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National win for Barry & Coughlan, ILGU Australian Spoons

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Australian Spoons at Co Longfort Golf Club

Winners of the 2017 Australian Spoons Claire Coughlan Ryan and Oonagh Barry (Cork) after the 2017 Australian Spoons All-Ireland Final at Longford Golf Club. Pic: Jenny Matthews (www.cashmanphotography.ie)

Claire Coughlan Ryan and Oonagh Barry win the Australian Spoons at Co. Longford Golf Club earlier this week.  Despite wet and heavy conditions the Cork pairing of Claire Coughlan Ryan and Oonagh Barry were a model of consistency with 19 points on both the front and extremely tricky back nine at Co. Longford Golf Club in a round that had birdies at the par 3 8th and par 4 15th.  Last years winners Helen Jones and Vivienne Houston (Royal Portrush) won the best gross.  Presented to the ILGU in 1967 by the Australian Ladies Golf Union to support players representing Ireland at International Competitions, the Australian Spoons is contended for by clubs across Ireland.  Clubs hold an 18 hole stableford greensomes qualifier, in which their nett and gross winners progress to the District Finals.
Results:
​​1st  38 pts  Claire Coughlan Ryan (1) & Oonagh Barry (14) – Cork

Gross  30 pts Helen Jones (3) & Vivienne Houston (5) – Royal Portrush
2nd 36 pts Christina Rush (19) & Hannah Grant (20) – Claremorris
3rd  35 pts  Caroline Delaney (21) and Mary Dolan (30) – Mountbellew
4th  35 pts  Carmel Mullan (33) and Maura Ryan (25) – Elm Park

Fernhill course set to close

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fernhillTomorrow will be the last day to play Fernhill golf course, as the course is set to close for the last time on 31st August.  Owner Michael Bowes has confirmed his intention to close the course at the end of the month, citing an ongoing trading loss as the reason.  This follows the winding down of the golf club in Fernhill in 2016.  The owner did not offer members the option to renew their membership after December 2018 and since then the course operated under a pay and play basis over the past eight months.

Fernhill is the latest casualty in the industry.  Ringenane, Blarney, and Harbour Point all closed over through the past decade.  Many golfers questioned Fernhill’s ability to reverse trading losses with the loss of the club revenues.  Last year in an email to members the ower cited extensive losses in the off peak season and intimated that these were unsustainable in the long term.

A few months ago Bowes put the hotel in Fernhill up for sale with a guide price of €4.5m.  The golf course and clubhouse was not included at that time.  The entire property which covers approximately 80 acres was designated as a Strategic Land Reserve in the recent draft Local Area Plan, indicating potential for housing development in the future.

Fernhill Closing tweet1

Butler & Sugrue bow out in Irish Close, Egan & Costello make the cut in Irish Boys U16

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Munster Boys Under 16 Open Championship 2016, Nenagh Golf Club, Wednesday 29th June 2016, Jack Egan

Jack Egan (Muskerry)

Cathal Butler and James Sugrue both lost out in the first matchplay round at the AIG Irish Close Championship in Galway yesterday.  They were the only two Cork golfers to make it into the top 64 after the 36 hole strokeplay qualifier.  Butler was up against West of Ireland winner Barry Anderson and the Kinsale man was one up after 14, but Anderson won three holes on the trot to close the match on the 17th.  Sugrue brought his match to the 18th, but crucially couldn’t win the final hole and lost by one hole to Portmarnock’s James Fox.

