Mahon juniors pictured with PGA Professional Stephen Hayes in the new Trackman Studio.
Mahon Golf Club have recently installed a new Trackman Studio which will be a huge boost for their members. The new development comes after a few years of planning from the city club. Given that the course has no means for expansion, a range or outdoor practice wasn’t an option, so the club instead looked at the option of building an indoor simulator. 2021 Club Captain Denis Kavanagh was one of the people behind the initiative and he explained how the exciting development came about.
“The Club Committee formed a sub-committee in 2020 to look into options available to develop some alternative to a practice range, that would provide members and juveniles alike with facilities to develop their game” said Kavanagh. “After researching what options were available by contacting other clubs, and speaking with Golf Simulator suppliers both in the UK and Denmark, a preferred solution was agreed. The sub-committee then met Continue reading
Dan Sugrue made it three from three in Castlemartyr on Monday when he won the third Munster PGA outing of the 2018 Winter Series. In fact it was a double for Sugrue as he teamed up with his brother John and Tim Rice to claim the team prize. Sugrue had a flawless front nine of 32 with birdies on 4,6,8 and 9. He had a further birdie 2 on 12 followed by his only drop shot on 13 – his first in 49 holes of competitive golf. His final birdie came on 15 for an inward 35.
It takes a lot to get a club off the ground and when you’re looking at starting a junior golf section that can be even more daunting. Castlemartyr has changed quite a bit in the past three years, in addition to almost doubling the men’s membership numbers, the resort has also started a ladies club and a juvenile section. The junior section started three years ago when the very first junior golfers were family members of existing adult club members and grew from there. In 2016 the section was given some added firepower, when past captain John Paul Twomey took on the role of Juvenile Officer. Twomey had spent a few years on Committee and recognised the importance and the value of building a strong and active junior golf section. “In 2016 I took on the role as Juvenile Officer along with Club Vice President” explained Twomey. “From my time being Club Captain in 2014 I always had an aspiration in taking on the role and expanding the club and offer more to a juvenile club. We commenced by implementing & introducing a code of conduct and policy document safeguarding children in sport in accordance with the CGI guidelines. This was a major stepping stone to getting the juvenile club up and running. All club members involved with juveniles are also Garda vetted in accordance with the G.U.I.” Things have moved on from that first year, the club had around 10 junior members and played in the Fred Daly Trophy in 2014 for the first time. Now with 
Castlemartyr is a busy place right now and the August weekend will be one of the busiest with their annual scratch cup weekend. Starting on Friday 4th August, the event is set to attract well over 400 golfers over the three days and there’s a large prize fund in place. The event is again sponsored by McCarthy Insurance Group who have been on board for the past four years. The course is set to be in great condition for the showpiece event, the recent fine weather has allowed Trevor Norris and his team to speed up the course which is always a treat for handicap golfers. The three scratch cups (Junior, Intermediate and Minor) take place from Friday to Sunday and the timesheet is filling fast. Since the course opened it became an immediate favourite for both societies and casual golfers. The weekly open singles series are always popular and the membership has grown steadily over the past decade.
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