciaran McKenna teams up with Blarney Golf Club

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Ciaran McKenna pictured outside his  golf studio in Mourneabbey. Picture: Niall O’Shea

Ciaran McKenna is holding a clinic in Blarney on Saturday to launch his new role as teaching professional at the busy club.  McKenna has been based from his purpose build studio in Mourneabbey for the past two years, and his new appointment with Blarney will be a big addition for the club.  While we’re heading into the winter, Ciaran was delighted to kick off the new partnership with an on-course clinic for members this weekend.

“I’m really excited to host a short game clinic at the club on Saturday.  at 11am. It’ll be 1.5 hours long with a 30 min Q&A afterward – it’s a fantastic way to meet and greet the members and have a good chat about their Continue reading →

Sherwood & Eivers lead Munster PGA

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

The Munster PGA held the third outing of their winter series last week, and there was another two way tie at the top in Douglas with Brady Sherwood and Paul Eivers both returning an impressive score of 43 points.  David Ryan continued his good form with 42 points to take third place and host Pro David Barry was next with 41 points.  There was a three way tie for fifth place with Padraig Dooley, Fraser Thompson and Gavin Young.  Close to 30 professionals played in the event.

It was the second event to take place in November, with Cork Golf Club hosting an event at the start of the month.  Home favourite John Hickey came out on top that day with a score of 41 points to finish Continue reading →

Howard wins Clutch Tour Card

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David Howard has secured a tour card for 2025 for the UK based Clutch Pro Tour.  The Fota Island golfer, who finished in the top ten on the Bridgestone Order of Merit this year entered the event after being told about the qualifier by PGA Professional Brian Kelleher.  With the Irish championship season over, Howard headed off to Mannings Heath outside London for the 54 hole qualifier on what is effectively Europe’s third tier of professional tour golf.  He ended up finishing in the top twenty, earning tour status for next year.

“I had two weeks notice, Brian sent me on a link qualifier so I booked it off the back of the East Continue reading →

Byrne sails through LPGA Q Series

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

Sara Byrne’s whirlwind 2024 is continuing, the Douglas star passed the latest test last week in Florida when she qualified for the final stage of the LPGA qualifying school.

Byrne was in a field of close to 200 golfers having made the cut at the initial stage in California back in August.  Sara needed to finish the 72 hole qualifier inside the top 35 to reach final qualifying, and the 22 years old came through in impressive form.

She opened with a five under par 67 that had her at the top of the leaderboard for most of the first day.  A second round 73 saw her drop back a few places but she bounced back in the third would with a three under par 69.  That had Sara in twelfth place going into the final round, with high hopes of finishing inside the cut mark.

Byrne went through the first nine on the final day in -1, but the best was yet to come as she dropped in another four birdies to finish on 68 (-4).  That took her to -11 for the tournament and up to sixth place.

“The week was very solid.  I got off to a flying start which I knew I needed a low one like that and to be Continue reading →

Nominations opn for Volunteer of the Year

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Pat O Keeffe Club Volunteer of the Year Award 2023
Picture: Golffile | Denis O’Flynn

The Golf Ireland Volunteer of the Year Awards will return this year for their third edition.  There is a new format this year, having listened to feedback,  the Golf Ireland Club Volunteer Award scheme will be extended from one award to five awards.  There will be three shortlisted candidates for each category who will be announced at their regional AGM.

The Golf Ireland Club Volunteer Awards recognises the invaluable work being done at grassroots level and honours individual or groups of club volunteers who freely give their time to make golf a progressive, inclusive, and accessible sport for all while promoting a volunteer ethos in clubs.

This scheme aims to recognise the amazing work of the thousands of volunteers who are responsible for outstanding work in their golf clubs all around the island of Ireland in 2024.  This year there will be five Continue reading →

Cork Golf Clubs show huge support for Play in Pink

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

Play in Pink has had another very successfully year on golf courses in Cork and across the country.  The charity fundraiser is over 20 years old and raises much needed funds for breast cancer research.  The initiative has grown significantly since then and there were over 200 Play in Pink days in 2023 raising over €550,000 for the charity, and 2024 is destined to beat that total.

Already Play in Pink has seen an increase of 10% in the number of fundraising days held throughout the country.  So far over 19 Cork golf clubs have supported the initiative and between them they have raised over €42,000 for the charity.

Douglas was one of the Cork clubs to get involved this year and Captain Ursula Morris was Continue reading →

McCarthy wins Blarney Scratch Cup

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

Keelan McCarthy winner of the Blarney Senior Scratch Cup pictured with members of Blarney Golf Club.

Keelan McCarthy scooped one of the last trophies for 2024 last weekend when he won the Blarney Senior Scratch Cup.  The Lee Valley man led from the start on Saturday to win the inaugural Christy Horgan Cup, named in memory of the Blarney clubman.

McCarthy made all the running in the morning and led the field by four shots after shooting a one under par 69.  David Lane, Ryan Lyons, Robbie Walsh, and Aidan Rowsome were the next best going into the second round with Ben Murray and Padraig O’Connor also chasing.

David Howard shot the round of the day on Saturday afternoon when he carded a three under par 67.  When added to his morning 76 it left him on three over, and with that he secured second place.  McCarthy added a second round 72 to his morning score to finish on +1, and he won by two.  David Lane added a second round 72 to take third place and Ben Murray was third.

McCarthy was delighted to win his first scratch cup.  A previous winner of the Bruen Youths in Muskerry, Keelan has waited a few years to claim another major win.  “I’m absolutely Continue reading →