Muskerry’s Jack Egan made the cut for the final round at the Irish Boys Under 16 Open in Rockmount.  Egan was going around nicely today until he found trouble on the 17th and had to sign for an 80.  Still he ended up two inside the cut mark, just inside the top 25.  Kinsale’s Jody Costello shot rounds of Continue reading →

Super 67 for Sara Byrne

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2017 Irish Girls Close Championship at Mallow Golf Club

Sara Byrne pictured during the Irish Girls Close, picture: Pat Cashman

Sara Byrne shot a career low round of 67 in Douglas on Sunday, and won the Girlie Hegarty Trophy in the process.  Six birdies and just one bogey saw Byrne finish well ahead of the field.  The sharp shooter was on form, helped by the fact that Douglas is her home course.  Sara finished four shots clear of the field with her 65 nett, Aoife Ni Thuama won the best gross with a 73.  Bandon’s Sarah Higgins won the 18 hole stableford competition while Aoife Keating (Douglas) won the nine hole competition.  It’s been a solid year for the Sara Byrne.  The teenager has had a very busy summer and her five under par round was yet another milestone in a year that saw several improvements.  Byrne was in action Girls Home Internationals recently, where Ireland narrowly lost out to England, and prior to that she was representing Great Britain and Ireland in Italy at the Junior Vagliano Trophy.

Next up for Sara is the British ladies Strokeplay which takes Continue reading →

September date for John Whyte Memorial

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John Whyte 2017Fermoy will host the John Whyte memorial on Sunday 10th of September, with a bumper prize fund in place for the senior scratch cup.  The 18 hole event which includes a meal will see defending champion James Sugrue return to defend his title.  The South of Ireland winner has been in great form this year, and earned a spot on the Munster Senior team for the interprovincials in July.  Previous winners include European Seniors star Denis O’Sullivan and Fermoy native Tom Cleary.  A full timesheet is expected and anyone interested in playing should book early.  Online entry is available on http://www.fermoygolfclub.ie and you can also call the club on 025 31472.

Fermoy has been a busy spot, the clubs is celebrating their 125th anniversary this year and they’ve already hosted two Munster finals.  Next weekend Fermoy will host the Michael Cashman fourball Munster final.  Dromoland Castle will take on Ballykisteen in the battle for the last Munster pennant of 2017.

O’Flaherty misses out as Murray claims fifth Munster Mid-Am title

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Munster Mid Am 2017Two putts that were left hanging on the lip cost Gary O’Flaherty dearly as he missed out on a play-off in the Munster Mid Am.  The Cork golfer had a mixed day but gave himself a few chances.  Despite carding two early birdies, O’Flaherty lost a ball on the 7th to go back to level, but he stuck with it on a difficult day for golf.  There was a huge downpour in Newcastlewest as O’Flaherty finished his round.  Members worked had to clear the standing water on the final three greens meaning that play could continue, and O’Flaherty saw birdie putts finish right on lip on both 16 and 17.  A birdie on either hole would have been enough to get him into a play-off but he had to settle for third place.  O’Flaherty had a to sit back and watch his friend and Continue reading →

International Action for Cork Girls

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2017 Irish Girls Close Championship at Mallow Golf Club

Mairead Martin (Kanturk) Picture: Pat Cashman

Four Cork Girls are in action for Ireland today in the Ladies and Girls Home Internationals.  Little Aston Golf Club near Brimingham is hosting the both events which get underway today.  Despite being eligible for the Girls team, Mairead Martin has been selected for the Ladies team.  The Kanturk native has been in great form recently, she won both the Irish Girls Close and the Leinster Ladies Championship in the past three weeks.  Mitchelstown’s Valerie Clancy (representing Killarney) will feature on the Girls team alongside Cork’s Rachel Thompson and Douglas’ Sara Byrne.

