Cork Golf

Byrne wins second Golf Writers Award

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Dromoland Ambassador Sara Byrne 
Pic. Brian Arthur

After a 2024 to remember, Sara Byrne won a final accolade last week when she was named the the IGWA Women’s Amateur of the Year.  The Douglas golfer won the award in 2023 and won again for 2024 after another impressive set of performances.  The highlight for 2024 should be the key role she played in Gret Britain & Ireland’s win in the Curtis Cup in September.  That has been talked about for the past two weeks following the Sky Sports screening of a programme about the memorable weekend in London.

Byrne turned professional just after September’s Curtis Cup, but before that she made the most of her final eight months of 2024.  The year started with her final semester in University of Miami, and this was marked with two wins and four other top ten finishes.  She followed that with an impressive performance at the Women’s Amateur in Portmarnock, reaching the final 32.  Byrne also made her final appearance for Ireland as an amateur before going unbeaten over the weekend of the Curtis Cup in GB&I’s win.

The Irish Golf Writers announced five award winners before Christmas.  Royal Dublin’s Max Kennedy was named Men’s Amateur of the Year.  The University of Louisville senior was runner-up in the East of Ireland Championship and the European Amateur Championship before going on to complete all three stages at the DP World Tour Qualifying School, securing a European Challenge Tour card.

Tom McKibbin, like Byrne was an award winner in 2023 and he won the Men’s Professional Award for a second time.  McKibbin enjoyed another memorable year in just his second season on the DP World Tour, finishing 18th in Continue reading →

Blarney honour Tom McKibbin

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Blarney’s Paul O’Neill and Ronan O’Riordan presenting Tom McKibbin with a momento of his win in Blarney in the Munster Boys

Officers from Blarney Golf Club travelled to Antrim recently, to mark the exploits of a 14 year old golfer back in 2017.  That golfer was current PGA Tour Card holder Tom McKibbin, and when the Co Down star was 14 he won the Munster Boys Under 16 in Blarney.  McKibbin came from one behind after the opening round to win the event by three shots after a closing 69.  It was one of the first Munster Championships to be hosted by Blarney and the 2017 President Paul O’Neill was delighted to recall the

Led by 2024 Captain Ronan O’Riordan, the club decided to honour the DP World Tour winner, making a presentation to him and with the support of Blarney Golf Club owners, they also made him an Continue reading →

Sustainability to the fore for Golf

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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 →