Golf Ireland

Handicaps Changes for 2025

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

As we head towards the start of April, many golfers will be welcoming the harder ground – and the return of counting competitions.  Winter golf in almost all courses has been non-counting for handicap purposes and golfer may see a change in their playing handicap once counting competitions return next month.

While a golfer’s handicap index is tied to their playing record, the playing handicap is determined by the difficulty of the course and the allowance provided in the competition.  For the past four years, the allowance for a singles competition was set at 95%, but clubs will now have the option to change the allowance.  In singles counting competitions, the current 95% allowance for Playing Handicaps can be increased to 100%, or it can be Continue reading →

Cope Alliance has another bumper year

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The Cope Golf Alliance recently celebrated another great year when they presented a cheque for over €40,000 to Cope Foundation following their 2024 season.  The full amount was €41,500 and that means in the past 48 years the Alliance has raised over €1.7million for one of Cork’s favourite charities.

Cope Foundation, which recently changed it’s name to Horizons has provided support to people with an intellectual disability or autism, and currently supports over 2,800 people.  The charity has an annual fundraising target of over €1m so the contribution from golf alliance each year is a source the charity can depend on.

There are close to 500 members of the Alliance and membership is Continue reading →

Exciting 2025 ahead for Cork Golf

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Cork Golf Club which wil host a number of national events in 2025. Pic: Niall O’Shea

2025 promises to be a busy and exciting year for Cork golfers and Cork golf clubs.  Golf Ireland launched the 2025 calendar recently and four Cork courses will host important events in the months ahead.

Cork Golf Club will host four major events in a busy year for the club.  In addition to the Munster Stroke Play which has been held on the May Bank Holiday weekend for over a decade, the Little Island club will also host the Flogas Irish Boys Amateur Open and the Boys Home Internationals.  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 and with Irish Boys Captain watching over the field, he will be hoping for another winner with star potential when it comes to the Irish Boys.  The last big winner in Cork was Shane Lowry, he  won the Irish Close Championship when it was last held in Cork in 2007.  Lowry 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 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 →

Nominations opn for Volunteer of the Year

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

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

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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 →

Top Thirty finish for Byrne in France

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Sara Byrne (Picture: Niall O’Shea)

Sara Byrne had another impressive week on the course when she finished in the top thirty at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France.  Byrne was in Ladies European Tour action for the second time in two weeks, hoping to make the most of her playing opportunities before the end of the year.

The Douglas golfer opened with a level par 71 on the opening day of the 54 hole tournament, and a one over par 72 followed on the second day which saw her safely inside the cut mark of +5.  A final day 71 saw her finish in 28th place at Golf Barriere in northern France.

Byrne carded 11 birdies in the 54 holes, showing she has the game to stake a claim for a tour card on the professional circuit.  She won over Continue reading →

Douglas Celebrate Senior Cup and Curtis Cup Successes

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Sara Byrne in action in the Curtis Cup in Sunningdale. Picture: Niall O’Shea

Sara Byrne had a fairytale end to her amateur career, going unbeaten in five sessions and helping GB&I to win the Curtis Cup for the first time since 2016.

The Douglas golfer may have missed out on her club’s AIG Senior Cup win, but she made a lifetime of memories in Sunningdale.  Byrne played in all five sessions and she was the only player to undefeated over the three days.  She had a win and three halves in the opening two days alongside Lottie Woad, and closed out her final round as an amateur with a decisive win.

Team captain Catriona Matthew kept her faith in Byrne and Woad on the Continue reading →

O’Keeffe wins Irish Mid-Am in Tipperary

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

Peter O’Keeffe bagged his sixth Irish Championship win last weekend when he won the Irish Mid-Am in Tipperary.  The two time Irish Open Champion already had two Mid-Am titles to his name but he has had a poor 2024 by his own standards.  O’Keeffe has played well in parts this year but struggled to put a few consecutive rounds together.  HE did that over the weekend, and started brightly with a two under par 70 although he did find himself in third place.  A level par second round put O’Keeffe into a tie for the lead after the two ahead of him dropped backwards.

After two rounds O’Keeffe was Continue reading →

Three Wins for Cork Golfers

/ niall@corkgolfnews.com

There were three good wins for Cork golfers last week, spanning different ages and geographies. The age and geographic gap was notable with winners ranging in age from teenagers to the sixties, and wins in three different places.  Closest to home, Cian McDonnell won the Kerry Boys, Karl Bornemann won the Irish Veterans Close and Justin Dennehy won the Scottish Under 14.

Justin Dennehy has won his fair share of junior golf competitions and he was back on the winning trail last week when the 13-year-old won the inaugural Scottish Under 14 Open Championship.

The youngster posted rounds of 68 and 73 at Dunfermline Continue reading →