Last year, Ireland were victorious in the Girls Home Internationals with the Ladies’ honours going to England.  Three of the victorious 2016 Girls’ team have returned to defend their title. Clancy, Thompson and Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden) will be a source of experience for Captain Gemma Butler, who will be relying on them to lead their fellow teammates.
Ireland take on Scotland today, they face Wales tomorrow and England on the final day.
Home Internationals Little Aston Aug 2017

The combined Girls and Ladies teams (Pic: Derek Byrne)

Ladies Home International Matches

Little Aston, 9 – 11 August
Ciara Casey (Hermitage)
Maria Dunne (Skerries)
Paula Grant (Lisburn)
Mairead Martin (Kanturk)
Julie McCarthy (Forrest Little)
Chloe Ryan (Castletroy)
Annabel Wilson (Lurgan)
Reserve: Sinead Sexton (Lahinch)
Team Captain: Danielle McVeigh (RCDL)
Team Manager: Clodagh Hopkins (Woodbrook)
Team Coach: Donal Scott
Girls’ Home International Matches
Little Aston, 9 – 11 August
Sara Byrne (Douglas)
Valerie Clancy (Killarney)
Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle)
Emma Forbes (Royal Portrush)
Maeve Rooney (Co. Sligo)
Rachel Thompson (Cork)
Lauren Walsh (Castlewarden)
Reserve: Georgia Carr (Milltown)
Team Captain: Gemma Butler (Birr)
Team Manager: Helen Jones (Royal Portrush)
Team Coach: Chris Jelly

Hickey takes top ten spot in Mullingar

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John Hickey pictured during the Lee Valley Senior Scratch Cup.

John Hickey pictured during the Lee Valley Senior Scratch Cup.

Cork’s John Hickey was the best placed Cork golfer at Mullingar over the weekend.  Stuart Grehan won the prestigious title with a wire to wire win following two 67’s which saw him hit the halfway point on -10.

An opening 79 on Sunday morning hampered Hickey, and that return featured two triple bogies on his front nine.  Hickey recovered with a one under par 71 on Sunday afternoon and another two 71’s followed on Monday.  That saw him rise up the leaderboard and eventually finished in 9th place.  Hickey will be a key member of the Cork team that will be aiming to retain their AIG Barton Shield Munster title in Tralee this weekend.

Peter O’Keeffe (74/75/74/73) was just inside the top twenty (18th), O’Keeffe is currently preparing for his Irish Senior debut in Moortown next week.  James Sugrue and John Murphy both were tied for 24th place, that was likely to be Murphy’s last competitive event in Ireland as he’s moving to Kentucky next week to take up his place with Aaron O’Callaghan’s University of Louisville golf programme.  Kinsale duo Gary Ward (T37) and Cathal Butler (T41) both made the cut but Mallow’s Conor Dowling missed the cut for the final day.

Deasy in the mix in Ballina, Irish Boys Under 14

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AIG Junior Cup South Munster Area Final, Bandon Golf Club, Wednesday 12th July 2017Mel Deasy (Bantry Bay) is comfortably inside the top ten after the first round of the Irish Boys Under 14 Championship in Ballina.  Deasy finished with a birdie three on the 18th to sign for a three over par 74.  Deasy has been playing some fine golf this year and has been a key member of the Bantry Bay AIG Junior Cup team.

Zak Collins (Douglas) is two shots behind Deasy in 13th place,  Collins had a disappointing end to his round but he’s in touch of the the top tem.  Leader Joshua Hill (Galgorn Castle) shot an amazing five under par 66 to hold the lead by two shots.  Hill had two eagles to record the impressive score on the opening day.   Round two gets underway tomorrow.

GOLF: Irish Under 14 Boys Amateur Open Championship

Ballina Golf Club, Round 1 Scores – Thursday 3 August 2017

66 J Hill (Galgorm Castle)
68 E Rowe (Tandragee)
72 B Hanratty (Donabate)
73 L Abom (Edmondstown); C McFadden (Headfort); J Byrne (Baltinglass)
74 M Deasy (Bantry Bay); G O’Neill (Malahide); R Fives (Faithlegg)
75 M Holohan (Seapoint); A Murray (Roganstown); T Higgins (Roscommon)
76 S Lenihan (Goldcoast); Z Collins (Douglas); E McArthur (Massereene); S Calvert (Ballykisteen)
77 M Whelan (Ennis); J Quinn Continue reading →